President Bush is very lucky that the port deal fell apart the way it did. I'm not sure if it is the result of some backroom maneuvering or just plain serendipity, but as it turns out, Americans get what we want, GOP Members of Congress won't be tainted come November, and President Bush gets to save face.
Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio is quoted in today's Washington Post, saying: "If the Democrats had been able to use this, it would have been horrible, horrible."
He is right. But the Democrats won't be able to exploit this issue as they would have liked. And considering the hand we were dealt, this appears to have resolved itself as well as could be expected. But you won’t hear the media report that…
Instead, the media wants to focus on the perceived schism between GOP Members of Congress and the President. The truth is that Members of Congress represent us - not the White House. It is a healthy thing for Democracy for there to sometimes be a little disagreement between the branches of government, and it shouldn't imply disloyalty or even perceived weakness on the part of President Bush.
The bottom line is this:
Considering the electoral disaster this could have become, it appears that we have dodged a bullet.
