Bloomberg reports that Sununu Wouldn't Campaign With Bush `In This Climate'
Which is kind of like an Eskimo saying he wouldn't wear a Speedo 'in this climate.'
The story notes that:
-- New Hampshire Senator John Sununu said he wouldn't campaign with George W. Bush next year ``in this climate'' because of the president's low job-approval ratings.
Sununu, a Republican facing a tough re-election, said ``the president's popularity, unfortunately, is at a fairly low level.'' He spoke in an interview with Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt,'' scheduled to air today.
Unlike Bush, Sununu is greatly beloved in New Hampshire:
Bush campaigned for Sununu in New Hampshire twice during the 2002 election, when Sununu beat Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, a former governor, by about 20,000 votes. Shaheen, who hasn't declared her candidacy, led Sununu 56 percent to 34 percent in a Concord Monitor poll of likely voters conducted this month.
Sununu then goes on to stand by Bush's failed policies:
Sununu said his support for Bush's Iraq policies won't hurt his re-election bid. Opposition to the war helped unseat both of New Hampshire's Republican members of Congress in last year's election.
``We certainly went through a very difficult election in 2006, but the electorate hasn't changed dramatically in New Hampshire since 2004,'' Sununu said. ``No one is happy with the progress we're making in Iraq.''
and then immediately backtracks:
Sununu said the Iraqi government hasn't ``made as much progress as we'd like to see'' hitting benchmarks set by the U.S. Congress, particularly in drafting legislation on sharing the country's oil revenue.
He said he would consider giving U.S. commanders more time to quell violence in the country if they ask for it when General David Petraeus, the top U.S. officer in Iraq, presents a report to Congress in September.
``It depends why,'' Sununu said. Whether they request ``more time, more troops, fewer troops, a quicker withdrawal, a slower withdrawal, whatever it is, why are they making those recommendations? That's what Congress needs to react to.''
To recap thus far, he doesn't think the current approach is working and won't commit to listening to what the generals on the ground want.
So, he must favor some kind of change in our plan, right? Nope!!!
Sununu suggested he doesn't support a proposal by Republican Senators John Warner of Virginia and Richard Lugar of Indiana that would require Bush to submit a new plan for the war by Oct. 16.
He's triangulating against Republican triangulators!! Too clever by half, of course, because he thus squares the circle and winds up standing by Bush.
Hilariously, even though he concedes that what we're doing isn't working,
Sununu, 42, opposed a Senate proposal this week that would have required most U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq by April 30, 2008. He said it was ``not sound policy'' to announce to U.S. enemies when troops would begin pulling back.
So, US troops are dying, Iraq isn't getting any better, the current approach isn't working, but Sununu opposes getting out because it's 'unsound' and even opposes demanding that the strategy that isn't working be changed.
In other words, he simply opposes taking any kind of position at all.
Clearly, Senator Sununu is confused. His role as a Senator is to provide vision and leadership on this issue. It's his job to represent his constituents on this vital issue.
Perhaps if he had stayed in his home state, he could have heard the truth on Iraq.
With most of his rivals hitting the road in Iowa this weekend, Obama had New Hampshire relatively to himself. Climbing atop picnic tables yesterday in Sunapee to answer questions, he pounded on New Hampshire Senators John Sununu and Judd Gregg, both Republicans, for expressing doubts about Bush's so-called "surge" plan in Iraq, yet refusing to vote against it this past week in the Senate.
"We won two more votes" from neighboring Maine Senator Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both Republicans, on the Democrats' timeline, Obama said. "But we need your help convincing your Senators here."
Indeed. Stop the quadrilateralization, Senator Sununu. Vote against a failed policy. Vote for a change that will save American lives and allow our country to get back on the right track again.
Senator Sununu: It will do you no good to run away from George W. Bush while voting to uphold his failed Iraq policy. If you're going to try to save your skin, at least be smart about it instead of a cowardly lion.
Anyone living in New Hampshire can pass this message on to Senators Sununu and Gregg:
Don't vote for failure, Senator Sununu.
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