Bush Talks About the Bubble

Greg Mitchell writes in his column in Editor and Publisher: "Where will it end, and when will reporters pay with their jobs? First we learn that Bob Woodward failed to tell his editor for years about his role in the Plame/CIA leak case. Today, we find out that Time reporter Viveca Novak not only kept her editors in the dark about her own involvement, but even had a chat with the special prosecutor before telling her superiors."

Bush and the War

Tyler Marshall writes in the Los Angeles Times: "More than a year after a majority of Americans turned against his handling of the Iraq war, President Bush has launched a counteroffensive that ultimately could affect the fate of both that mission and his vision for the Middle East.

"As the must-win fight of his administration, Bush's chances for success on the public opinion front appear to hinge on one central question: Is the power of the presidential bully pulpit enough to win a fight many consider as important as any military campaign in Iraq itself?

"Public opinion specialists -- among whom a debate is raging -- say the outcome is far from certain."

Nedra Pickler writes for the Associated Press that Bush "is using a visit to Philadelphia, birthplace of the U.S. Constitution, as a reminder before the Iraqi elections that the path to American democracy was not always easy either. . . .

"Monday's Iraq speech is Bush's third, part of a campaign to win support for the mission, with most Americans saying in polls that they disapprove of his handling of the war. The final address in the series is planned for Wednesday in Washington."

Peter Baker and Robin Wright write in Sunday's Washington Post: "When U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer transferred sovereignty to Iraqi authorities in June 2004, he left behind a script with hard-and-fast deadlines for drafting a constitution and forming a government, a script that culminates Thursday with another election for a permanent parliament. . . .

"While Bush refuses to set a timetable for military withdrawal, he has stuck doggedly to the Bremer political timetable despite qualms of his staff, relentless violence on the ground and disaffection of Iraq's minority Sunni Arabs."

Ron Hutcheson writes for Knight Ridder Newspapers: "Although the president is still upbeat about Iraq's future, he's showing new candor about past mistakes and current difficulties. The shift in tone is part of a White House effort to shore up Bush's credibility on an issue that threatens to sink his presidency. . . .

But, Hutcheson notes: "The new openness goes only so far. After Wednesday's speech, White House spokesman Scott McClellan hemmed and hawed when he was asked whether Bush was willing to admit mistakes in Iraq.

"'Well, I mean, the president talked about how we'd learned from experience. . . . And so, yes, I mean, but in terms of making judgments about what those are, I don't think you can judge at this time,' he said."

Good for Fundraising

Ken Herman writes for Cox News Service: "President Bush, warming up for a 2006 campaign to maintain GOP congressional majorities, is not shying from portraying the war in Iraq as a success and a reason to vote Republican."

Poll Watch

Tumulty and Allen write: "White House strategists believe they have ended the slide in Bush's approval ratings, which lately have been topping 40% again. 'It's time for the Bush comeback story!' one coached Time for this article."

And indeed, the polls do seem to be moving in the right direction, as far as the White House is concerned.

Will Lester writes for the Associated Press: "President Bush shifted into campaign mode in recent weeks to tout the economy's strength and explain the high stakes in Iraq -- possibly helping to boost his job approval rate to 42 percent in the December AP-Ipsos poll. . . .

"Bush has improved standing with whites, men, Catholics and other core supporters -- a key factor in pushing his job approval rating up to 42 percent. While still relatively low, that's the highest level of job approval for Bush since summer."

And a new Gallup Poll just out shows Bush's approval rating up five points to 43 -- and his disapproval rating down five points to 52 -- compared to two weeks ago.

Info War

Jeff Gerth writes in the New York Times: "Hoping to counter anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world, the Bush administration has been conducting an information war that is extensive, costly and often hidden, according to documents and interviews with contractors, government officials and military personnel.

"The campaign was begun by the White House, which set up a secret panel soon after the Sept. 11 attacks to coordinate information operations by the Pentagon, other government agencies and private contractors. . . .

"[T]he White House recruited Jeffrey B. Jones, a former Army colonel who ran the Fort Bragg psychological operations group, to coordinate the new information war. He led a secret committee, the existence of which has not been previously reported, that dealt with everything from public diplomacy, which includes education, aid and exchange programs, to covert information operations."

Bird Flu Drill

Adam Entous writes for Reuters: "Warning an outbreak may be inevitable, the White House on Saturday conducted a test of its readiness for a feared bird flu pandemic and said federal agencies fared 'quite well' without offering any details."

Christmas Wishes

Juan-Carlos Rodriguez writes for the Associated Press about the "Christmas in Washington" concert Sunday night at the National Building Museum, to benefit for the National Children's Hospital.

"'At this time of year we are especially grateful to those whose work brings hope and health to children,' Bush said in a short speech at the conclusion of the event. . . .

"The president also thanked the men and women of the military for their service and wished the country a 'peaceful holiday season.'"

Fo and Foe Alike

Charlotte Higgins writes in the Guardian from London about "the world premiere of Peace Mom, a new play by Dario Fo, the 79-year-old Nobel laureate, based on the writings of Cindy Sheehan. Her touching and personal protest after the death of her son Casey, a US soldier in Iraq, has galvanised anti-war sentiment, and last week she brought her campaign to Britain."

Why was Fo attracted to the Sheehan story? "'One of the things that grabbed me is that that there is an epic quality to the letters that Sheehan wrote to George Bush, and especially Barbara Bush,' he said. 'There is a rhythm and tempo in her prose which recalls the great epic writers of Greece. When she writes: 'I am the mother of a son killed in Iraq; you are the mother of the man who killed him,' it is almost hendecasyllabic [the classical poetic metre]."