With his approval ratings plunging, even some Republican leaders are showing signs of abandoning Bush's listing ship.
"Mistakes were made," Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania said Friday of the war effort.
When the president visited Pennsylvania to defend his Iraq policies on Friday, Santorum kept his distance, literally and rhetorically. He was 120 miles away, telling reporters the war in Iraq has been "less than optimal" and that "maybe some blame could be laid" at the White House.
GOP leaders privately say Bush's slump is hurting candidate recruitment for crucial midterm elections next year. Some believe he had at least a minimal negative impact on gubernatorial elections this week in Virginia and New Jersey, both won by Democrats.
Republicans like Santorum who are in tough re-election battles are starting to treat Bush like a toxic substance.
In a speech to veterans at the Union League in Philadelphia, Santorum criticized how the war has been presented to Americans, by the White House as well as by the media.
He said Bush made a mistake by calling it a "war on terror," which Santorum equated with calling World War II a "war on Blitzkrieg."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/11/AR2005111101324.html
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