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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TigerPaw who wrote (14168)	3/7/2003 7:57:02 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 89467

Well TP, I would have to agree that is a BIG MYTH. That is because a genuine myth is a person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence. And your BIG MYTH completely meets that criteria. IMO, it only exists in the minds of those with extremist views who are deluded by their clear bias, hatred & political agendas. It clearly has no basis in fact or reality. I completely agree with you on this one. Ö¿Ö

To: TigerPaw who wrote (14168)	3/9/2003 4:55:13 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

With support slipping abroad and at home, what will Bush do? By CHB Staff Mar 7, 2003, 21:40 capitolhillblue.com Although the Bush administration continues a strong public show of determination to force Iraq to disarm by March 17 or else, the President's support is slipping not only on the world stage but also within his own party and with voters. On Capitol Hill, House Speaker Dennis J. Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist must deal with increasing unrest from Republicans who say they can't continue to support the President in the face of growing public and world opposition to the war. With public polls now showing that 60 percent of Americans think the President should wait for the UN to complete its weapons inspections before proceeding against Iraq, Bush may launch the most unpopular American war since the conflict in Vietnam. Overnight polls conducted by the Republican National Committee show the President failed to convince Americans that he should proceed to war with Iraq without UN approval. For the first time since the 9-11 terror attacks, the internal polls showed a majority of Republicans, 52 percent, opposed to an immediate war. "This is not good," admits a senior RNC staff member. "We're losing the war at home before we ever go to war with Iraq." "The President's last real power base was the American people," says political scientist George Harleigh. "All other support is gone. If he launches an attack without UN sanction, he may lose that power base as well." The RNC polls said even Republicans found the President's peformance "unconvincing." Focus groups used by the party to rate Bush's handling of the press conference concluded he was "listless" and rated his performance as "lackluster." "Well, it was very somber, and it -- the president was quite repetitive," said Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post. "He was slow talking, almost like a wake." Republicans, while supportive, stopped short of praising the press conference. "The President was somber," says Virginia Republican Senator John Warner. White House sources say Bush's lackluster performance at his nationally-televised press conference Thursday night underscored his personal disappointment at the rapidly-dwindling support for his hardnosed approach on Iraq. "George Bush's strength has always been his ability to build coalitions," says longtime Texas political watcher Bobby Ingram. "That was his good luck charm as Texas governor. He was the first Republican to draw heavy support from the Hispanic base here because he could bring people of diverse views together." Earlier this week, when Secretary of State Colin Powell told Bush he would lose any UN Security Council vote that authorized military action now, Bush dismissed Powell's observations. "He told Powell that he has always been able to convince people to come around to his point of view and that he would do it again," said one White House aide. "I think you will see when it's all said and done, if we have to use force, a lot of nations will be with us," Bush said at his press conference Thursday night. But some White House advisors now feel any chance of a coalition is gone, that the chance died last week when Bush said his plans for war with Iraq included topping Hussein. "That drove some of the undecided countries to the opposition," says Audrey Beckman, a UN analyst. "Forcing a change in who governs a country does not sit well with many other nations." But Bush may also be sidetracked by a growing restlessness on the Hill, even from members of his own party. "The Senate rafters are not ringing with rhetoric and debate," says Warner, "but there is a lot of concern in the halls of the Senate." Democrats, of course, are more outspoken. "I'm very, very concerned, and most people are, about going alone here," says Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd. "There is an awful potential price we pay, and I want the president to show as much thought and balance that he is about North Korea here. And that's a huge distinction." Pentagon planners are working on several scenarios for the White House. One includes keeping the massive troop buildup in the Middle East in place for as long as six months while the weapons inspections scenario plays out before the UN. "Even France and Germany recognize that sooner or later, we are going to have to go into Iraq," says one senior military planner. "We feel sooner is best. They prefer later. It is a question now of who gets their way." Some longtime Pentagon watchers say the agressiveness of the Bush team has caught senior officers by surprise. "Usually, it's the military that wants to rush in and launch the attack," says Ron Hotckins, a retired Air Force officer who worked at the Pentagon. "This time around, the military is urging caution but Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld want war." © Copyright 2003 by Capitol Hill Blue