Bush victories delay lame-duck status

WASHINGTON, Sunday (Reuters)

Two months ago, President George W. Bush faced accusations that he was out of touch with Americans, had lost his touch with Congress and was looking at a cold, lonely second term.

But after Bush won key battles in Congress over energy and trade legislation, political analysts were not ready to write him off yet as he prepared to spend August back home in Texas.

And the White House, battered for weeks over questions about a CIA leak probe and frustrated that Bush's signature issue, changing Social Security, had failed to gain traction, was ready to do a little bragging to reporters who had questioned whether Bush had become a lame duck far earlier than normal in his second term.

"All I know is that there was a lot of coverage saying, two months ago, that the president wasn't going to get anything done on the domestic agenda, that he was maybe entering lame duck status, and the facts say otherwise," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Potential trouble looms ahead, however. Iraq, Iran and North Korea represent major foreign policy challenges, the leak probe has yet to be completed, and Bush has to get his Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts, confirmed by the Senate.

But the legislative victories of July could give Bush some momentum as he tries to hold at bay the time when he truly does become a lame duck. During his August vacation, he plans visits to seven states talking about his achievements and the work ahead in the war on terrorism.

"It's time at least to remind ourselves that George W. Bush has a good deal of cork in him, he keeps resurfacing," said Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar and professor at George Washington University.

Democrats who have fought Bush at every turn this year were as combative as ever. They criticized the energy bill as favorable to special interests, and hit Bush on the leak probe and for nominating conservatives to judgeships.

"If you're an Exxon lobbyist, a right-wing judge or a White House leaker, then yes, this has been a productive session," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada told a party unity event.

"But if you're a working family, struggling to afford health care and looking for help from Republicans in Congress, you must be wondering whose side they are on," he said.

White House celebrations over the legislative victories were drowned out a bit by an abrupt policy shift by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.

Frist, a top Republican ally of Bush and possible 2008 presidential candidate, decided to support expanding stem cell research over Bush's opposition, a possible sign that the party leadership is looking ahead to how this issue plays in the 2006 midterm elections.