Opinion (Paul Krugman): Bush's fantasy world

In a coordinated public relations offensive, the White House is using reliably friendly pundits - amazingly, they still exist - to put out the word that President Bush is as upbeat and confident as ever. It might even be true.

What I don't understand is why we're supposed to consider Bush's continuing confidence a good thing.

Remember, Bush was confident six years ago when he promised to bring in Osama, dead or alive. He was confident four years ago, when he told the insurgents to bring it on. He was confident two years ago, when he told Brownie that he was doing a heckuva job.

Now Iraq is a bloody quagmire, Afghanistan is deteriorating and the Bush administration's own National Intelligence Estimate admits, in effect, that thanks to Bush's poor leadership America is losing the struggle with Al-Qaida. Yet Bush remains confident.

Sorry, but that's not reassuring: It's terrifying. It doesn't demonstrate Bush's strength of character; it shows he has lost touch with reality.

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