The Message From Bush to Congress Is Bring It On; The 'Surge' Enters the Spin Cycle; Thompson Gets Closer to Prime Time; PHOTO OP: 6:53 p.m., August 28, New Orleans
The Message From Bush to Congress Is Bring It On
President Bush heads into the crucial month of September confident he holds the high ground in his confrontation with congressional Democrats over Iraq. Last week, the administration leaked word that Bush may even request an additional $50 billion on top of the $147 billion in supplemental appropriations he has already sought for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This should put to rest any speculation that Bush will become more conciliatory now that some of his tough-minded advisers, such as political strategist Karl Rove, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and Press Secretary Tony Snow, are quitting. White House officials flatly say he won't turn into a born-again accommodator. Bush still has a strong team around him, led by Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and new senior adviser Ed Gillespie, and they are urging him not to back off. A senior White House strategist says Bush will fight for his Iraq policies and try to block what he considers profligate spending by the Democratic majority in Congress by vetoing appropriations bills. "September will be all about Iraq, and October will be all about the budget," the strategist says.
The 'Surge' Enters the Spin Cycle
Everybody seems to be getting into the act of reassessing the Iraq war. One of the latest additions to the oeuvre is a leaked Government Accountability Office draft report concluding that the Baghdad government has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress. President Bush and his aides dispute the findings and argue that things are actually progressing at a reasonable rate. But others offer decidedly mixed reviews as members of Congress, the intelligence community, and various think tanks and academics issue reports that are significantly at odds. This week, still another analysis is due, from an independent commission headed by retired Marine Gen. James Jones, to assess Iraqi security forces. And don't forget next week's congressional testimony from Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the senior U.S. diplomat there.
What all this means, pollsters say, is that Americans—not finding definitive answers—will probably harden their existing views, which have turned against the war but without a consensus on how to end U.S. involvement. That muddle apparently is shared by Congress. All this has convinced White House strategists that no one will be able to come up with a better policy than the president's.
Thompson Gets Closer to Prime Time
O Fred, Fred, wherefore art thou, Fred? In the early primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, of course. That's because, after months of delay, Fred Thompson finally plans to announce his Republican presidential candidacy on Thursday and make a quick tour of the early battlegrounds. Many potential supporters will want to see if his financial performance improves from last spring, when his exploratory committee raised a disappointing $3.4 million. Thompson bills himself as a strong conservative and a Washington outsider—an image that has lodged him in the top tier of GOP candidates. Now the occasional TV and movie actor has to prove he is more than a pretty (or scowling) face, has the will to win, and can demonstrate appeal outside the South. "He needs to raise money fast—to show he is a real contender," says a Thompson strategist.
PHOTO OP: 6:53 p.m., August 28, New Orleans
President Bush greets Mayor Ray Nagin with an embrace at the Louis Armstrong airport while Army Gen. Russel Honore looks on. Bush was one of several politicians, including 2008 presidential candidates, to pay a visit to the shattered city in connection with the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
This story appears in the September 10, 2007 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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