Dana Milbank -- Wait Until September

As someone said, Summer is not the time to launch a new marketing campaign.

Once-lifeless Democratic presidential candidates, buoyed by declining support for President Bush and his Iraq policy, talk of a full-blown scandal. They say the sentence in Bush's speech declaring Saddam Hussein sought nuclear material in Africa; a charge the White House now admits was wrong or insufficiently documented; is symbolic of a president who misled a nation into a costlier-than-expected war by distorting intelligence.

If Hussein is killed or captured, illegal weapons are found in Iraq and the near-daily attacks on U.S. soldiers subside, Democrats and Republicans agree the intelligence flap will be largely forgotten. If, however, Congress returns from its summer break in September with Hussein still at large, no discovery of weapons of mass destruction and continued attacks on U.S. troops, the issue will almost surely become the subject of congressional hearings and fodder for the presidential campaign.

ABC's Good Morning America; showed soldiers from the Third Infantry Division in Iraq criticizing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and questioning their mission. Minnesota Public Radio this week quoted Mary Kewatt, the aunt of a soldier killed in Iraq, saying: "President Bush made a comment a week ago, and he said 'bring'em on.' Well, they brought it on, and now my nephew is dead."

This has hurt Bush's standing. A Washington Post/ABC News poll last week showed that support for Bush had dipped 9 percentage points in about two weeks, to 59 percent, mirroring a decline in support for his handling of the Iraq situation. A small majority for the first time found the level of casualties in Iraq unacceptable, while half thought the administration intentionally exaggerated evidence of Iraq's weapons programs. Another poll released last week by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that 23 percent of Americans thought the military effort in Iraq was going very well, down from 61 percent in mid-April.

One of Bush's most valuable attributes has been his reputation for honesty and straight talking. But the controversy has caused the White House to appear slippery. In moments reminiscent of the Clinton presidency Bush and his aides have sought to parse phrases — they have called the disputed claim “technically accurate” because it was pinned on British intelligence — and they have said it is time to “move on,” the same phrase Clinton aides used. Also, a president who came to office criticizing those who would blame others for their problems has put responsibility on the CIA and the British.

A good Dana Milbank, who was the first mainstream journalist to break with the Bush-adoring Washington pack.

I am still excited about the Time Magazine articles. Since the Bush disputed election, hugely stepped up after 9/11, we had the entire American mainstream media become part of the GOP Mighty Wurlitzer. I think today we are beginning to go back to independent voices. I will celebrate tomorrow.