Tangled Up in His Flight Suit
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By Howard Fineman
Newsweek
Wednesday 27 August 2003
For Bush, war equals good politics—so long as the war’s
going well, that is.
Sept. 1 issue — George W. Bush was raising money last week in the
Pacific Northwest, where there are too many greens, Democrats and
anti-everything activists to suit him. “Do you have all those protesters lined
up to see me?” he jokingly asked Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of
Oregon.
Sure enough, they lined Portland streets to protest the war in Iraq. But
even when he returned to the friendliest of territory—his ranch in Crawford,
Texas—the president couldn’t escape the increasingly fractious politics of
the war. Families of military reservists have become distraught over
unexpectedly lengthy deployments in Iraq and angry over what they
consider unnecessarily risky rules of engagement there. Some of them
planned to gather last weekend for a rally on Crawford’s football field. “My
husband said they’re making him a sitting duck,” said Candance Robison,
readying herself for the 2½-hour drive from her home in Krum, Texas. The
slogan for the rally summarized her goal: BRING THEM HOME NOW!
When the president landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln four months ago
and declared victory in Iraq’s “major combat operations,” he dressed in the
manner of a conquering hero. But after the U.N. bombing in Baghdad, the
question is whether that flight suit could become a political straitjacket. In a
NEWSWEEK Poll, voters still think the president is doing a good job
overall and still believe—by a 2-1 margin—that invading Iraq was the right
thing to do. But there is soggy ground beneath those numbers. Voters are
growing antsy about the war’s financial costs (and see it weakening the
American economy), are dubious about its value in reducing terrorism and
are eager for the United Nations to take over. For the first time since 9/11,
people say they’d rather elect someone other than Bush in 2004. Already
poorly regarded as an economic steward, —he can’t afford much damage
to the image of commander in chief that his handlers hope will bring victory
in ’04. “He won’t flinch in Iraq,” said a friend who spent time with him
recently. “But he is very aware of the political risks.”
Continues.....
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