8 Candidates Face Hurdle: They Worked for Bush

... and shoulders will get colder as mid-terms near

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s support among his fellow Democrats—yep, looking at you, Howard Dean —is in a steeper dive than his opinion-poll numbers, and reminds David Broder of the last months of George W. Bush’s administration. But that was 7 years in for Republicans, he writes in the Washington Post. “I never thought we’d see Barack Obama face a similar problem before his first year was over.” More»

(NEWSER) - Former President Bush is gradually reentering life as a private citizen in Texas, Newsweek reports, but he's doing it gingerly and on his own terms. While many Texans agree that Dubya's still the friendly, aw-shucks guy they sent to Washington eight years ago, he's definitely keeping clear of dissent. “He is in home territory for sure,” a Texas historian said. “He doesn't enjoy naysayers and critics and opposition. Never has. And right now, he needs that nurturing cocoon that he is in.” More»

Approval hits career low; 82% believe US is on wrong path

(NEWSER) - Support for President Bush has sunk to its lowest level yet, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. Bush's 31% approval rating marks a career low as 82% of Americans now think the country is heading in the wrong direction. Opinions were highly split along partisan lines. More»

Poll finds 29% give president thumbs-up; 11% for legislators

(NEWSER) - President Bush and Congress scored record-low approval ratings in a Reuters/Zogby poll released today. Bush dipped 1% below his previous Zogby approval rating of 30%; the legislative branch scored 11% approval, down 3% in August. And a new "mood index" showed the country as more unhappy than in July, with 62% saying the US is on the wrong track. More»

Michael Hayden says it would have backfired then, and would now, too

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush's administration pondered an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and ultimately rejected it, says former CIA and NSA chief Gen. Michael Hayden. He and others concluded that an attack on Iran's nuke factories "would guarantee that which we are trying to prevent—an Iran that will spare nothing to build a nuclear weapon and that would build it in secret," Hayden said, according to Foreign Policy . The same rationale holds true today, he warned: Go with diplomacy and back channels or risk pushing Tehran into speeding things up. More»