Bush Deplores American Timidity

President Bush has an explanation for why the public is so skeptical of his policies. The problem is not with the policies -- it's with the public.

"We have lost sight of what it means to be a nation willing to be aggressive in the world and spread freedom or deal with disease. And we have lost our confidence in the ability to compete internationally," Bush said in an interview with Wall Street Journal reporters yesterday.

The interview was mostly about business issues, especially his renewed push for free trade agreements, but Bush repeatedly described himself and his mission in almost evangelical terms.

How will he restore American confidence? Certainly not by changing course. Bush's solution is ceaseless proselytizing -- or, as he described it, "a sustained strategy to keep reminding people of the benefits of trade and the benefits of helping people become free."

For instance: "[E]xports create jobs; we've just got to keep reminding people of that over and over again. . . . [I]t's really incumbent for those of us who believe that trade is good for the worker, trade enhances productivity, that competition is good for the consumer, that we just constantly remind people of benefits, because there's a lot of negativity now about trade, and there's -- this is an easy issue for people to get spooked about."

Leaving aside the obvious reasons why the public is dubious about Bush's "freedom agenda," a likely explanation for why the average American feels negatively the economy is that the benefits of globalization and increased productivity are being reaped disproportionately by the very wealthy. Bush can say the economy is booming, but for many workers, the downsides of free trade -- such as job insecurity -- are much more vivid than the upsides.

Instead of entertaining any doubts about the wisdom of his positions, however, the president prefers to celebrate his resoluteness. "The job of the President is to have a philosophy that is good for the people, and articulate it, sell it, and work hard to -- and work hard to make sure people understand the benefits of trade, in this case," Bush said. "The fundamental question facing somebody in public office is, do you have a set of principles that you're willing to stand by. And I do."

The Journal Interview

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John D. McKinnon and Greg Hitt write in the Wall Street Journal: "President Bush, saying many Americans have lost faith in their ability to compete in the global economy, vowed to revive the country's free-trade agenda, and he chastised corporate America for behavior that is adding to the public's anxiety. . . .

"Mr. Bush pledged to turn the situation around. . . .

"The president's efforts to make Americans feel better about the economy come at a time when he is struggling against strong crosscurrents. By most standards, the economy's performance is solid.

"But a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted earlier this month showed a surprising level of unease among Mr. Bush's supporters despite the solid economy. Among Republicans surveyed, six in 10 said trade has been bad for America, a sign of concern about job losses to overseas competitors. At the same time, some conservatives in the Republican coalition Mr. Bush helped build are drifting away from the party because of heavy federal spending under Republican rule.

"In response, the president has been talking up the economy's strength, as well as lower federal budget deficits, while vowing to veto spending bills from Congress that he considers irresponsible."