Reply #54: Bush has just (again) threatened a VETO

[salin]

show-down on the Hill.

Bush's ego is so huge and so well known (that he turns against folks that he perceives as have turned against him) - that he can't NOT try to push a showdown on this. To Bush - this is a slap - a suggestion that he and his folks made a mistake on his one issue that he was considered favorably upon for a long time - national security. He appears unlikely to back down - even if he is forcing the stability of some repubs in congress reelection hopes. Thus, this is personal to bush. It is also - due to the public outcry - of great import to many repubs to be seen as stopping the ports deal per their reelections.

The question is now... will back door deals with gopers on the hill and arm twisting/threats by rove and the bushmachine... which are inevitably going on as I type... will lead to a face saving (for bush) back down/compromise - or whether bush's political capital is so far gone - and the fears for reelection of the GOP in the house are now so HIGH that such threats will not work and this plays out with a bush veto and a congressional override.

Ironically for bush - if he were to spend his FIRST veto in five years on this - his "popularity" and public image would tank even further - the irony is that he is fighting to "win" b/c his ego drives him (as if somewhere in his infamous "gut reactions" that he trusts implicitly (even though it is often wrong) "winning this" will bolster him.)