Republicans worry about Bush's Iraq address last night

Everything went so well for them earlier this week when Bush was able to hide behind his generals.  However, once Bush went front and center, a number of Republican strategists got queasy.  Why have a President that already has a wide credibility problem try to make another used car sale to the American public?  Time's Massimo Calabresi explains the GOP tension:

Bush's trumpeting of what he called a "return on success" could end upbackfiring. Bringing the war into America's living rooms is never asafe political bet. And if news of a slow drawdown may be popular, Bushhimself still is not. Some key Hill Republicans, in fact, were upsetthat he returned front and center on the issue at a time when the White House had so carefully ceded the selling of the surge to Petraeus andCrocker. "Why would he threaten the momentum we have?" says onefrustrated Capitol Hill Republican strategist with ties to the GOPleadership. "You have an unpopular President going onto prime timetelevision, interrupting Americans' TV programs, to remind them of whythey don't like him." Republicans in Congress who were finallybreathing a sigh of relief after months of bludgeoning on Iraq feltBush was risking the progress he had made with those closely followingthe war by thrusting it in the faces of those who may not be payingattention. It didn't help that Bush said American forces would be onthe ground in Iraq, as part of an "enduring relationship," well pastthe end of his term in office.

Unless Congress Acts, it won't matter what the American public thinks.

Comments

[granny]

"Why would he threaten the momentum we have?" says one frustrated Capitol Hill Republican strategist with ties to the GOP leadership. "You have an unpopular President going onto prime time television, interrupting Americans' TV programs, to remind them of why they don't like him."

On the one hand, this is really a very funny remark!

On the other hand, a self proclaimed strategist, (with ties to GOP leadership) talking about "the momentum we have", makes the whole Republican attitude toward the current events so blatantly clear: it's disgusting!