USA Today: "Bush sets out to salvage 2nd term" (55% judge him a failure)

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

An aide slipped President Bush a note during a staff meeting in the Oval Office on Friday morning with the news: Vice President Cheney's chief of staff would be indicted in the CIA leak case - the terrible end of a very bad week.

After fumbling the nomination of a Supreme Court justice and defending an unpopular war that has now cost more than 2,000 American lives, Bush finds his presidency at a new low. A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday shows that a solid majority of Americans, 55%, now judge Bush's presidency to be a failure. But his comeback strategy begins Monday.

Four presidential aides say there are no plans for dramatic policy shifts, staff shake-ups or public mea culpas. The aides declined to speak on the record because they aren't authorized to discuss internal affairs. Two described the scene at Friday's meeting when the president learned what special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald would do. "An investigation lasting for almost two years is the equivalent of having a dagger dangling over you," Bush counselor Dan Bartlett says. "We are all saddened (about the indictment of Cheney aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby) and understand the seriousness of the charges brought forth by the special prosecutor, but it does give us an opportunity now to look forward."

But the skeptics note that Bush's plans to focus on immigration reform and a tax overhaul and to win confirmation of a conservative Supreme Court nominee would be difficult even for a president at the apex of his strength. And they caution that rebuilding support among the public will take more than rhetoric and resolve. It will, they say, take results. "It's difficult to know where President Bush goes for a major national or international initiative right now - an initiative he can actually achieve," says David Gergen, an adviser to four presidents. He calls the situation "a Category 4 storm for the Bush White House."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051031/ts_usatoday/bushsetsouttosalvage2ndterm

[Bob3]

1. so he's going to 'save' his presidency by doing the same things

that got him into trouble in the first place. Well I guess it makes sense to * who is living in cloud coo-coo land - where all the men respect him and all the women kiss his butt, but out here in the real world - Ho boy pass the popcorn this is gonna be good.

:popcorn:

[musette_sf]

2. "salvaging",

in The Handmaid's Tale, meant that "apostates" were murdered in stadiums, Roman-style.

This administration's power should, and hopefully will, be terminated thusly.

NB: No physical harm to any persons is advocated in this post. Just their obscene power base and structure. My wish is that the personnel shall go quietly into the dark night of infamy, and remembered forever in history for the evil they have done.

[NYC Liberal]

3. No, he's not going to salvage anything because he is incapable of change.

He will just steamroll ahead regardless of the consequences. Nobody will be replaced, because, well, they don't TRUST anyone outside of their own circle.

[gatorboy]

4. Doh! I thought it said "Savage"

Which he is doing a good job of :P

[ComerPerro]

5. What the hell is wrong with the other 45%? Are they completely retarded?

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Some people are incapable of admitting a mistake. That's why

they like Bush so much. He's the biggest mistake they ever made and they aren't going to admit it. Thus, the 45% approval rating.

[ComerPerro]

9. That's true. If Bush is wrong, then they are wrong

and if Bush is a failure, then what does it say about them?

[yellowcanine]

7. Err - I ddn't know prejudents got "do-overs".

[senseandsensibility]

8. The lapdog corporate media seems very, very interested in

helping the chimperor "salvage" his presidency, don't they? Curious. Just wondering, did they ever seem so concerned about "salvaging" Clinton's presidency? Oh, yeah...THAT'S right, they didn't have to. Clinton was at sixty-nine percent approval during the height of impeachment.