Bush ‘surprised’ by conservative anger

Apparent political obliviousness:

President Bush did not intend to single out his conservative supporters for criticism in a speech on immigration reform last week and was “surprised” that his remarks angered Republicans, White House spokesman Tony Snow said today.

…followed by an attempted backpedal…

“He was surprised by the reaction,” Mr. Snow said of Mr. Bush’s speech in Glynco, Ga., last week. “The speech in Georgia was, ‘We’ve got a serious problem and we need to fix it.’ It was not in any way designed to be pointed at Republicans.”

The only trouble was, that the Prez’s speech WAS pointedly directed against the conservative opponents to the administration supported Kennedy-McCainiac Mexican Migration Promotion Act, and no amount of spin from Tony Snow can undo that.

Mr. Snow yesterday said the immigration dispute between the president and conservatives “does not mark a point of disjunction,…”

…if this isn’t a point of disjuction…Snow is looking at the sun and calling it the moon!

…and emphasized that the White House recognizes and is responding to conservative opposition to the measure.

Yeah, responding by effectively labeling it as destructive, untruthful, un-patriotic obstructionism. Hey Tony – we ARE capable of understanding English – even in the form of Dubya’s sometimes fractured syntax.

“We understand if you’re going to get this thing done, you’re gonna need Republicans,” Mr. Snow said. “It’s important to build a large coalition, including our conservative base.”

Well, this talks the talk…but the walk is in the opposite direction.

Mr. Snow’s defense of the president’s remarks shows that “the White House is in denial about this issue,” said longtime conservative publicist Craig Shirley,…

A definite case of poor situational awareness.

…an opinion shared by American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene. “The plain meaning of what he said was clear,” Mr. Keene said. “Tony and others within the administration had been urging conservatives prior to the president’s remarks to give Bush the benefit of the doubt as far as motives are concerned and to keep the debate civil. ‘After all,’ [Mr. Snow] said at a meeting I attended, ‘at the end of the day we’re all on the same team.’

“So it’s easy to see why he’s in denial,” Mr. Keene said, “but the president’s prepared remarks and some of the things he has said make it clear that conservatives, or at least those with the temerity to disagree with the White House line [on immigration], are no longer welcome on the team.”

This is conclusively illustrated by Karl Rove’s disinvitation to Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) telling him to “not darken the White House door”. Not exactly the way to build party unity, is it?