MSNBC' Keith Olbermman of Countdown broadcasts tonight a report that arch-conservative Richard Viguerie has gone on the warpath against President Bush accusing him of betraying conservatives with a number of liberal big spending programs. Richard Viguerie joins William Buckley, Francios Fukuyama, and James Dobbson on the list of conservatives recently critical of President George Bush.
And in a further sign that Bush is suffering from a significant cracking of his until recently sold conservative base in polls, Olbermman reports that half of conservatives think the country is on the wrong track. Countdown replayed the interview in which Bush brushes off observations that his ratings are similar to Richard Nixon's before he resigned.
Richard Viguerie launched this latest attack in this Sunday's Washington Post where he accused President Bush of betraying conservatives and conservative principles. The White House responded by pointing out that Viquerie has also criticized President Ronald Reagan. Unfazed, Viguerie reiterated his criticisms tonight on Countdown tonight.
Some speculate that conservatives are trying to distance themselves from Bush and the anticipated anti-GOP backlash in the November elections. If they announce in advance that they are sitting this one out in protest then, perhaps they reason, it will be more difficult for pundunts to interpret poor showings as a repudiation of conservatism but only of President Bush and incumbants who betrayed conservative principles.
And in a humorous aside Keith Olbermman notes that the Tom Delay defense team has apparently become confused and have cited a parody interview done by Steven Colbert on it's website.
Not a happy news day for Team GOP.
PS Update: Countdown's Katie Couric does an excellent and favorable interview of Al Gore which is much more newsworthy than the above but I sort of missed it while typing this. I encourage you to read the transcript or watch the video. But Gore strongly denies he will run in 2008.
But he