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Politics : WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004 -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GST who wrote (4381)	8/27/2003 10:30:07 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10965

Tangled Up in His Flight Suit ______________________________ 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..... truthout.org