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Bush's uncertain step« Thread Started on Mar 31, 2006, 10:04

Daily newsbrief journal for March 2006, also see http://www.usdemocrats.com/brief for a global 100-page perpetual brief and follow twitter @usdemocrats


Bush's uncertain step« Thread Started on Mar 31, 2006, 10:04

Postby admin » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:51 am

Bush's uncertain step« Thread Started on Mar 31, 2006, 10:04pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------GLOBE EDITORIALBush's uncertain stepMarch 29, 2006read source: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editor ... =MEWell_Po s4 AMERICA'S LASTING impression of Andrew Card will doubtless be of the solicitous aide whispering horror into the ear of a white-faced President George Bush in a Florida schoolroom on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. It is an appropriate image, because Card has been at Bush's side more than anyone these five years and more.Article ToolsPrinter friendly E-mail to a friend Editorials RSS feed Available RSS feeds Most e-mailed Reprints/permissions More:Globe Editorials / Op-Ed | Globe front page | Boston.com Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts It has been a tumultuous period, one that has seen Bush depose Saddam Hussein and win reelection -- two feats that eluded his father, whom Card also advised. But the period also saw a war waged under pretexts that turned out to be false, followed by a draining insurgency, economic torpor except for the very rich, a slide from budget surpluses to unprecedented deficits, the mishandling of hurricane relief in New Orleans, and a hardening of partisan extremes that belied Bush's pledge to be a uniter. According to polls, Bush's public support is at record lows.History will judge how much Card had to do with Bush's successes and failures. But it is hard to imagine that replacing Card, a pragmatic moderate, with the more conservative Joshua Bolten, who backs cutting social services to extend tax cuts for the rich, will rescue the president, especially if he retains the services of belligerent advisers such as Donald Rumsfeld and Karl Rove.Many in Massachusetts will remember Card as the four-term state representative from Holbrook who operated effectively as a moderate Republican and knew how to make news. Most notable was his collaboration with a Democratic representative, Philip Johnston, now chairman of the state Democratic Party, to fight corruption in state contracts.Card's tenure in the White House, however, has been marked by a careful avoidance of the spotlight. One slip occurred in 2002: Describing the timing of the campaign to promote the invasion of Iraq, Card said, ''From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August." Before that, in May of 2001, Card took some of the blame for the frustration of Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords, whose defection cost Republicans the Senate majority for 18 months.RELATED STORY: Card quits as top Bush aide For the most part, however, Card's service to Bush was characterized by exceptional loyalty and quiet competence in keeping White House squabbles to a minimum.Chiefs of staff try to protect their bosses from surprise. By this standard, Card did not excel. Whether it has been the Sept. 11 attacks, the lack of WMD in Iraq, the strength of the insurgency there, the poor response to Hurricane Katrina, the opposition to Harriet Miers, or the existence of the Dubai ports deal, surprise has been a hallmark of this presidency. But this is not likely to improve unless Bush finds it within himself to make changes far deeper than replacing Andy Card.© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company
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