A LITTLE MORE CRUMBLING

Karl "The Architect" Rove's plan for decades of GOP dominance took another blow from GOP House members on Tuesday when they met with Pres. Fredo to talk about Iraq.

Bush Told War Is Harming The GOP
A Warning on Eve Of Vote on New Bill
By Shailagh Murray and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, May 10, 2007; Page A01

House Republican moderates, in a remarkably blunt White House meeting, warned President Bush this week that his pursuit of the war in Iraq is risking the future of the Republican Party and that he cannot count on GOP support for many more months.

The meeting, organized by Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.), one of the co-chairs of the moderate "Tuesday Group," included Reps. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), Michael N. Castle (Del.), Todd R. Platts (Pa.), Jim Ramstad (Minn.) and Jo Ann Emerson (Mo.).

Davis said that administration officials convinced him there are contingency plans, but that the president declined to offer details, saying that if he announced his backup plan, the world would shift its focus to that contingency, leaving the current strategy no time to succeed.

Davis, a former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, also presented Bush dismal polling figures to dramatize just how perilous the party's position is, participants said. Davis would not disclose details, saying the exchange was private. Others warned Bush that his personal credibility on the war is all but gone.

More from Rep. Davis:

Davis told CBS Radio affiliate WTOP, "Members are saying, you know, 'My constituents don’t care if we lose this war, they want out of this at this point,' and just giving him the public mood."