A REPUBLIC, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT:

Peace Activists Frustrated by Bush Over Iraq (Alan Elsner, 2/06/03, Reuters)

Activists in the growing movement in the United States against attacking Iraq are expressing frustration at their inability to deflect President Bush from his course.

Despite polls showing deep public misgivings about attacking Iraq, especially without U.N. authorization, and a string of large anti-war demonstrations across the country, Bush has generally ignored the opposition, apparently confident he will pay no political price.

"It's very alarming. The Bush administration is prepared to ignore U.S. sentiment and international sentiment," said Barbara Epstein, an expert of peace movements at the University of California, Santa Cruz and peace activist herself.

"The president and his advisers seem so convinced they are right that they can't seem to imagine that the American people won't support them once the fighting begins," she said.

The Left Lite folks--New Republic, Slate, Salon, American Prospect, etc.--like to claim that this is the most political White House ever and even more poll-driven than Bill Clinton's. That would seem difficult to square with its utter disregard for domestic and foreign opinion about continuing the war against terrorists and terror states. Thankfully, we're not a democracy. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 6, 2003 3:19 PM