Republican candidates walk fine line in criticizing Bush administration, Iraq
10:26 a.m. Thursday, June 7, 2007
The top Republican candidates may not be looking to attack their unpopular party leader at every turn, but when given an opening, especially on Iraq, they're taking it.
"This war was very badly mismanaged for a long time," Senator John McCain said. "And Americans have made great sacrifices, some of which were unnecessary because of this management of the war."
"I think we were underprepared and underplanned for what came after we knocked down Saddam Hussein," Governor Mitt Romney said.
Most of the top GOP contenders are careful to support the Iraq invasion and the surge, but even a former Bush cabinet secretary concedes failures.
"We went to Washington to change Washington," Republican presidential candidate Tommy Thompson said. "Washington changed us. We didn't come up with new ideas."
There were other opportunities to attack, on the subject of Republican scandals, but the candidates were careful not to say the President's name.
"I would establish accountability in Washington," Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani said. "Washington is a mess, and that's one of the reasons Republicans lost."
A White House official says the President would have no comment on that criticism. The official says the administration understands this is in the context of a campaign.
But lower-tier candidates are getting more personal. Congressman Tom Tacredo bitterly recalls being asked years ago by Bush political adviser Karl Rove not to quote "darken the doorstep of the White House" because of Tancredo's criticism of the President. Now, it's payback.
"...as President, I would have to tell George Bush exactly the same thing Karl Rove told me," Tancredo said.
A White House official denies Tancredo's claim, saying the congressman has been invited to the White House about twice a year.
Analysts and GOP strategists said it's one thing for candidates like Tancredo to attack the President so strongly.
But the top contenders have to walk a delicate balance, going out of their way to slam the President on the campaign trail, in places like Iowa, could be dangerous because the President still polls well among many primary voters.
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