Bush gains international clout as others stumble

File this one under "ya gotta be kiddin'"
Bush gains international clout as others stumble
Nearly all of president's fellow world leaders face trouble

The Associated Press
Updated: 5:44 p.m. ET May 28, 2005


WASHINGTON - In the rarified club of world leaders, President Bush has taken his share of lumps. Critics have railed against his handling of Iraq, his perceived disdain for the United Nations and what they say is a swaggering approach to foreign policy.

But Bush probably would not want to trade places with any other head of state.

Nearly all his fellow leaders of the world’s big industrial democracies have stumbled. It has left them vulnerable at home and weakened on the world stage.

The president, through it all, is riding what he sees as a strong re-election mandate to trumpet his goal of spreading democracy.

Stronger position
That helps explains why Bush, despite a slip in his approval rating among Americans, may find himself holding the stronger hand when he travels in early July to Scotland for the annual summit of the leaders of the eight major industrialized democracies.

“His counterparts all face ill political winds that make their domestic positions rather precarious,” said Charles Kupchan, director of European studies with the Council on Foreign Relations, a private research group. “I do think it puts Bush in an advantageous position.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8018917/

Enthusiastic fellation of the Shrub.
:banghead:

He wrote "Bush facing lame-duck woes" earlier this month:

WASHINGTON - He can't just blame the Democrats. Some lawmakers in President Bush's own party are giving him an increasingly hard time over everything from Social Security to a free-trade pact for Central America to his plan to ease immigration laws.

It may be an early lame-duck warning for his presidency

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=21077&mode=nested

This new article's an incredible puff piece, and I was surprised that the tone of the aforementioned article was as gloomy (for bush) as it was.

I still see nothing on the page, was this in print or something?

Supporting that asshole

disgusting.

So you mean to tell me not only is everything fine and dandy in the middle east but its all good here too? sweet. :eyes:

Maybe its time to start asking the people who release these stories who the source is, whether they are reliable, and whether there is a factual basis for the story.

there's another thread on DU shows that part of the URL for this story on one site was "wh_pr".

Do all the other leaders have to be so afraid of someone knocking 'em off? I've often thought about how awful iit has to be, personally, to be so HATED in so many different countries, including your own!

Would he trade places? I dunno. Other than in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, he sure wouldn't have as much power as he has here, so maybe not.

so what makes anyone think he has any 'international clout'??? :rofl:

This is pure wishful thinking designed to shore up Bush's poll numbers.