Bush Advisers: Immigration Bill Breaks a Bad Cycle
Relieved White House officials say President Bush has finally broken the cycle of bad news and political setbacks he has endured for months.
The officials say the bipartisan agreement on immigration, backed by Bush and now being considered by the Senate, did the trick. And even though that deal is fragile and under attack from the left and the right, the fact that key Senate leaders of both parties approved it, including Democrat Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Republican John Kyl of Arizona, is seen as a sign that times will get better for Bush as he pursues his second-term agenda.
"Immigration cleared the air," a senior White House official told U.S. News. Bush advisers also point out that the Democratic-controlled Congress is just as unpopular as Bush is. The latest AP/Ipsos poll, released Friday, found that only 35 percent of Americans approve of Congress's job performance, the same abysmal level as Bush's. And while Bush has been roughly holding steady for many months, Congress's job approval rating actually has dropped 5 points in the past month.
"People are tired of jarring partisanship," the official said. "People elected members of Congress to get things done, and there will be a reward for members who do get things done."
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