Thread: Bush circles the wagons as approval ratings slip

The Washington Times
http://washingtontimes.com/functions/pr ... 4715-8608r

Bush circles the wagons as approval ratings slip

By Joseph Curl
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published June 3, 2006

With just five months to go before the midterm elections, President Bush, whose once-faithful base has abandoned him in droves, is turning to the same conservative hot-button issues that won him re-election in 2004 -- homosexual "marriage" and judicial nominees.

The president, now fully aware that his plummeting approval ratings could cost the Republicans control of one or both congressional chambers in November, will use his radio address today and a speech Monday to push a constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage," just as the Senate prepares to vote on the issue.

The crux of his argument is simple: A majority of Americans support the idea that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman, and activist judges across the country are thwarting the will of the people. While 45 states have either a state constitutional amendment or a statute defining marriage as heterosexual, judges in Washington state, California, Maryland, New York and Nebraska have overturned those laws.

Thus, there is a White House strategy to move swiftly to nominate more conservative judicial nominees, which political guru and top Bush political strategist Karl Rove sees as a decisive issue in elections -- an issue Mr. Bush effectively exploited in 2002 and 2004.

The president traveled the country in 2002 and 2004 delivering impassioned speeches for Republican candidates, and he regularly won standing ovations when he asserted that a conservative president has the constitutional right to appoint conservative judges.

"The power to nominate judges is one of the most serious responsibilities the Constitution gives the president," Mr. Bush said Thursday in a Rose Garden swearing-in of new Appeals Court Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, who won Senate confirmation after a contentious three-year battle. "Our founders thought carefully about the role they wanted judges to play in the American Republic. They decided on a court system that would be free of political and public pressure with judges who are prudent in exercising judicial power and firm in defending judicial independence."

An expected wave of judicial nominations -- rumored to be as many as 20 in the next month or so, although this is denied by the White House -- is "not a question of if, but when," one former senior administration official said.

"Democrats will make a huge mistake if they're too partisan and refuse to give us a hearing on the nominees. So it's not even the vote that matters, it's what Democrats do when the nominations come in," the former official said.

If Democrats move to squelch the nominations, the president plans to hammer home the split on core values between the two parties in an attempt to woo back his base.

"We need to remind Republicans to hang together because the alternative is much, much worse," the former official said. "Pushing these two issues is going to shore up the base, because it will remind them of our core values, what is important to us."

But pollster John Zogby, who has catalogued Mr. Bush's loss of conservatives and his swiftly falling poll numbers -- the latest put him at just 31 percent approval -- said the administration's decision to revive a strategy that worked in '02 and '04 may not work this Election Day.

"It's a much different circumstance this time, for both the president and Republicans. They are clearly on the defensive, and unlike the other two years, they've lost a pretty substantial chunk of their base," Mr. Zogby said, noting that when Mr. Bush won in 2004, he was backed by 91 percent of Republicans, but now has approval from just 68 percent.

Some election analysts say Mr. Bush won re-election in 2004 because of referendums on homosexual unions that were on the ballots that year. Thirteen states approved initiatives prohibiting same-sex "marriage," with 11 states casting votes on Election Day.

That year, moral values topped the list of issues voters were most concerned about when they went to the polls, with Catholics, evangelicals, blacks and Hispanics making up an ad-hoc bloc that re-elected Mr. Bush by 3.5 million votes.

This November, there are initiatives banning same-sex "marriage" on the ballot in Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama and Wisconsin.

Gary Bauer, head of American Values, said that Mr. Bush has alienated conservatives with his "guest-worker" program on immigration, as well as allowing excessive spending on Capitol Hill, but could pull back his base with a same-sex "marriage" ban.

"The issue does appeal to his base, but it's also a 70 percent issue with the American people," he said. "He's had a lot of battles in recent months that were sort of 35 percent issues, and here's one that it's the left that is associated with something that most Americans are skeptical about."

Pictures like this aren't going to help you much on this issue, Jorge.

He's desperate -

Bush circles the wagons as approval ratings slip

There isn't much wagon left to circle. His support of amnesty is shrinking his wagon even more.

Originally Posted by nntrixie

He's desperate -

Plus, everyone knows that this issue is going nowhere with this Congress.

It's just another cynical, transparent ploy to herd the sheep back into the pen one more time.

I'll tell you how to get those poll numbers up, Jorge. Tell Vicente Fox to go to hell and militarize the borders now.

I'll tell you how to get those poll numbers up, Jorge. Tell Vicente Fox to go to hell and militarize the borders now.

If he did, I bet his rating would go up to at least 40.

Hmmmmm.. let's see if we can point out to that dumb jackass oval office occupant the reason for his low ratings.......Open borders during wartime with numerous terrorists making many threats against us like the many drug cartel dollars flowing to the administration and congress. Rampant use of fraudulent documentation by illegal aliens who are bilking American citizens and the government out of billions of dollars a year posing a dire threat to the economy and the identities of American citizens. Vicious street gangs and other illegal aliens running amok in our once quiet and safe communities terrorizing citizens by committing murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery and a host of other crimes. Allowing the employment of illegal aliens on DOD installations using fake or no id's during wartime posing a significant threat to military personnel and resources used to fight the war on terror. Allowing the unimpeded flow of drugs across our border while we are engaged in a war on drugs with resources and personnel deployed throughout the Central and South American theater of operations. Ignoring over 200 instances of Mexican military border incursions on our soil engaging in hostile action against our border patrols and and other law enforcement personnel while their military is aiding and abetting drug and illegal alien smugglers. Aiding and abetting in the loss of American jobs by insisting illegal aliens are here to do the jobs Americans won't do despite numerous instances of illegal aliens underbidding Americans that were doing the same work, thus costing Americans their jobs. Proposing the reduction of VA, medicare/medicaid and other programs while at the same time proposing more benefits for illegal aliens. Should I go on...this is only the tip of the iceberg and is indicative of an administration and senate that doesn't give one g-d damn iota about the electorate that hired them in the first place and sells us out for cheap and compliant labor.

1. Iraq mess
2. Immigration mess
3. New Orleans still unprepared for 2006 hurricane season
4. "Loss" of my and other veteran's data to drug cartels and illegal aliens
5. Just being jackasses and wastes of taxpayer dollars

INVESTIGATE AND IMPEACH BUSH NOW!!!!!!!

THE SENATE: The most corrupt organization money can buy

For GWB it is too little too late. The damage from this immigration debacle and his stance on it is done and we will not let it go

They do this every time, throw out the same old crap and a lot of Americans fall for it.

I heard Frist say when he got back from recess he was going to introduce amendments against gay marriage and flag burning.

Like these are the two most important issues facing our Nation today.

We are losing our sovereignty and our Country to implement their NWO, and merge the United States with a uneducated, filthy, disease ridden third world country.

Not to mention the unbelievable things that the Senate bill has voted for that would change America forever and bankrupt the middle class citizens and turn us into paupers.

What does he take us for, fools!

There is only one thing that matters to me in the next election and that is NO to amnesty and No to more guest workers. This is a one issue election for me.

Darlene's

Like these are the two most important issues facing our Nation today.

Exactly. As if THESE issues, although important, are on the top of the American people's priority list !!

I think he's only going to harm his poll ratings even more by sweeping under the rug what we're thinking about.

They just don't get it.