Exploiting a Misconception

"Bush answered a bit differently.

" 'It's hard to break down a specific issue, and an issue in a race in which there was a lot of issues. We had Iraq, we had foreign policy . . . we had values. Social Security was clearly an issue, however,' Bush said. 'I think they voted for me in large part because they knew I would not be afraid to take on a tough issue. In other words, I would not be so political I would say, 'Well, gosh, I really don't want to tackle this,' either for fear of failure or because it might put somebody in an awkward position.' "

Friends, Part I

Before the event, Bush stopped by the offices of the onmilwaukee.com city guide.

As John D. McKinnon of the Wall Street Journal wrote in his pool report: "Those who still mourn the passing of 'Friends' would have taken heart from POTUS's visit to OnMilwaukee.com, a new media business. In a small second-floor meeting room in a storefront building in Milwaukee's east side, half a dozen or so young adults, almost all under 30, gathered on a brown leather sofa and overstuffed chairs. Four coffee cups and an open laptop on a small table completed the 'Central Perk' tableau."

Indeed, here's a White House photo.

Bush offered praise for the business, which is not affiliated with the local newspaper, saying it offers people a new way to get news.

Friends, Part II

David E. Rosenbaum and Edmund L. Andrews write in the New York Times: "Robert C. Pozen, the business executive who developed the theory behind Mr. Bush's plan to trim Social Security benefits in the future, urged the president today to drop his insistence on using a portion of workers' taxes to pay for individual investment accounts."

Poll Watch

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press concludes from its latest poll: "Americans are critical of President Bush's job performance in many policy areas, but negative opinions of his handling of the economy and Iraq are doing the most damage to his overall approval rating, which now stands at 43%. Just 35% approve of the president's handling of the economy, down from 43% in February and 45% in January."

Tell the President Next Time?

Adam Entous writes for Reuters: "Contradicting the White House line, U.S. first lady Laura Bush said on Thursday the president should have been interrupted during a bike ride to be told about a plane scare that sent fighter jets scrambling over Washington and forced her to take cover in a bunker.

" 'I think he should have been interrupted, but I'm not going to second-guess the Secret Service that were with him,' Laura Bush told reporters during her flight to Jordan to start a five-day solo visit to the Middle East. Her plane stopped in Shannon to refuel.

"Asked if Bush had expressed any frustration about not being told sooner, the first lady said, 'No. Not really.'

" 'He did feel like they followed the protocols. The fact is, we got to the bunker, and within two minutes the plane had turned (away) So that was a very short part of his ride, really, before they knew that everything was alright,' she added."