Bush Emerges as Centrist After State of the Union

The Bush Administration as we know it has come to an end. Clinton changed when the Republicans took over Congress in 1994... and we'll see something similar happen with Bush and his Administration before our very eyes. The right wing won't like it, but Bush must feel that now that the Republican base has failed to produce a GOP dominated Congress, he must wander to the center in search of higher approval ratings.

Why does Bush care... even though he's not running for re-election? He cares because no President can govern effectively with a 30 percent approval rating. He becomes a target for any stray pot shot from any member of Congress, former foe, or former friend. Regardless of his formal powers as Commander in Chief, he will find his wings clipped soon enough by a rebellious Congress, unless he can rally more than one-third of the nation to his cause. This is what Dick Morris believes about the next two years in the White House.

To stay in Iraq and to have any hope of victory - and to survive for the remaining two years of his Presidency - Bush must bring up his ratings. If it takes moving to the center to do it, that's just what he'll do. Bush signaled his new intention when he fired Rumsfeld and brought in Robert Gates to take his place. It also appears that he's retreating over the issue of NSA wiretaps - choosing to work with the FISA court to get warrants. This is a huge mistake!

The right will not like this new drift to the center any more than the left liked it when Bill Clinton did it in 1995. Bush will probably deny that anything of the sort is happening, just as Clinton did when he was in office. But don't expect any retreat on the core areas in which Bush remains personally deeply invested. His focus on victory in Iraq is as sharp as ever and his commitment to fighting terror abroad and promoting pro-life values at home will remain intact.