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Bush is losing allies at home and abroad for his war. Even fellow republicans, still hopeful for another presidental term, are slowly turning their backs on him.
From Reuters.com, page one of article and link after the jump.
By Steve Holland and Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush, already under fire from Democrats over Iraq, is facing mounting pressure from fellow Republicans to show substantial progress in the war by September or risk their desertion.
Republicans looking ahead to the 2008 U.S. presidential election, after losing control of the U.S. Congress in November, are publicly sharing doubts about the president's war strategy.
"The American people are war-fatigued. The American people want to know that there's a way out. The American people want to know that we're having success," Illinois Republican Rep. Ray LaHood told CNN on Thursday.
LaHood was among 11 moderate Republicans who met privately with Bush at the White House on Tuesday. Most, if not all, could face stiff Democratic challenges to their re-election.
They told Bush that by September the troop buildup he ordered for Iraq three months ago must show progress.
Particularly frustrating to members of the U.S. Congress are plans by the Iraqi parliament to take a two-month summer vacation, a subject raised by Vice President Dick Cheney on his visit to Baghdad on Wednesday.
"Members really told the president, in I think the most unvarnished way that they possibly could, that things have got to change, that we're going to hang with him until September, but we need an honest assessment in September and people's patience is running very, very, very thin," LaHood said.
Bush is already facing opposition to his Iraq plan -- Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are pushing bills that would provide partial war funding but also begin withdrawing troops.
See all the pictures of The Decider here: Link
Here is LaHood's Campaign Page: Link
...Scroll down and you will see the link
"Bush visit filled with fanfare, excrement" (no, wait, that's "excitement").
...and check out his "News" link. Top story:
"LAHOOD SUPPORTS BUSH PLAN FOR IRAQ
PEORIA Lawmaker says efforts by some Democrats to restrict funding 'would be a disgrace' "
Guess he didn't get the memo that some LaHood guy is now pressuring Bush to show some "progress" in Iraq ... or else! (And by "or else", LaHood means "or else I'll give Bush yet another 6 months to achieve 'victory'.")
According to Project Vote Smart ( Link ), LaHood is in favor of abortion ONLY to save the life of the mother; he is against the Estate Tax and he wants to keep Bush's Tax Cuts For The Rich; he supports a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman; he wants to reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion; he supports opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration; he's in favor of establishing limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits; he favors establishing English as the official national language; he is undecided if the United States should increase military support to Afghanistan; he thinks that aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs should NOT fund distribution of contraceptives; he supports using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical. On the plus side, he does not support the trade embargo against Cuba (I'd wager that he smokes the occasional cigar and likes to drink rum).
Your "moderate Republican", Ladies and Gentlemen.