A 'Forced Group Hug'; Bush's charm offensive on the Hill collided with a new Republican reality: anxiety over the war is fraying the base.(George W. Bush)

Publication: Newsweek

Publication Date: 31-MAY-04

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2004 Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse, distribution or alteration without express written permission of Newsweek is prohibited. For permission: www.newsweek.com

Byline: Howard Fineman and Tamara Lipper

As David Hobbes saw it, Republicans in Congress needed cheering up and a call to unity. The news had been a cavalcade of Mesopotamian gloom, clouding the popularity of their leader, George W. Bush, and his party. As the president's legislative adviser, Hobbes suggested Bush do something he rarely does: pay a visit to the Capitol. In a closed-door, no-questions pep talk, Bush bragged about the economy and vowed the time was near when the Iraqis would "take the training wheels off" and...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.