The buck stops here, right, right, right

"In my administration, we will ask not only what is legal but what is right, not just what the lawyers allow but what the public deserves," Bush said Oct. 26, 2000.

In June 2004, Bush said he stood by his pledge to "fire anybody" in his administration shown to have leaked Valerie Plame's name. His press secretary, after checking with Libby and Karl, assured the public that neither man had anything to do with the leak.

It turns out they both were involved, though Rove has not been charged and neither man has been charged with breaking the law against revealing the identity of an undercover agent.

The president's own supporters call that a Clintonesque distinction that violates the spirit of Bush's pledge from 2000. Some say Bush should publicly chastise Libby and Rove while insisting on a public accounting of Cheney's role.

A White House official privately put it this way: Bush has to step up somehow and be accountable.

These allies said they would only speak on condition of anonymity because they did not want to be viewed as disloyal.

Responding to the friendly fire, White House communications director Nicolle Wallace said, "As he did in a major speech today about the avian flu, the president is going to continue to speak with clarity and conviction in that straight-talking manner (he's known for) about the risks ahead."

The public's loss of faith in Bush goes back many months to the early weeks of the Iraq war, when nearly two-thirds of Americans found him trustworthy. Less than half felt that way in October, according to the Pew Research Center.

One issue is the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, Bush's chief rationale for overthrowing
Saddam Hussein. Rather than admit a mistake, Bush emphasized other reasons for war.

The president's credibility and competency took another hit when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. The sluggish relief effort left some wondering whether a government that failed to provide food and water to refugees could protect them from terrorism.

Bush accepted responsibility, but the belated and reluctant nature of his mea culpa did not go over well with Americans who like their leaders to be buck-stops-here accountable.

"I think it's hard for the president to admit mistakes," said Chris DePino, former chairman of the Connecticut GOP. "It would be better if he did."

The percentage of people who call Bush a strong leader has dropped more than 15 points since September 2003.

I did not write this.