Bad luck dogs George Bush

GEORGE Bush stunned his wife Laura and the members of the Waco Midway Little League Softball World Series championship team when he dropped his dog, Barney.

However, the American President quickly scooped up the uninjured animal after its fall on to the tarmac at the TSTC Airfield in Waco yesterday.

Bush’s political career seems to be on a downward slide of its own, with an ailing economy and unrest in the Middle East threatening the President’s re-election prospects.

He still remains a relatively popular leader, according to office-holders and activists in both parties who took stock of the 2004 race at the traditional Labor Day break.

But with Democrat Howard Dean being catapulted to the head of the Democratic presidential field, he may have a fight on his hands.

Experts said they expect the Democratic primary fight to turn nasty as eight rivals try to halt Dean’s rise. Some worry that none of the contenders can stop Dean’s anti-establishment candidacy, prompting speculation that high-profile alternatives may join the race.

Waring Howe Jr, a prominent South Carolina Democrat, said: "He appeals to your heart and the part of you that is angry with the Bush administration."