Eleanor Clift: Bush "paying political price for refusing to reach out" [View All]

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9086943/site/newsweek/

Aug. 26, 2005 - So President Bush wakes up one morning and says to himself: “Let’s go to Idaho!” The destination is his answer to a question that’s been dogging him determinedly throughout his Texas vacation: “I’m approaching the 30s in popularity polls, what to do?” It all reminds of the “Carnac the Magnificent” routine Johnny Carson used to do on the “Tonight Show.” After Ed McMahon announced the answer in a sealed envelope, Carson, dressed like a fortune teller, would tap the side of his head and reveal the question. It was a hilarious comedy bit, and when Bush’s father was president, the senior Bush got rave reviews for a speech to the Gridiron Club in which he played Carnac with his press secretary as his sidekick.

Bush wasn’t looking for laughs when he focused on Idaho as a travel destination. Idaho has sent more National Guardsmen to Iraq than any other state; it is also one of the most reliably red regions in the country. With his mountain bike safely aboard Air Force One, Bush could leave Texas and still feel secure. It’s the nature of this brash and impetuous president that when it comes to words, he’s a big shot, but he ducks any situation where he might have to face anyone hostile to him or his policies. In Idaho, Bush could head straight to his comfort zone, an audience of rock-solid Republicans with potential dissenters screened out. This is a president who has refused to reach out to opponents in any way, and he’s paying a political price for it.

Congress was anticipating a huge confrontation over Bush’s first Supreme Court nomination, but now that’s been completely overshadowed by the war. When the politicians return from their summer recess after Labor Day, they’re going to find pressure building for a serious debate about America’s role in Iraq. It is the issue that is dominating American thought, and with gas prices ready to spike over $3.00, consumers are feeling the pinch of the war in a way they didn’t when somebody else’s son and daughter did the fighting and Bush gave them a tax cut.



"U.S. President George W. Bush makes a statement to the media at his ranch where he is vacationing in Crawford, Texas August 28, 2005. Bush on Sunday touted the merits of Iraq's new constitution but acknowledged Sunni opposition and that an upcoming referendum could spark a new wave of violence. REUTERS/Jeff Mitchell"