White House Watch: No worry about Hagel's war criticisms
While President Bush is stepping up his focus and support for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is not because of recent GOP criticisms of the effort, notably those from Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
Noting the headlines from his comparison of the effort to Vietnam and a wealth of stories about the Texas protests led by Cindy Sheehan, Bush advisers blame the lack of competitive news stories more than issues raised by the two.
"That's the August effect only," said one Bush adviser. "It's just a slower news time, with a more favorable opinion climate to get traction in, i.e., the president's [poll] numbers are lower overall right now." Others said that Bush had long planned to use some of his summer "workdays" to talk about the war, though the administration's public relations defense on the issue is more than most expected.
"We're just weathering the storm on Iraq," said the Bush adviser, who added that few insiders are worried about Hagel's recent comments. In fact, some have suggested that Hagel's comments are driven by politics and his bid to differentiate himself from fellow Republican veteran and likely presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
"He's so desperate to be different from his friend McCain that he's lost all judgment vis-a-vis Republican primary voters," said the adviser. Another insider says Hagel, a Vietnam War veteran, is a "maverick conservative" whose views don't hold much sway among other conservatives. As of now, White House officials tell U.S. News that most conservatives strongly support the war and agree with Bush that the nation must see it through.