NYTimes Analysis: A Loud Message For Bush ("Everything Is Different Now For President Bush")

[Hissyspit]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/us/politics/08assess.html?hp&ex=1163048400&en=654cbccf9b779806&ei=5094&partner=homepage

November 8, 2006
News Analysis
A Loud Message for Bush
By ROBIN TONER
Everything is different now for President Bush. The era of one-party Republican rule in Washington ended with a crash in yesterday’s midterm elections, putting a proudly unyielding president on notice that the voters want change, especially on the war in Iraq.

Mr. Bush now confronts the first Democratic majority in the House in 12 years and a significantly bigger Democratic caucus in the Senate that were largely elected on the promise to act as a strong check on his administration. Almost any major initiative in his final two years in office will now, like it or not, have to be bipartisan to some degree.

For six years, Mr. Bush has often governed, and almost always campaigned, with his attention focused on his conservative base. But yesterday’s voting showed the limits of those politics, as practiced — and many thought perfected — by Mr. Bush and his chief political adviser, Karl Rove.

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Most critically, perhaps, Republicans lost the political center on the Iraq war, according to national exit polls. Voters who identified themselves as independents broke strongly for the Democrats, the exit polls showed, as did those who described themselves as moderates.

Senator Olympia J. Snowe, a Maine Republican who was re-elected yesterday, said that with the election’s results, the administration’s Iraq policy “has to change.” “It absolutely has to change,” Ms. Snowe said. “And that message should have been conveyed by the administration much sooner.”

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[izzie]

1. I sure do go with Snowe on this but , always a but

Some people are very sure they are right. I get the feeling Bush is one of those. Give a person power who is really sure he is right and we can read about them in history. They do not seem to ever give that up until they die. Then the ones that think like them keep it up. It is as if you can give them proof but they just keep saying they are right. Scary people. That is how I see Bush. His base will not give this up either. We can be thankful that some of that base can understand proof I guess. I think we chipped away at the edge more than I thought we could. Thank God. I did not think it all would be so good. I never get a feel for these things as I think if I see it every one should, as I am sort of average, and it usually does not turn out like that.

[magellan]

2. I'm thinking the same, izzie

Bush** is fanatically single-minded. I doubt he's going to roll with this and work with the Dems. He'll be waiting for something to happen to pin on them (or manufacturing something), and will pass the buck to them every chance he gets. They're going to have to be very tough and on their best behavior -- in fact the best thing they could do is put him and his staff on the defensive with a few investigations and keep them there. That would be nice to see for a change!!