The stink of desperation

Houston Chronicle:

Credibly or not, the war on terror, and its continuing side trip in Iraq, has been one of the most consistently successful tocsins of George W. Bush's administration. So it was not surprising, given the increasingly rough ride both in Baghdad and Washington over the last weeks, that the president took to the airwaves Tuesday night to sound the alarm again.

Whether his umpteenth iteration of "It was worth it," his renewed claim of progress or his announcement of modest operational changes prove more persuasive with average Americans than what Bush admitted were sometimes terrifying news and pictures from Iraq is, at best, iffy.

(snip)

Perhaps the most interesting finding in the Post-ABC survey could point to increased trouble ahead for Bush. For the first time in the Post-ABC survey, a majority (52-48 percent) believe the administration intentionally misled the American public in the run-up to the war. As recently as March, a majority (55-43 percent) said the administration was telling Americans what it believed was the truth.

This is a dangerous shift in public perception for a "values" politician such as Bush. Hence, the speech.