Reuters: "Bush battling to climb out of popularity slump"

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30209296.htm

Bush battling to climb out of popularity slump

WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush is battling to climb out of a slump caused by the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war and soaring gasoline prices, events that have all combined to damage his credibility and deflate Americans' confidence in him.

The strategy for getting his groove back, aides say, is to narrow his focus and tackle head-on those three top priorities -- hurricane recovery, Iraq and energy -- and set aside for now other items like Social Security and tax reform that he had expected to spend the fall on.

But all three priorities carry their own risks and challenges, with the cost of rebuilding New Orleans straining the U.S. budget and causing consternation among conservatives, American casualties rising in Iraq and gas prices showing no signs of dropping to pre-hurricane levels.

The strategy, said a senior administration official, is to "stay focused on what we're trying to accomplish and recognize that some of that is going to take some time to change."

"Doing his job has always been his strongest suit," said one adviser close to the White House. "Let Bush be Bush. Let him lead. It's what Bush does in times like these."