George W. Bush

Tempestad sobre Washington
“…Los dos años que le quedan de legislatura van a ser un camino difícil para el presidente norteamericano. La última parte de este mandato debería ser la etapa para recoger la cosecha de sus dos periodos presidenciales y sin embargo, los índices de popularidad de George W. Bush han empezado a bajar a velocidad constante hasta límites políticamente difíciles de asumir. Además, las dimisiones de altos funcionarios (la última, ayer mismo, la del propio portavoz de la Casa Blanca) o las críticas de cinco generales en la reserva contra el secretario de Defensa proyectan una imagen más propia del final anticipado de una era política…”

Popularidad de Bush alcanza un nuevo mínimo, según sondeo
“…Un 60 por ciento de los estadounidenses desaprueba la gestión presidencial, el 55 por ciento considera que Bush no es fiable y el 40 por ciento afirma que sí es digno de confianza, según la encuesta… La popularidad del presidente se encuentra a la baja desde hace varios meses, arrastrada por la violencia en Irak, la mala gestión gubernamental tras el huracán 'Katrina' en agosto de 2005, y una serie de tropiezos en el Partido Republicano y su Administración…”

Popularidad de Bush alcanza un nuevo mínimo y llega a apenas 32%
“…La popularidad del Presidente de EEUU, George W. Bush, ha alcanzado un nuevo mínimo al respaldar su gestión 32 por ciento de los ciudadanos, según un sondeo difundido hoy por la cadena de televisión CNN… Sesenta por ciento de los estadounidenses desaprueba la gestión presidencial, 55 por ciento considera que Bush no es fiable y 40 por ciento afirma que sí es digno de confianza, según la encuesta…”

Reorganizando el “Titanic” de Bush
“…Aunque se marcha bajo algo así como una nube, con las encuestas de su jefe en un bajísimo e histórico 35 por ciento, la culpa no es suya. Los críticos han refunfuñado que él es un mediocre vendedor para la administración –olvidándose de que sus políticas han sido difíciles de vender–. En efecto, su participación en uno de los trabajos más extenuantes de Washington habrá sido más larga que la de Fleischer, que tuvo la gran ventaja de ser vocero cuando el país se encontraba unido detrás de Bush luego de los ataques del 11 de septiembre, y la aprobación del presidente era más del doble que ahora…”

Piden republicanos a Bush limpieza de gabinete para mejorar imagen
“…Personalidades republicanas están pidiendo este domingo al presidente George W. Bush sacrificar a altos funcionarios del gobierno estadounidense para limpiar la mala imagen administrativa, afirman analistas… Algunos correligionarios de W. Bush sugieren incluso destituir a Richard Cheney, y nombrar a la actual Secretaria de Estado Condoleezza Rice, como Vicepresidenta de Estados Unidos…”



CNN & ORC: The Real "Breaking News?"
“…Thanks to the loyal reader who alerted MP to this just released poll (story, full results) by CNN which puts the Bush job approval rating at yet another new low of only 32%... But wait, despite yet another "new low" story (or perhaps because of it), MP readers may be less interested in the results of the survey than organization that conducted it: The Opinion Research Corporation (ORC). Remember that CNN recently severed its long-time survey partnership with the Gallup Organization and USAToday. Could ORC be the new partner and Gallup's replacement? It sure looks that way…”

Worst President Ever? We Link, You Decide
“…The historian Sean Wilentz begins his Rolling Stone cover piece: "George W. Bush's presidency appears headed for colossal historical disgrace. Barring a cataclysmic event on the order of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, after which the public might rally around the White House once again, there seems to be little the administration can do to avoid being ranked on the lowest tier of U.S. presidents. And that may be the best-case scenario. Many historians are now wondering whether Bush, in fact, will be remembered as the very worst president in all of American history…”

Rumsfeld's battles with Pentagon have long history
“…The brash 73-year-old defense secretary, who first headed the Pentagon in the Ford administration, returned to the job a quarter-century later as a man with a mission: to transform the massive Cold War-era bureaucracy into a technology-driven strike force, and become the father of the 21st-century military…”

Bush touts `fuel of future'
“…President Bush declared hydrogen the ``fuel of the future'' Saturday and the long-term answer to America's dependency on Mideast oil that threatens national security and drives up gas prices… ``We've got real problems with oil: We're addicted,'' Bush said during an Earth Day speech at the California Fuel Cell Partnership that echoed his State of the Union address this year. ``It's harmful to our economy and harmful to our national security. I'm here to honor folks here who are employing technology, using good ideas that will change the face of America…”

The oil party is finally over
“…Welcome to the world of $ 70-per-barrel oil. That's if there is no crisis in the Persian Gulf over Iran's nuclear ambitions. If there is, then get ready for $ 140 a barrel. Oil briefly breached the $ 70 barrier eight months ago, but this time it is going up for good… Exactly one year ago the investment bank Goldman Sachs put out a paper suggesting that the "new range" within which oil prices will fluctuate is $ 50-$ 105 per barrel. (The old range, still used by most of the oil industry when deciding if a given investment will be profitable, was $ 20-$ 30.) The price could surge well past the upper end of the Goldman Sachs range if the United States actually does launch military strikes against Iran, but it's going up permanently anyway…”

Lament of the Profiteer
“…Two years ago, Moneybox marveled at how Halliburton unit KBR was failing miserably in its attempts to profiteer on the Iraq war, an adventure spurred on in large part by former Halliburton CEO and current U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney… They're getting somewhat better. Earlier this month, Halliburton filed to sell a 20 percent stake of KBR to the public. And the prospectus gives new insight into how KBR is doing managing the gigantic no-bid logistics and support contracts it received from the Pentagon. The April 14 filing suggests KBR is more skilled at profiting off the war…”

Bush's Approval Rating Hits New Low as Gas Price Worries Grow
“…President George W. Bush's approval rating sank to a record low in a new CNN poll, dragged down by the worries of Americans about high gas prices and doubts about the president's honesty and trustworthiness… Thirty-two percent of adults said they approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president, and 60 percent said they disapprove. The president's approval rating has been on a steady decline since the start of 2005 as dissatisfaction with the course of the war in Iraq has increased. The CNN poll's findings are in line with other polls released in the past two weeks…”