Ending A Monopoly or Damage Control?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6071101459.html

A few weeks ago someone on TV made a comment that Bush had always been concerned about the enviroment and I thought to myself: Since when? Emission standards have been lowered. Drilling in Anwar. Industry standards on coal pollution were relaxed. I put it down to a campaign to soften Bush's image so as not to have such a negative effect on elections this fall.

Now the military contracts with Halliburton are going to be rebid, their monopoly on US paid jobs ending. (Hopefully) While this is a good thing it also takes an issue away from democrats. If Halliburton were an issue in any debate now the comment can be made: Yeah, that was wrong and we fixed it.

The cynical part of me sees this as damage control intent on changing the direction of the approval ratings and minimizing the negative effect Bush would have on republican congressional races.