White House Week
Gas Prices Go Down, and George Bush's Luck Turns Up
What a difference a few days can make. Only last week, senior White House officials were puzzling over how the president should deal with the economy. Voters were plainly worried, and George Bush was reluctant to act his usual sunny self and tell people everything was OK, because they would think he did not understand their plight. But with gas prices plummeting, the Bush camp is sniffing that ordinary folks-like moms filling up the tanks of their minivans-are now in better spirits. So starting with a speech last week in Florida, in which he claimed his tax cuts had kept the economy growing, Bush is pivoting and focusing on the economy again. His message: Check out the numbers on low unemployment, high productivity, and the rising stock market, and don't elect Democrats-who might dump his tax cuts.
All Aboard the Republican Roller Coaster
A stirring address to the House Republican Conference by President Bush has lifted the spirits of lawmakers worried about losing control in the fall elections. Members and staffers interviewed after the meeting described a glum crowd politely greeting the president, who turned the mood around with one-on-one talks and a broader speech to the Republicans. "People came out of the meeting pumped up," said one member. "That was his best appearance ever in front of the caucus." Insiders said that Bush knew the name of every member and had a nickname for virtually all. More important, he touched on the issues facing the candidates and was very upbeat. "A majority of our caucus feels buoyed," said a Republican. "I'm not saying that we are out of the woods ... but it's not as bad as we thought."
It's Social Security Deja Vu All Over Again
Five to six major issues, including a second try at reforming Social Security, will top President Bush's lame-duck term. White House spokesman Tony Snow said that the list will also include further tax changes, a healthcare proposal, an education initiative, and more on the war on terrorism. He also said that Bush will most likely build on the piecemeal immigration legislation expected to be passed in Congress with the goal of a broader reform program. Snow said that Bush is planning a much more eventful final two years than presidents normally do. One reason, he said: Bush is less concerned about his long-term legacy than about trying to fix problems. Normally in years seven and eight, said Snow, presidents usually "pack up your Bermuda shorts and figure out what you're going to do." But he said this administration is operating under the motto: "You can't waste a day."
The Biggest Hit East of Broadway
You can forget all those rumors that Bill Clinton might be the next United Nations secretary general. Seems Clinton has a better gig: running his own world group, the Clinton Global Initiative. Foreign and corporate leaders, celebrities, even Laura Bush showed up. For his two annual meetings so far, he's timed them to take place when the United Nations General Assembly opens, as it did last week. Diplomats are taking note-if ruefully-of the clash. "Clinton is stealing the show," says one senior U.N. diplomat. "There's a question of whether these leaders are coming to New York for the U.N. or for the Clinton summit."
PHOTO OP: 4:35 p.m., September 21, Capitol Hill
Sen. John McCain took center stage to announce that he and a gang of Republican renegades had struck a deal with President Bush on interrogation of terrorism suspects. As negotiations continued, it looked as if the deal might be finalized as early as this week. On the right is Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
With Kenneth T. Walsh, Paul Bedard and Thomas Omestad
This story appears in the October 2, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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