WASHINGTON -- It cannot be easy these days to be selling the White House story line. Chickens are coming home to roost from every direction. Ever since President George W. Bush went on his working vacation to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, his carefully constructed houses of cards in economic and world affairs have started coming unglued.
Even Vice President Dick Cheney had a tough time wheedling his way through an hour on last Sunday's Meet the Press television show. He was as well briefed and as articulate as anybody can be, but still had to resort to memory failure on a number of occasions when questioned on projections that have gone astray. Things simply have not worked out the way this administration had planned in a number of important areas. For example, Cheney was challenged by his previous statements on:
* The deficit, which is setting new records monthly.