Ambulance chasers

Ambulance chasers
Originally uploaded by vegacura.

Whiny, self-absorbed and dumbfounded.

The president and his staff were offended by the last-minute snub by Charlie Crist, the Republican candidate to succeed term-limited Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The White House scheduled the stop here in the conservative Panhandle as a favor to Jeb Bush entirely for Crist's benefit. But Crist decided to go elsewhere in the state. The White House schedule Monday morning still listed Crist as introducing the president.

Rove did not hide his consternation: "Rather than being with the governor and the president and 10,000 people in Pensacola, they made a last-minute decision to go to Palm Beach. Let's look at the comparison. Let's see how many people show up in Palm Beach on 24 hours' notice versus 8,000 or 9,000 people in Pensacola."

The president was left with a rainy-day rally here for no one. The local congressman does not face a competitive race and the Bush brothers are estranged from Rep. Katherine Harris, the GOP Senate candidate, who polls show losing in a rout. Harris was given a three-minute speaking slot more than an hour before the president arrived and was not on stage during his appearance. Bush mentioned her only once in passing.

At times, Bush appears confounded by the political problems confronting him. He is absolutely certain that, as he puts it, "they're coming after us," meaning terrorists, but does not understand why many others do not see it with the clarity he does. "I am in disbelief that people don't take these people seriously," he told National Review and other conservative outlets last month.

That conversation provided a glimpse into Bush's aggravation and isolation. One participant, Lawrence Kudlow of CNBC, told Bush that he has supported the war but was discouraged and looking for hope.

"I need some good news, sir," Kudlow said.

"Yes, I do, too," Bush said.

"I really do," Kudlow repeated.

"You're talking to Noah about the flood," Bush said. "I do, too."

Then Peter Baker asks a simple question.

What Bush would do then becomes the next question. He arrived in Washington promising to be a uniter, not a divider, but the political polarization in the country is worse than when he took over. As recently as last month, his spokesman said that if nothing else, Bush wants to use his last two years to "detoxify" Washington -- and then Bush headed out to the campaign trail to warn that if Democrats win, "America loses."

How would he reconcile these competing instincts? The desire to be a healer and the surety that his way is the right way? The decider will have to decide.

Please. We know how the Cheney administration will "govern" if Democrats take the House and, possibly (though less likely) the Senate. They will govern as they governed when they lost the popular vote in 2000 and were awarded the imperial presidency by a five to four Supreme Court vote: as if they have been given a mandate.

Publius looks back at the start of the annus horribilis for Bush that was 2005.