http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080124/ap_on_el_pr/anti_bush_campaign;_ylt=AotLaNj_k.T_sad_N3QmbcRh24cA

WASHINGTON - A liberal advocacy group plans to spend $8.5 million in a drive to make sure President Bush's public approval doesn't improve as his days in the White House come to an end.

Americans United for Change plans to undertake a yearlong campaign, spending the bulk of the money on advertising, to keep public attention on what the group says are the failures of the Bush administration, including the war in Iraq, the response to Hurricane Katrina, and the current mortgage crisis.

In selling the plan to fundraisers, the group has argued that support for President Reagan was at a low of 42 percent in 1987 but climbed to 63 percent before he left office. "All of a sudden he became a rallying cry for conservatives and their ideology," said Brad Woodhouse, president of the group. "Progressives are still living with that."
The group is a nonprofit corporation that made a splash by airing ads against Bush's plans to overhaul Social Security in 2005. The group has conducted polls and focus groups and is now raising money for its anti-Bush effort. It gave a Power Point presentation to representatives of about 30 liberal and labor organizations last week.

It plans to announce the campaign at a press conference Thursday afternoon during a forum featuring liberal critics of the administration. It also aims to air its first ad in advance of Bush's State of the Union speech on Monday.

Woodhouse said one goal is to make sure Bush does not enjoy a resurgence in public approval toward the end of his presidency that could help Republican congressional candidates and the Republican presidential nominee in this year's elections.

"Framing his legacy helps us in the '08 elections, there is no doubt about that," Woodhouse said. "But our principal mission would be defining the failures of Bush and the ideology he represents."

Bush's approval ratings are at 34 percent, according to a poll this month by The Associated Press and Ipsos. Republican presidential candidates are hardly embracing Bush, except to support his policy in Iraq, and many are echoing calls from Democrats for change in Washington.

Looking to test Bush support within the GOP, Americans United is distributing "I am a Bush Republican" buttons to Republican members of Congress before the State of the Union address. Woodhouse also plans to unveil a bus that will travel the country carrying an exhibit that portrays Bush's tenure in office — mementos from Iraq and flood ravaged New Orleans as well as symbols of the economic downturn.

The Republican National Committee dismissed the effort. "Why would liberals want to spend good money re-fighting the battles they lost yesterday?" RNC spokesman Alex Conant said. "Those backward-looking tactics didn't work in 2000 and 2004, and they won't work now. The 2008 election will be about the future and which candidate is best able to lead during a time of war and economic challenge."

Bush's approval ratings have been at the same low levels for more than a year. And just when violence in Iraq began to decline, the troubled economy surged to the top of people's worries.

But an anti-Bush campaign, even one costing several million dollars, will likely be overshadowed by the presidential campaign. Most analysts expect hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent by the candidates and by outside groups this year.

Americans United is a 501(c)4 organization under Internal Revenue Service regulations. That means it can raise money in unlimited amounts and because its target is Bush, not a candidate for federal office, it is not governed by the Federal Election Commission.

Yes indeed, this truly is "progressive" ... campaigning against someone who isn't running in an effort to secure a win for their candidate. Absolutely boggles the mind how ANYONE can consider this as a positive effort to facilitate change in Washington.....

You don't seem to mind that your party did the same thing eight years ago...

For the record, I am against ANY negative campaigning.

By the way, I didn't even realize that Bush and his cronies were planning to run in Canada. I mean, why else would the Liberals be planning any sort of campaign against him?

He'd be cavity searched at the border with a pair of ice tongs.

If that is the case, protest against both parties, and not just the liberals.

Duh.... isn't that what the emphasis on the word ANY does?

Let's see, liberals, and only liberals (nevermind the fact that liberals isn't a political party) mentioned in subject title. In the original post, only liberals are mentioned. Not the slightest hint of how the Republicans are also responsible of doing this.

the intent of this thread is to solicit comments from people who are disgruntled as a whole...etc.....stop whining about conservatives

I am disgruntled about politicians as a whole I am finally seeing the 'bad" Clintons' but I have to agree with another pooster why is Bush and liberal in the thread title? Bush is done for his term and so is the Republican party such as it is now.

I agree with other posters this is thinly veiled shot at ooposing (democratic ,liberal) views . I especially enjoy not all democats are libruls but all libruls are democrats.

How about "How Cheney shoots GOP in face" or ''Dubya determined to defeat democRATS"As Goopers say you lost get over it"

Liberal group doesn't need to advertise Bush's failures.He does that every time he talks to any media.

The intent of the thread is to solicit comments from people who are disgruntled as a whole about the lack of positive direction of politicians