LaHood: Bush ‘Surprised,’ ‘Sobered’ Over GOP Frustration About Iraq

Ray LaHood is a popular moderate R from Peoria who seems to speak his mind. It's hard to imagine his seat would be in danger, but it doesn't surprise me that he would be one of the 'Come to Jesus 11'.

Think Progress has a good post on LaHood's appearance this morning on CNN, complete with the relevant transcript.

I think it's safe to say, Has LaHood implies, that no one has ever spoken to Bush the way he was spoken to yesterday.

It would be interesting to know the full background of this meeting, whose idea it was, who at the WH set it up, or even if the idea originated in the WH.

Here is a taste of the Think Progress report:

This morning on CNN, Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) — one of 11 Republican members to have recently visited the White House and plead with President Bush to change course in Iraq — described the meeting as “unvarnished, about as frank and honest as I have ever been to at the White House.” Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) told Bush at the meeting that the president’s approval rating was at 5 percent in one section of his northern Virginia district.

LaHood further added that Bush was taken aback by the concerns expressed by the congressional delegation. “He listened very carefully. I think he was a little — I don’t know if surprised is the right word, probably maybe sobered,” LaHood said. “The fact is that, I don’t know if he’s gotten that kind of opinion before in such a frank and no holds barred way but he was very sober about it and he listened very intently.” Watch it: