Surber Talks Sense on Bush

Don Surber comments on David Broder's WaPo column [here] in which Broder argues that Bush is beginning to regain his footing. Surber feels Broder may be right, but for the wrong reasons.

Broder saw Bush's Wednesday press conference as a masterly political performance in which he insulated himself from criticism while placing pressure on the Democrats in Congress. He also notes Bush's superb performances in recent interviews and concludes that Bush, like Clinton before him, is rebounding from his troubles although his ultimate fate will be decided in Iraq, not in the American political forum.

Surber agrees that Bush is indeed on a rebound, but attributes it to entirely different causes.

First, Bush, as he so often has done in recent years, is engaging in superb political strategery.

Bush gave Democrats enough rope and they are hanging themselves on this non-binding resolution, which opposes the surge.

The Democratic position is We Support The Troops But Hope They Fail.

Ah, yes! The old Rope-a-Dope. The Democrats fall for it every time -- they just can't help themselves.

More importantly, the loss in the mid-term elections has allowed Bush to finally cut his ties to the lunatic fringe in his own party.

The election freed Bush in several ways. Like Clinton, things Bush could not get through a Congress run by his party are suddenly possible.

Just as Republican senators and congressors are now free to speak their minds about him, Bush is free of them.

Bush also can take down the façade of perfection in Iraq. Dumping Rumsfeld allowed him to bring in Petraeus and win the war.

Bush also dumped Bolton, whom I liked, but who is showing a rather disturbing pigheadedness for a diplomat.

And...:

[B]eing shed of a Republican Congress also does away with all the Terri Schiavo-style legislation and may move attention in the Republican Big Tent from the Creationist Clowns and back to the main event: Fixing the courts, balancing the budget and winning the war.

Read it here.

I agree. The Republican majority in Congress was getting to be a real problem for the administration. Bush was forced time and again to choose between dividing the Party or trying to support problematic, and occasionally indefensible, positions taken by factions within the Party. Now Bush is free to campaign against Congress and the current crop of Democrat clowns is even more ridiculous than the Republicans who afflicted him prior to the elections.

I have said it time and again and events keep bearing me out -- Bush is a far better man than his critics in either party.