Change of Subject

This is what Bush calls unsettling: U.S. Deaths in Iraq Confirmed By The DoD: 2449 Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation: 6 Total 2455 DoD Confirmation List Latest Coalition Fatality: May 18, 2006 Not to mention $10 billion a month being spent on the Bush Wars. From The Washington Post: A Change of Subject By Dan Froomkin Special to washingtonpost.com Friday, May 19, 2006; 1:00 PM This was the week President Bush changed the subject. With a rare primetime speech from the Oval Office and ensuing PR campaign, Bush pulled the press and the public away from their growing obsession with his sinking approval ratings, the carnage in Iraq, his domestic snooping, and other stories over which he had little control. The new subject, of course, is immigration. It's not a sure-fire winner for Bush, sparking as it does virulent opposition from within his own party, and putting him in the unusual position of trying to build a coalition around a "rational middle ground," which is not his strong suit. But by golly, at least he's setting the agenda again. He's in control. And that, more than anything, may be the reason for what looks like a small end-of-week bump in his approval numbers (see below). As part of his publicity blitz, Bush asked White House correspondents from the five major television networks if they wouldn't mind interviewing him yesterday, for about five minutes each, with the Mexican border as a backdrop. They of course obliged. Bush's goal was clear: To keep the momentum going. I couldn't keep track of how many times he used the word "comprehensive." But while Bush's interlocutors all got the ball rolling with questions about immigration, not everyone kept entirely to the script. There were still quite a few tough questions about some of those other, less welcome topics. ........ From David Gregory interview with Bush: "Gregory: Let me ask you about your leadership. In the most recent survey, your disapproval rating is now one point lower than Richard Nixon's before he resigned the presidency. You're laughing. "President Bush: I'm not laughing. "Gregory: Why do you think that is? "President Bush: Because we're at war. And war unsettles people. ......... "Gregory: They're not just unsettled, sir. They disapprove of the job you're doing. "President Bush: That's unsettled. "Gregory: That's how you see it? "President Bush: Yeah, I do. Read More: WaPo