The New York Times poll today must be welcome in the White House. Most people, like me, still find this president strong, likable, and focused. But there are two issues on which, in my opinion, the administration is in some denial about its vulnerability. The first is the question of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Where are they? It’s possible they have been destroyed, or smuggled out, or sold. It’s possible the program was far less ready-to-go than we were led to believe. But we were led to believe that there were large quantities of dangerous materials that posed an imminent threat. If they are not found, the public needs an explanation. We need to be told what exactly, for example, was true in Colin Powell’s December address to the U.N., and what was not. We need to know that we were not deceived or that the intelligence services are not wildly incompetent or politically manipulable. I don’t know the answer; but I do know we need one. Personally, I support the war more fervently now for humanitarian and broader security reasons. But that’s beside the point. Was Powell accurate? If not, why not? I understand if a definitive answer to that is not yet available, but that’s not a reason to defer or forget the question.
BUSH IS VULNERABLE II: The second matter is the federal deficit. The Rovian base may not give a damn, but this issue helped torpedo Bush’s father’s re-election and has major appeal to independent voters. Why do the Republicans think this is no big deal? When I see the president campaigning for another huge tax cut, while the deficit heads into the clouds, I have to ask whether this administration is serious about economic and fiscal responsibility. And, hey, I loathe taxes. If the Bushies are losing me on this issue, they’re screwed. Here are a couple of quotes from independents in the Times today:
“We need to lower the deficit,” said Ed Petrone, 73, an independent voter from Boca Raton, Fla., in a follow-up interview. “Reducing taxes is only a short-term bump in the economy. Lowering the deficit will help us down the road. Reduce the deficit and we can put more money in the economy.” Carroll Smith, 76, an independent voter from Gallipolis, Ohio, said, “If they would balance the budget, the country would be in better shape.”
Yes, the president can say that the war ate my surplus. But he knows that’s only partly true. The huge spending record of this administration could make a Lieberman or Graham candidacy look a lot more palatable. I raise these questions not because I want this president to fail. On the contrary. I want him to succeed. But for the right reasons.
(P.S.: A reader rebuts my notion that independents are “bailing” on Bush on the Letters Page.)
ANOTHER PROTESTOR ARRESTED: This is getting creepier all the time.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: “Look, I’d much rather put my cards on the table and let people know where I stand in a clear editorial, than insidiously imply it in what’s supposed to be a straight news story. And by the way, you sanctimonious twit, no one – no one – tells me what to say. I say it. And I write it. And no one lectures me on it. Save you, you pretentious charlatan.” – Neil Cavuto, responding somewhat intemperately to Paul Krugman.
SICK OF NPR ON ISRAEL? Then join a protest scheduled for today.
TWO NEW PIECES: A round-up of what Hillary might be up to; and a reply to Dennis Prager’s arguments about homosexuality. Enjoy.
The Dish 