Where's the Base?

"As President Bush travels through Florida warning that the May 15 sign-up deadline is rapidly approaching, polls show rising popularity for the new program. . . .

"As enrollment has increased, so has public approval of the program. Now 36% of people say the program is working, up from 27% in January, according to USA TODAY/Gallup Polls in January and April. But 49% still say it's not working. . . .

"Presidential counselor Dan Bartlett says the Democratic complaints about the program have been addressed. He calls it good government policy, reason enough for Republican candidates to embrace it.

" 'Good policy makes good politics,' Bartlett said."

Or maybe it's just that Bush's low poll standings have him reaching for whatever issues may help. That's what Bill Frenzel tells James Gerstenzang of the Los Angeles Times. Frenzel is "a Republican who represented a Minnesota district in Congress and who now studies economic and political issues at the Brookings Institution in Washington. . . .

" 'When you're at 33% or 35% approval rating, you use whatever assets are available,' Frenzel said.

Sticking to the Deadline

Shailagh Murray and Michael A. Fletcher write in The Washington Post: "President Bush insisted yesterday that the May 15 deadline for picking a Medicare prescription drug plan will stand, even as key Republican lawmakers suggested they may take action retroactively to protect people who miss the Monday cutoff.

"Speaking yesterday at a retirement community in Sun City Center, Fla., Bush urged eligible seniors to act quickly. 'Deadlines are important,' he said. 'Deadlines help people understand there's finality, and people need to get after it, you know?' "

The Oldsters Give Bush Hell

At Bush's retirement-village speech yesterday, there was no sign of the White House's vaunted audience screening. And that's understating the matter.

Here's the transcript from Sun City.

One audience member literally begged Bush to extend the deadline on behalf of her elderly neighbors. Another audience member lectured the president at length about everything that was wrong about the program.

"Q Thank you. First, let me say, I think a lot of people will be helped by this program.