Thread: GOP breaking ranks with White House

GOP breaking ranks with White House

By Herman Wang, Washington Bureau
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
Thursday, July 5, 2007

Chattanooga, TN - WASHINGTON -- Congress adjourned for the July 4 recess having dealt President Bush defeats on two fronts: an immigration bill he staunchly backed and his Iraq war policies.

The recent criticism of the White House has come less from the Democratic majority than from members of the president's party, a constituency that by and large had supported and defended his administration.

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., one of the party's senior foreign policy voices, last week declared on the Senate floor that President Bush's Iraq strategy was a failure and urged him to begin withdrawing troops. Then came last Thursday's defeat -- led largely by Republicans -- of the immigration reform bill in the Senate, a key domestic priority for the White House.

Dr. John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University, said it is no surprise Republicans are feeling emboldened to speak out against President Bush, given his low approval ratings.

"President Bush is just really unpopular right now, and that gives them some additional cover," Dr. Geer said. "He's been pursuing unpopular policy or policies that don't work ... "

Dr. Geer said senators "not only want to stay in office, but they want to represent what their people back home are saying. That means, from time to time, you have to break with the presidency."

In a speech against the immigration bill, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., took the floor last week to deliver a critique of government failures over the past few years. He did not mention the White House by name but made it clear he was not impressed with the administration's calculations.

"We've had intelligence gaps" leading up to the Iraq war, Sen. Corker said. "We've had evolving reasons as to why we're involved in military conflicts. We've seen what's happened at the local, state and federal level (in situations) like Katrina. We have ministers that want to go on mission trips today but cannot get passports renewed.

"I think Americans feel that they are losing their country ... to a government that (does) not have the competence or the ability to carry out the things that it says it will do," he said.

Sen. Corker later said his comments were not aimed directly at President Bush but were intended as a wake-up call to all leaders in Washington to regain the trust of their citizens.

"This is a message about the American people losing faith in our government's ability to deal with issues," Sen. Corker said. "Let's build back that faith."

President Bush, commenting after the immigration vote, said he was disappointed but hopes to work with Congress on other pressing issues, including health care and energy.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., voted against the immigration bill and told reporters in a conference call with Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., that the senators are "probably more in touch with our constituents" than the president.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., another immigration bill opponent, said he was glad to see the measure defeated.

Sen. Alexander, who has co-sponsored a bill that would make the Iraq Study Group recommendations binding, also praised Sen. Lugar for his Iraq war comments.

In the House, the Republican Conference last week voted 114-21 in favor of a resolution opposing the immigration bill being debated by the Senate.

Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., who voted for the resolution because of his opposition to the measure's "amnesty" provision, said with President Bush's tenure nearing its end, his clout over Congress is receding.

"The presidential race started so early and will end so early, with the primaries all moving up," Rep. Wamp said. "While the president has a strong veto, there's no question that the next six months are basically the end of his ability to move the legislative agenda and really influence national policy with Congress."

E-mail Herman Wang at hwang@timesfreepress.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19605473/

I think Americans feel that they are losing their country ... to a government that (does) not have the competence or the ability to carry out the things that it says it will do," he said.

Isn't that the truth!!