Bush wants to introduce his own patients' rights bill at a time of his choosing, believing that the McCain-Kennedy bill will raise health insurance premiums by failing to adequately cap damage awards in lawsuits against HMOs. A staffer pointed out that in Europe last week McCain argued for Bush's national missile defense idea. Also, McCain agrees with Bush that there should be a Social Security reform commission. Still, McCain is causing heartburn at the White House by pushing campaign finance reform to the front of the agenda and may also seek early passage of a bill requiring background checks at gun shows - a measure Bush supports, but probably doesn't consider a top priority. You're not going to see me trying to embarrass this administration.
History shows that taking on an incumbent president is a fool's errand.
I really feel I had my run at it. I have no contemplation of running for president again, none whatsoever. I fully anticipate campaigning for the re-election of George Bush. That should give the White House some peace, but it probably won't. JWR contributor Morton Kondracke is executive editor of Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill.