Benign Neglect

I am with Bush on the war and agree with him that it must be our top priority, but his domestic agenda and mine have been, shall we say, divergent. Another reason for me to back the war:

With Bush focused mostly on the war in Iraq, a small but crucial number of GOP lawmakers has broken ranks and dealt significant blows to several of his highest-profile policies. The president’s $726 billion tax cut proposal has been sliced in half, his plan for oil drilling in Alaska defeated, his faith-based plan stripped to its bare bones and his cap on medical malpractice lawsuit damages put on life support.

The war has largely overshadowed the unusual string of setbacks for Bush, who lost few congressional battles in his first two years in office. But the recent events, occurring mainly in the Senate, underscore the unease that some Republicans and most Democrats feel toward his ambitious domestic plans for a nation facing a war and deep deficits.

….Frist and his allies failed to snag the all-important Republicans they needed, including freshman Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon.

….Coleman, who benefited greatly from Bush’s campaign appearances in his tough campaign last fall, said Bush is not using “strong-arm” tactics to change his mind. Indeed, several Republicans said Bush has paid little attention to events on Capitol Hill since the war began. [Washington Post]

I like Bush even more with this benign neglect toward a domestic agenda with which I disagree.