For White House, 2 Bills Offer Route to Political High Ground

[baby_bear]

If you weren't convinced of the importance of defeating these two bills before, this should do it. Are you paying attention, Mr. Daschle????

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

Published: November 23, 2003

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/23/politics/campaigns/23STRA.html?hp

<snip>
The normally early-to-bed president made calls to the Hill into the small hours of Saturday morning, White House officials said, and kept up the pressure on Congress to pass the Medicare bill in his weekly radio address. ``I urge all members of Congress to remember what is at stake,'' Mr. Bush said.

What was at stake for the White House was command of the high ground in the 2004 re-election campaign.

The weekend capped an intense, yearlong effort by Mr. Bush's aides to get the Medicare and energy bills passed before the heavy politicking began. (After the House passed the Medicare bill near dawn on Saturday, the Medicare legislation in the Senate moved toward a final vote, probably on Monday. On Friday, Senate opponents blocked the energy bill - ``a minority,'' Mr. Bush noted on the South Lawn - but Republicans said it still had a chance.)

...should the energy bill die after a bipartisan effort to defeat it, Mr. Bush's advisers say that he will simply blame the Democrats in 2004.

</snip>

much more, all depressing....

s_m