On Thu, 8 Sep 2005 14:04:02 -0400 Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
writes:
> Two-In-Three Critical Of Bush's Relief Efforts
>
> Huge Racial Divide Over Katrina and Its Consequences
>
>
> presidency. Uncharacteristically, the president's ratings have
> slipped most among his core constituents - Republicans and
> conservatives.
>
>
The current Republican strategy of blaming the screwups in NO on state and local (mainly Democratic) officials seems to be geared at holding on to their own base.
In any case, most of the recent political decisions that the Bush Administration has been making seems to based on their perception that they are currently playing with a weak hand. Thus the concern with shoring up support within their own base. Then we saw the decision to nominate Roberts for Chief Justice rather than Scalia or Thomas. And the picking of Clinton along with the elder Bush to head up private fundraising for NO. The Roberts nomination shows that they were not willing to risk a fight in the Senate on behalf of elevating Scalia or Thomas, while the latter decision indicates that they need the Clintons on their good side, even if that should help to boost Hillary's chances in 2008.