Bush: Toxic Waste in Washington

It's pretty bad when a sitting president can't even get his party loyalists to back him. However, when he's attempting to sell the country down the hole, we won't call them names or belittle them for finally doing something that might just be in the country's best interest.

An article in The Washington Post has this to say:

The bipartisan uprising in Congress in the face of a veto threat represented a singular defeat for Bush, who when it came to national security grew accustomed during his first five years in office to leading as he chose and having loyal lawmakers fall in line. Now, with his poll numbers in a political ditch, the port debacle has contributed to a perception of weakness that has liberated
Republicans who once would never have dared cross Bush.

Why would they have never dared crossed Bush? More than likely it is because they all have too many skeletons in the closet that Karl Rove could use against them. They were scared. It wasn't a matter of principle. It was a matter of fear. This administration more than any other I've lived through or studied has controlled the voters and legislators through fear and intimidation tactics.

Republicans in the Senate and House didn't want Democrats to come out looking strong as the Dems took the lead on opposing the managing of major ports by a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Ports World. After winning elections by constantly threatening terrorists acts would occur if they weren't re-elected, how could the Republicans allow a Taliban-loving country to come close to our already vulnerable ports? They wouldn't have it and it would mean turning against their President in order to maintain their position of being "tough on terror".

Will the Republicans in congress try to usurp this victory from the Democrats? More than likely, yes. To give them their due, a handful of Republicans came out immediately against the deal. North Carolina's Representative, Sue Myrick, wrote President Bush a letter soon after the deal was disclosed in the papers saying, "Not just no, but hell no." But other Republican legislators were slow to rally behind their colleagues as they waited to see if the public furor would die. God forbid they should think for themselves. Old habits die hard.

It took President Bush about two years to waste our country's good name and all of the support and sympathy given after the attacks of 9/11, but it took him only a year to waste the political capital he claimed to have after the 2004 election.

"He has no political capital," said Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster. "Slowly but surely it's been unraveling. There's been a direct correlation between the trajectory of his approval numbers and the -- I don't want to call it disloyalty -- the independence on the part of the Republicans in Congress."

As his numbers continue to tank Republicans running for re-election this year should keep a safe distance. It might help mitigate his power as a fundraiser for some which could help Democrats in the long run. A lot can happen between now and November and while I don't usually like to wish anyone ill will, I'm hoping the President continues to step in his own poo.