Coincidence or proof of speculations? You decide.
After Flagging Support, a Second Wind for Bush
By Doyle McManus, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — The bombs exploded in London, but the repercussions are still rippling across Washington.
A surge in public concern about terrorism means a probable boost in support for President Bush and the war in Iraq.
Renewed fear of terrorist sleeper cells will probably spur increased support for tough law enforcement measures such as the Patriot Act, which is up for renewal. And there’s new enthusiasm in Congress for increased spending on domestic security, especially mass transit — an area in which legislators were cutting budgets three weeks ago.
There’s no telling how long the wave of concern will last. If the London attack gives way to months of calm, the increased fear — and any gain in popularity for Bush — may well be short-lived. But for the moment, Washington is back in 9/11 mode.
“The bombings will give both Bush and [British Prime Minister Tony] Blair a boost,” said Christopher Gelpi, a political scientist at Duke University who studies public opinion in times of war. “I think the attacks may help slow the ebbing of [public] support over Iraq, because the bombings make [Bush’s] point about linking Iraq and terrorism.”
Bush wasted no time in citing the London attack to support his central argument for U.S. military operations in Iraq. In his weekly radio address Saturday, the president said the bombings were part of a single terrorist offensive that included the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon as well as this year’s attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq.
“We are now waging a global war on terror, from the mountains of Afghanistan … to the plains of Iraq,” Bush said. “We will stay on the offense, fighting the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them at home.”
War on terrorism has largely been Bush’s main focus since Sept. 11, and when the public has been attentive to the issue he has benefited politically. Polls have found that most Americans believe Bush has done a good job in battling terrorism, even though increasing majorities disapprove of his handling of other issues, such as Iraq and the economy.
“All our data show that Bush’s greatest strength is on terrorism, as opposed to other parts of his job,” said Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll. “These attacks will remind people … of what Bush’s strength is. The most probable effect is that support for the president and his policies will go up in the short term.”
Polls seem to be Bush’s life BLOOD.
The next round of popularity ratings will almost certainly show an increase for Blair. Hopefully there will be supplementary questions investigating the reason for this.
If you consider the whole week around the bombings a “boost” for Blair will be no surprise. We had the Live 8 concerts and the very stong support for Blair’s position going into G8 from “Saint” Bob Geldof. After celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar (Betty in a boat looking at lots of big boats followed by fireworks is always a crowdpuller) we won another “victory” over the French when London was awarded the 2012 Olympics. The negative outcomes of the G8 cummit were downplayed and the increase in aid money was spun as a success. In the euphoria the fudges on trade and global warming were obscured and the coverage of the bombings restricted critical analysis.
The opposition parties are not making a big deal over inquiries into the bombing at the moment. A proposal for one was made on the Sunday politics shows by the outgoing leader of the Conservatives but he held fire on this in the Commons on Monday. Now is the time for a thorough police investigation to identify and catch the criminals who committed the murders.
Details of motives, the exact operation and the invesigation are not being released. That is to avoid compromising the investigation and any future trials. People are already in custody pending trial for earlier plots and only passing reference is made to those to avoid just such problems at trial. Rules of evidence and prior publicity are far stricter in the UK than the US. The public here well understands that so the pressure for public inquiries at this stage is not there.
….but, but was this not what Karl declared that we the liberals were condemned for? Wanting to investigate and determine who did 9/11 and we are loony for this attitude??!!! What the hell???