Karl dreaming if he thinks W beloved, say pundits

WASHINGTON - President Bush's political wizard Karl Rove must be smoking a peace pipe if he really thinks his boss' only problem with the public is the war in Iraq, many political observers said yesterday.
That was after Rove declared to the conservative American Enterprise Institute that Bush's job approval ratings may be in the dumps, but Americans still like him.

"People like him, they respect him. He's somebody they feel a connection with," Rove said. "They're just sour right now on the war."

One dispirited former top Bush official who admires Rove took vigorous exception to that analysis.

"Bush is down to 30% not because liberals are leaving him but because conservatives are leaving him," he said. "Why are conservatives leaving him? Let me count the ways. The base is furious with him."