NYT Sat: Bush loyalty facing two pronged challenge on Wolfowitz, Gonzales scandals
"Time and time again, President Bush has stood by his most embattled but loyal lieutenants despite loud calls for their heads, at times defying the established physics of Washington (rapidly diminishing support in one’s own party times the number of instances in which one has failed to convincingly explain away accusations of incompetence or malfeasance equals the certainty of rapid resignation)," an article in Saturday's New York Times begins.
The article continues, "But Mr. Bush’s ability to turn aside that kind of pressure is now facing a serious test as he confronts what to do about Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and Paul D. Wolfowitz, the president of the World Bank."
Excerpts from article:
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How Mr. Bush moves to resolve the situations is being watched closely in Democratic and Republican circles for what it says about his standing in the capital’s new power dynamic, as a late-term president with low approval ratings and a hostile and increasingly assertive Congress.
They are two very different cases in two very different worlds: Mr. Wolfowitz faces questions about favoritism toward his girlfriend; Mr. Gonzales is dealing with bipartisan criticism about his competence and questions about whether the Justice Department dismissed several federal prosecutors for political reasons.
In each case Mr. Bush is standing by a loyalist with an evaporating base of support and a serious challenge to his credibility even among Republicans. And, two Republicans close to the administration said, in the case of Mr. Gonzales, even some of Mr. Bush’s close aides think that his resignation would best serve the administration but do not find a like-minded view from the president, who is personally close to the attorney general.
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FULL NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE AT THIS LINK
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