Republicans Worried as 2006 Elections Loom, Baggage From Iraq War, Katrina Weighing Heavily

An article in today's Financial Times, highlights the dour mood of Republicans as the face the prospect of mid-term elections November 2006. It appears that the "chickens are coming home to roost" after some serious missteps by the Bush Administration.

It was not quite the finale that the president and the Republican leadership had in mind," said Thomas Mann, a political analyst at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think-tank.

The political disappointments will intensify Republican concerns about the 2006 mid-term elections, and add to pressure to show voters more concrete accomplishments if they are to maintain their majorities next November.
But several factors have combined to limit their progress. Weak public support for Mr Bush - attributed to his handling of the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina - united and emboldened Democrats.

Concerns about Mr Bush's conduct of the war on terror prompted lawmakers to increase their scrutiny of the administration and the policies adopted after the September 11 terror attacks.

Mr Mann is not optimistic that the situation will improve soon for Republicans.
"Everything I've seen here suggests that next year is going to be worse."

Recent disclosures that the president authorised secret domestic surveillance of US citizens strengthened the hand of those who opposed renewal of the Patriot Act without first toughening its civil liberties protections.

The full article may be read here:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3fc90590-7358-11da-8b42-0000779e2340.html