Idiots

There is nothing intrisically wrong with this article by Ron Fournier for the AP, in fact, it is factually correct and trenchant in a number of places from its beginning:

Fearing that President Bush's political problems may become their own, Republicans in Congress and elsewhere are beginning to yearn for the good old days of seven months ago, when he had somebody to run against.

Voters were worried in November about the economy and the war in Iraq, but they didn't take it out on the incumbent on Election Day. They are now

Although one wonders "how" they are going to take it out on them, given a "possible" majority of them didn't last time -- when voters do that sort of thing -- as opposed to the summer of an off year!?

On Election Day, a majority of voters were concerned about the war in Iraq but also said it was part of the war on terrorism. They had to make a choice between Bush and Kerry while weighing the question of who would keep them safer.

Now, with the death toll in Iraq pushed above 1,700, more than double the number of a year ago, it's no longer a choice between Bush and Kerry.

It's Bush's war. Period.

It has always been BUSH'S WAR period.

But then comes the tragi-comedy:

[S]ome Republicans are worried that Bush's resolve could cost them control of Congress in 2006 or 2008.

They fear his advisers are ignoring the signs of voter discontent, moving too slowly to adjust their strategies to new realities. Some top Republicans also blame GOP congressional leaders for focusing on legislation that seems to help a select few while making no progress on issues that matter to many.

These Republicans include lawmakers and consultants who are allies of the White House. Most spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisal from the administration.

"They might not realize what a challenge we face here," said Joe Gaylord, a Republican consultant close to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. "The challenge is they're in campaign mode. Americans can be patient for a while, but when they see nothing going on, they get to wondering, 'What's going on here?'"

Gaylord cited the political fallout from the decision to intervene in the case of a brain-damaged Florida woman, Terri Schiavo. Cole mentioned tort reform. Another top GOP lawmaker singled out bankruptcy legislation that made it harder for debt-ridden Americans to wipe out their obligations.

Those may be good policies, the Republicans said, but those issues benefit a limited number of voters. Republicans are urging Congress and the White House to push harder for voter-friendly legislation such as the jobs-laden highway bill or energy reform, a political prescription to angst over skyrocketing gasoline prices.

First, what a surprise, fear of political reprisal. Nice if the media actually picked up on this and took the three-minutes of searching it would take to establish a lengthy pattern.

Second, what a great statement that policies that only help a small cadre of supporters are "good policies", even though they are unpopular because they screw pretty much everyone else!

That's your GOP agenda in a nutshell.