Oh man, its bad.
The White House isn't even trying to show that they are worried about their sinking approval numbers, concern over Miers, and the freshly minted "Lame-duck" license plates on the presidential limo.
Really, do you guys even care?
Today the President tried to show to the American public that the war in Iraq is going as planned and that the reconstruction efforts are showing signs of progress (I'm sure there is a billion dollars around here somewhere...). The Prez forgot that the press was in the room, whoops!
Most of the papers tomorrow will not run a story that describes the "Successes in Iraq" instead its going to describe how the administration had five officers in theater, sitting together with a press officer, going over scripted answers to the presidents questions, who even provided the faint praise that Miers provided in her gushing cards to the then Governor of Texas. Alison Barber, the deputy assistant Secretary of defense, coached the solders on how to answer the questions, cleaned up the scene (by asking that a couple water bottles be removed), and even went over the "around and Around it goes" rotation of the microphone after the President asked certain questions.
The Prez even said twice that the American public supports them. OK, pass the doobie, kool-aid, or whatever mind-altering mood adjusting substance that Capital Hill is on...
What scares me the most about the current state of the administration is that the current American political climate seems to have the felling of "we don't care." A mostly apathetic electorate who is too busy with who will win "the West Wing," then who will win the real thing. Judges vetted by the religious right before Congress can "consent and advise," pork laden projects clogging up everything from the Energy bill to the Transportation bill, and approval numbers in the 40's: The lowest numbers ever for a sitting President (Hell, Nixon had higher numbers and his Library loves to play up that fact).
So let me get this out of my system (don't even get me started on the shitty call made in last nights Anaheim Angels game as that is an entire rant in itself) but this country is heading for a major political shift in the 2006 senatorial races. Can Hackett pull it out in Ohio and go the Senate where a Vet from the modern wars belongs, can we win key congressional races (starting with the 48th CD here in The OC), Can we stand up to Miers and not roll over like we did with Roberts? These are all questions which would have had no traction if the President had higher approval numbers, but with the fact that members of his own party seem to differ with him (or at this point are trying to distance themselves from the Frists and Delays of the GOPers) may lead to deeper fishers then Ken Melman cares to fix.
And let us not forget that the California Special Election is now a month away. The aftermath of the CSE may make or brake the GOPpers in California.
Word to the wise: It all comes down to numbers. Democrats need to put out an "AVB" starting now: Approval, Voters, and Ballots and don't let go of ground gained.
