The Campaigner

Bush seeks to build standing with public

By Jennifer Loven, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO - The president who loves to get home to his own bed is planning more nights on the road.

It's part of a public-relations effort aimed at boosting President Bush's low standing in polls and bolstering the chances of the Republican Party he leads in this fall's midterm elections. The idea is to place Bush in more freewheeling settings where he comes across best and before local media that tend to give softer coverage.

"I'm doing a lot of campaigning," Bush told CNN's Larry King during an interview aired Thursday night. "We're going to do just fine in '06."

Sectarian violence continues, unabated, in Iraq.

North Korea is lobbing missiles into the Sea of Japan.

Iran, a dire threat two weeks ago, is seemingly forgotten.

Meanwhile...more stump speeches. Makes sense to me. It's not like he was elected to lead or anything like that. Everyone knows the best way to approach international crises is with a PR junket designed to do some election year cheerleading in front of "soft coverage" local media.

Once again, no matter what is happening, as far as El Presidente is concerned, it's all politics all of the time.

No one is governing this country.