NYT: President's Political Thorn Grows Only More Stubborn

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, June 16 - The bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks further called into question on Wednesday one of President Bush's rationales for the war with Iraq, and again put him on the defensive over an issue the White House was once confident would be a political plus.

In questioning the extent of any ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda, the commission weakened the already spotty scorecard on Mr. Bush's justifications for sending the military to topple Saddam Hussein.

Banned biological and chemical weapons: none yet found. Percentage of Iraqis who view American-led forces as liberators: 2, according to a poll commissioned last month by the Coalition Provisional Authority. Number of possible Al Qaeda associates known to have been in Iraq in recent years: one, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whose links to the terrorist group and Mr. Hussein's government remain sketchy.

That is the difficult reality Mr. Bush faces 15 months after ordering the invasion of Iraq - and less than five months before he faces the voters at home. The commission's latest findings fueled fresh partisan attacks on his credibility and handling of the war, attacks that now seem unlikely to be silenced even if the return of sovereignty to the Iraqis comes off successfully in two weeks.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/17/politics/17assess.html?hp

[grytpype]

1. MUST READ, and READ IT ALL

from the article, the last line is a real laugh!

---

Senator John Kerry... was quick to seize on the commission's report to reprise his contention that Mr. Bush "misled" the American people about the need for the war. Even some independent-minded members of Mr. Bush's own party said they sensed danger.

"The problem the administration has is that the predicates it laid down for the war have not played out," said Warren B. Rudman, the former Republican senator from New Hampshire, who has extensive experience in assessing intelligence about terrorism. "That could spell political trouble for the president, there's no question."

...

Democratic strategists said there was now no question that Mr. Bush would be dogged through the rest of the campaign by questions about whether the war was necessary, justified and sufficiently well planned. But Mr. Bush's supporters said that in political terms, the amazing thing was how well he had weathered the problems thrown at him by Iraq.

[priller]

2. Oh yeah, he's "weathering" it great!

Down in the polls despite spending campaign money like a drunken sailor; taking in less money than Kerry; the campaign trashes Kerry and shows pictures of Reagan -- anything but show Chimpy himself. Yeah, that Bush, he's in the driver's seat now!

[Tom Kitten]

3. "weathering" like old paint weathers in a tornado!

stripped bare, stripped clean...people see this here because they ain't as stupid as the RNC thinks they are. "Jobs? What jobs?" "They lie about everything"...just a few comments I've overheard from my office...People are pissed off!

[justjones]

4. Revision: Number of Iraqis who view American-led forces as liberators=2

Unfortunately, they died in the invasion.</sarcasm off>