Low job-approval rating seen stalling Bush agenda

From The Washington Times, link: Low job-approval rating seen stalling Bush agenda

By Ralph Z. Hallow
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

President Bush's lackluster job-approval rating will make it harder to push through his second-term tax and Social Security reforms, and could undermine House conservatives' uphill battle against runaway spending, some lawmakers say.
"It does make it harder," said Rep. Paul D. Ryan, Wisconsin Republican. "Certainly, it doesn't help."
Mr. Bush's job rating dipped below 50 percent in a new Associated Press poll and registered 52 percent in a Gallup poll last week. That is well below what re-elected presidents in the past have scored before being sworn in for their second terms.
"It is much better if a very popular president is going out and selling his agenda," said Mr. Ryan. "A 65-percent job approval is probably more effective than 50 percent."
Rep. Patrick McHenry, North Carolina Republican, maintains that while the war in Iraq is depressing the president's approval rating, Mr. Bush still has a mandate for his domestic agenda — certainly among conservatives.
"That agenda is bold enough that conservatives will rally around tax and Social Security reform as well as true budget restraint," Mr. McHenry said.
He and fellow conservatives, whose efforts to control spending were dealt a blow by House Republican leadership in a private meeting last week, want to see the president win popular acceptance for his legislative priorities. They see a link between gaining those priorities and adopting the conservatives' proposed spending restraints that Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and Majority Leader Tom DeLay nixed last week.
House Republican leaders argued that while they also want to control spending, the proposed rules would deny leadership the "flexibility to negotiate" with House Democrats and with the Senate.
But House conservatives say tighter budget rules would strengthen leadership's negotiating position.
"Stricter rules on spending mean leadership, in negotiations, can go out and say, 'Our rules in the House prohibit us from doing this,' " said Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, the new chairman of the House Republican Study Committee (RSC), which is made up of 95 fiscal and social conservatives.
Conservative leaders outside Congress were less restrained in criticizing the Republican leadership.
"What the leadership is saying is, 'Give us fiscal discipline, but not right now,' " American Conservative Union Executive Director Richard Lessner said.

... more at linked article

So some are worried that Bush's falling approval rating endangers his agenda? I think this part of the article is right:

"That agenda is bold enough that conservatives will rally around tax and Social Security reform as well as true budget restraint," Mr. McHenry said.

A sales job is needed, but I expect it will come as we get closer to legislation and actual enactment of changes. Until then, the ratings don't necessarily mean much.

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Rep. Patrick McHenry, North Carolina Republican, maintains that while the war in Iraq is depressing the president's approval rating, Mr. Bush still has a mandate for his domestic agenda — certainly among conservatives.

Holy crap, batman!! Bush does have a mandate.........................

..................even if it is only amongt themselves.

DOH!!!!

MANDATE MY ASS

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A mandate only works as long as people continue to agree with the position that Bush holds. Many conservatives feel that just because Bush was reelected means that automatically all of their issues will be pushed through. I would like to remind them that the Senate Majority Leader has warned Bush not to appoint ultra-conservative justices to the court.

Cheers

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