For the Record

In Fox News poll, President Bush’s approval rating is 76 percent, down from 83 percent in January. . . . Bush on trade-promotion authority: “We cannot let this initiative fall victim to partisan politics. Our trading partners are waiting for us. American workers are depending on us. And America cannot afford further delay.” . . . Bush on Al Gore’s criticisms of his environmental record, in Washington Post: “Haven’t paid attention to them.” . . . “You stand against an evil—an evil of mass murderers,” says defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld to troops in Kyrgyzstan. “It’s an evil that can’t be appeased, it can’t be ignored, and it certainly cannot be allowed to prevail.” . . . Rumsfeld, to troops in Afghanistan: “To the extent that weapons of mass destruction come into the hands of terrorists and terrorist networks, we’re talking about not thousands of people, but tens of thousands of people and potentially hundreds of thousands of people, being killed.” . . . Paul Weyrich, in Washington Post: “Conservatives in a broad cross section of the movement are getting very uneasy about this presidency.” . . . Gary Bauer, on Good Morning America: “Instead of criticizing the Israeli government over the past three weeks, we ought to have been congratulating them for the victory they’ve had over terrorism.” … In CBS News poll, 67 percent say Israelis are justified in taking military action in response to terrorist attacks.

Bush adviser Karl Rove, in National Journal: “It’s very rare that a party in power that holds the White House makes gains in this [2002] election. On the other hand, it’s very rare that a party gains seats in the U.S. House of Representatives four elections in a row, which is the task the Democrats face.” . . . Democratic pollster Mark Mellman: “Democrats running against George Bush this year have a big problem. But, of course, there are no Democrats running against George Bush this year.” … Political analyst Charlie Cook identifies six senators “highly vulnerable” to defeat in November: Wayne Allard (R., Colo.), Jean Carnahan (D., Mo.), Tim Hutchinson (R., Ark.), Tim Johnson (D., S.D.), Bob Smith (R., N.H.), and Paul Wellstone (D., Minn.). … In University of New Hampshire poll, Rep. John Sununu leads Sen. Smith in GOP primary, 59 percent to 30 percent. . . . Stephen Moore of Club for Growth sends letter to Rove: “I wanted to share with you my dismay that the White House is systematically intervening in many GOP primaries on behalf of liberal-leaning Republicans against economic conservatives. . . . What is particularly frustrating to us is that the president has even intervened on behalf of candidates who have opposed this administration’s economic agenda.” . . . As D.C. mayor Anthony Williams (D.) hosts fundraiser for Rep. Connie Morelia (R., Md.), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D., D.C.) calls him “either naïve or stupid” for doing it.

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In Fox News poll, President Bush’s approval rating is 76 percent, down from 83 percent in January. . . . Bush on trade-promotion authority: “We cannot let this initiative fall victim to partisan politics. Our trading partners are waiting for us. American workers are depending on us. And America cannot afford further delay.” . . . Bush on Al Gore’s criticisms of his environmental record, in Washington Post: “Haven’t paid attention to them.” . . . “You stand against an evil—an evil of mass murderers,” says defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld to troops in Kyrgyzstan. “It’s an evil that can’t be appeased, it can’t be ignored, and it certainly cannot be allowed to prevail.” . . . Rumsfeld, to troops in Afghanistan: “To the extent that weapons of mass destruction come into the hands of terrorists and terrorist networks, we’re talking about not thousands of people, but tens of thousands of people and potentially hundreds of thousands of people, being killed.” . . . Paul Weyrich, in Washington Post: “Conservatives in a broad cross section of the movement are getting very uneasy about this presidency.” . . . Gary Bauer, on Good Morning America: “Instead of criticizing the Israeli government over the past three weeks, we ought to have been congratulating them for the victory they’ve had over terrorism.” … In CBS News poll, 67 percent say Israelis are justified in taking military action in response to terrorist attacks.

Bush adviser Karl Rove, in National Journal: “It’s very rare that a party in power that holds the White House makes gains in this [2002] election. On the other hand, it’s very rare that a party gains seats in the U.S. House of Representatives four elections in a row, which is the task the Democrats face.” . . . Democratic pollster Mark Mellman: “Democrats running against George Bush this year have a big problem. But, of course, there are no Democrats running against George Bush this year.” … Political analyst Charlie Cook identifies six senators “highly vulnerable” to defeat in November: Wayne Allard (R., Colo.), Jean Carnahan (D., Mo.), Tim Hutchinson (R., Ark.), Tim Johnson (D., S.D.), Bob Smith (R., N.H.), and Paul Wellstone (D., Minn.). … In University of New Hampshire poll, Rep. John Sununu leads Sen. Smith in GOP primary, 59 percent to 30 percent. . . . Stephen Moore of Club for Growth sends letter to Rove: “I wanted to share with you my dismay that the White House is systematically intervening in many GOP primaries on behalf of liberal-leaning Republicans against economic conservatives. . . . What is particularly frustrating to us is that the president has even intervened on behalf of candidates who have opposed this administration’s economic agenda.” . . . As D.C. mayor Anthony Williams (D.) hosts fundraiser for Rep. Connie Morelia (R., Md.), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D., D.C.) calls him “either naïve or stupid” for doing it.