White House facing revolt within GOP

Suddenly Bush's own reelection is seen as at risk, and Republican legislators are more worried about saving their own seats. They have walked the plank for Bush one time too many.

Until recently Republican control of Congress in the 2004 election was seen as a sure thing. Now, however, it looks as though both chambers are up for grabs, especially if Bush's own reelection is in jeopardy. Congressmen and senators are keen detectors of shifts in voter sentiment since their own survival depends on it. Bush's reversal of fortune is occurring on multiple fronts.

First, public opinion is turning dramatically against Bush's war. When legislators return to their districts, they hear from constituents unhappy about the deaths, the unanticipated financial cost, and the extended disruption of the lives of reservists.

Second, there is distress about the economy. The jobs hemorrhage is continuing, and more people are losing health coverage. For all the talk about new prescription drug benefits for seniors, that legislation is blocked and is minimal in any case. It is stalled, in part because some Republicans and most Democrats are unwilling to privatize Medicare as the price of a new drug benefit.

Third, many Republican legislators are appalled at the cost of the three immense tax cuts that the White House demanded. The nation is on the edge of a real fiscal crisis. It's one thing to bestow tax breaks on business allies; another to create so much red ink that interest rates head skyward and the dollar tanks.

Finally, the press has stopped giving Bush a free ride, and 9/11 no longer serves as a mantra to turn aside all challenges.