To the casual political observer, the Republican Party has seen better days. After the excitement following the re-election of President George W. Bush, the administration has received hardly any positive press and approval ratings have tanked. On top of this, much has seemingly gone awry for Republicans in general. One must simply look to Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, cronyism and scandal to get a full picture of what has lately vexed the Republican Party.
Even before the 2004 election, Bush faced significant problems with the war in Iraq, and time has exacerbated the situation. The drawn-out insurgency erodes the American people's resolve and strengthens the terrorists', while the absence of the international community only makes things worse. Bush's scripted interview with the troops did not help him at all.
After Hurricane Katrina, many blamed Bush for not acting quickly enough to prevent the devastation. African Americans in particular felt outrage at the administration's response. Bill Bennett's now-infamous comments added fuel to the fire. In a recent poll, 2 percent of African Americans approve of Bush as a leader.
The Katrina mess revealed FEMA director Michael Brown to be an inept Bush crony appointed to the wrong organization. Though The Economist and many others agree that "some of the blame for post-Katrina incompetence belongs to local Democrat officials in Louisiana," the general public believes Brown failed.
With cronyism on everyone's mind, Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court is raising eyebrows, even among conservatives. Though Miers did extremely well at Southern Methodist Law School, the vast disparity in qualifications between her and John Roberts is obvious.
Finally, alleged criminal scandal has surfaced in the Republican camp. Conservatives fear that federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will bring criminal charges against high-ranking Bush administration officials for involvement with the Valerie Plame affair. Also House Majority Leader Tom Delay is being indicted for corruption by Texan District Attorney Ronnie Earle. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for insider trading in his family's company.
With all these problems facing Republicans, many Democrats are hardly able to contain their excitement over the opportunity to tell America "I told you so!"
But they should be careful before jumping to conclusions.
The Republicans are indeed going through hard times, but all is not lost. Bush succeeded in making Roberts Chief Justice of the United States. Miers may not be the most qualified nominee, but she may surprise the Senate Judiciary Committee. If she displays sufficient knowledge of Constitutional law and avoids controversy, she will get appointed. With Senate approval, the crony label will disappear.
As for Iraq, there is hope. The new constitution may hold together a deeply divided nation, and if it does, then many may concede that the war was worthwhile. Furthermore, the ongoing trial of Saddam Hussein should expose how horrible the Ba'athist regime really was.
The likelihood that DeLay and Frist are guilty is small. DeLay claims the charges brought against him are flimsy, and he may actually turn the tables on his prosecutor by exposing him as politically motivated. As for Frist, he probably sold his shares fairly and will not face criminal charges.
The Bush administration will take a blow if Patrick Fitzgerald indicts Scooter Libby. But this cannot compare to the disgrace Democrats suffered when Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury in 1950. Hiss committed treason by directly collaborating with the Soviet Union during his tenure in a Democratic administration.
Libby allegedly uncovered a CIA agent who, though technically covert, was already fairly overt about her position. Libby may, after all, end up innocent or not indicted. That would certainly relieve the Bush administration of embarrassment and scandal.
Finally, Bush has a golden opportunity in the selection of the next Federal Reserve Chairman. If he chooses well and if that nominee wards off financial crisis, then Bush's popularity will rise.
As for a Democratic takeover, that is about as likely as the "Tyler" sandwich redeeming Rick's Diner.
Jamie Deal is a Trinity sophomore. His column runs every every other Thursday.
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