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Iraq Could Doom Bush
By Dick Morris
 President Bush had a narrow brush with disaster
last week as the casualties mounted amid escalating Iraqi violence.
The daily tracking polls of Scott Rasmussen show that 10 days
ago Bush was three points ahead of Kerry. His attack ads had
the Democrat reeling. Then, from April 3-7, Bush fell by nine
points and ended his crash trailing Kerry by six.
Only Condoleezza Rice's testimony stopped the bleeding. By two
to one, voters were favorably impressed by her testimony while
they rated her antagonist Richard Clarke, negatively by 27 percent
to 42 percent. So, by this past weekend Bush had again moved
ahead of Kerry, this time by two points.
But it was a close call. The bloodshed in Iraq has left Americans
unsure of Bush's leadership. Only 48 percent now believe we're
winning the War on Terror, down six points from last week. More
seriously, Bush's lead over Kerry on the question of who would
do better at handling the War on Terror dropped from 54-36 to
only 51-40. Almost half of Americans now give Bush a negative
rating on handling Iraq.
Bush will be in real trouble if the situation in Iraq deteriorates.
The reported boast of one anti-American demonstrator that he
and his ilk "cannot drive America out of Iraq, but we can
drive Bush out of the White House, like we did to Carter"
is not far-fetched.
So what is Bush to do? 
Procedurally, the June 30 deadline for handover of power to the
Iraqi government looks like an essential element in the president's
escape from political danger. But behind it must lie a humility
and a realization of our limited means and the even more attenuated
patience of the American people.
We were willing to support Bush in Afghanistan and over the Patriot
Act. We backed the invasion of Iraq and agreed that Saddam needed
to be removed. Even when no weapons of mass destruction turned
up, the American people still supported Bush.
But last week's polling suggests that Americans are not prepared
to sacrifice their sons and daughters to assure democracy in
Iraq. That nation, which has never known freedom, may or may
not be able to achieve democracy. But Americans are not willing
to bet our children on the outcome. Nor should Bush wager his
presidency.
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