After a dismal week, what's next for Bush?

Democrats, though, indicated they will not let people forget that Bush campaigned in 2000 on a promise to “restore honor and dignity” to a White House sullied by Clinton-era scandals.

“President Bush faces a serious test of leadership,” said Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. “Will he keep his pledge to hold his administration to high ethical standards and give the American people what they deserve, and will he answer to the American people for these serious missteps?”

At the White House, the short-term strategy is little changed by the recent events.

‘Back-to-basics’
Bush will focus for the remainder of the year on pushing Congress to fund Katrina recovery while reigning in nonmilitary spending, renewing the Patriot Act, and making preparations for a possible bird flu or other pandemic. The president plans to highlight political progress in Iraq and U.S. economic growth in an effort to convince a skeptical public that things are better than they seem on both fronts, officials said.

White House counselor Dan Bartlett said it was an “almost a back-to-basics type of approach to governing” that is designed to show people that the president is taking concrete action on things that matter to their lives.

“I got a job to do and so do the people who work in the White House,” Bush said in reaction to Libby’s indictment.

Grover Norquist, the president of the conservative Americans for Tax Reform who is close to the White House, said Bush is on the right track. “You don’t need any Hail Mary passes at this point,” he said.

Miers replacement
All agree that Bush must make a quick and sound selection for the Supreme Court now that Miers no longer is in line to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. With an announcement expected soon, White House officials and their allies have great hopes it will steal space from the bad news, heal the rift with conservatives that the Miers’ nomination caused and regain momentum for Bush.

Norquist said that will happen if Bush names someone with a clear record of conservative credentials. “We will get a completely unified right,” Norquist said. “Bygones are bygones.”

Aides also hope Bush will benefit from his schedule. Foreign policy will dominate much of Bush’s attention as he spends much of November traveling to South America and Asia.

Bush dislikes reacting to the kind of advice from punditry that has been so plentiful in recent weeks. So more comprehensive changes at the White House, whether a staff shake-up or bold new ideas, probably will wait. Aides are looking to Bush’s State of the Union address early next year as the vehicle to unveil policy proposals.

At the same time, the president intends to return as planned in the new year to priorities such as overhauling Social Security, simplifying the tax laws and addressing immigration.

Meantime, a replacement must be found for Libby, the Cheney alter-ego and influential White House player whose departure leaves a huge gap.

Among those discussed as top contenders are Cheney’s counsel, David Addington; the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Eric Edelman; and Dean McGrath, Cheney’s deputy chief of staff.

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