Club likes to believe that Bush doesn't pay attention to polls and provides firm leadership in the war on terrorism, but a GOP operative quoted in today's
Washington Post says that having passed up the chance to name him six weeks ago, Bush changed his mind this week decided to named Porter Goss as the new DCI because of new polls:
- A Republican political operative, who requested anonymity because of participation in the party's regular conference calls, said the president turned back to Goss because "poll data showed Kerry had closed the gap with Bush on handling of terrorism and was slightly ahead as fit to be commander in chief." The operative also said polls showed the president's embrace of the commission's suggestion for a new intelligence director "was not understood by the public." Goss had to be named "to show Bush was moving ahead."
Ouch. And from one of your own guys.
