Regretting The 'schmooze' Deficit

It can often be the little things like invitations to dinner parties that can make the difference in politics, and now several former Bush aides fear that the president's aversion to socializing is one of the root causes of his troubles with the Democrats and media today.

"We blew it," said one former top aide. "We didn't schmooze with the right people, didn't accept the occasional invitation to [Washington Post executive] Ben Bradlee's and Sally Quinn's Georgetown home, didn't have enough members here for dinner. And we didn't have enough people playing the press," said the aide. Another explained that while the president had planned early in his administration to do more socializing, the 9/11 attacks nixed those.

Officials said that it would have looked bad if the president were holding cocktail parties or dinners or even going out to dinner after the attacks or early in the war. But now officials are questioning that strategy, because in the current climate Bush has found few friends or goodwill to call on.

"I think we could have had some quiet evenings in the White House, really, with key members. I don't think that would have looked bad," said another official. A third suggested that the president should have followed the early model of Vice President Dick Cheney, who'd have policy dinners that would include lawmakers, authors, influence makers, and media.

"I think it's too late for that now, considering the battles on the Hill," said the former Bush aide.

By Paul Bedard