There Go The Damned Liberal Media Reporting On Unhappy Republicans

From the hardly-liberal USA Today. That was quick:

Afterglow fading on Bush's PR coup in Iraq

WASHINGTON — A triumphant trip to Baghdad doesn't guarantee President Bush soaring poll ratings, the permanent defanging of his opponents or an end to his problems.

Bush's stealthy visit to spend Thanksgiving with U.S. troops generated front-page headlines and positive reviews. Even Democrats running for their party's presidential nomination praised him. "I thought it was terrific," Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry said.

But by Sunday, the afterglow had started to fade. The news from Iraq was grim. Two U.S. soldiers were killed. A total of 79 Americans died in combat in Iraq in November, making it the bloodiest month of the war. Criticism resumed.

Bush's visit highlighted his concern for troops there. But his quick, secret trip to Baghdad's airport also underscored the lack of security. "Iraq is very unsafe, very insecure," Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN on Sunday.

[S]ome Republicans worried that the 10-year, $400 billion Medicare bill was a betrayal of their party's traditional commitment to fiscal discipline. "Congress is now spending money like a drunken sailor," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told Fox. Nine Republicans voted against the legislation, including McCain.