In the Face of Elite Criticism
By Hugh Hewitt
Beyond the News

In recent weeks, the Beltway opinion elite are once again out with a theme that sees an imminent collapse of the Bush presidency. Though it's been a repeating feature of anti-Bush talking heads for many years now, this latest round has been inspired by criticism of the Iraq War from voices on the right--most notably William F. Buckley and George Will.

Though there is certainly criticism of the president's war policy within the GOP, reports of the demise of Bush's popularity with his base are greatly exaggerated. Bush's indifference to popularity polling is as legendary as his predecessor's obsessiveness over it. The president also knows that the judgment on Iraq is decades down the road, and that the only certain disaster would lie in retreat.

Serious people with a clear view of the stakes and the threats remain solid supporters of the very difficult but very necessary war against Islamist extremists--and they recognize that the struggle for Iraq is one that we must win.