WASHINGTON -- When George H.W. Bush was U.S. president, George W. Bush considered himself a disciplinarian, protecting his dad from sniping from the right. He worried about the weakening of his father's political position as his support from conservative Republicans eroded.
Now there seems to be evidence that he is now facing the same situation. The problem has been simmering for months, at least since last fall when the civil libertarian elements in the conservative movement took umbrage at the carelessness that the Justice Department was using in attacking terrorism in the wake of 9/11.
But the demands Bush made of Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seemed to be the dam-breaker. The conservatives are getting very uneasy about this presidency. The criticism from the right represents a new phenomenon for Bush who, during his campaign and first year in office, made special efforts to cultivate conservatives on issues such as tax cuts and stem cell research and with nominations such as John D. Ashcroft, a favorite of Christian activists, for U.S. attorney general.