MEDIA REACTION; THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION; 05/09/07; BUENOS

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000899 SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION; 05/09/07; BUENOS AIRES ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Today's daily-of-record "La Nacion" carries an opinion piece on an alleged 'exodus' in the Bush administration, with some members moving to the private sector. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS - "Some members of the Bush administration start to flee" Hugo Alconada Mon, Washington-based correspondent for daily-of-record "La Nacion," penned (05/09) "At least six months before what is usual, key high-ranking members of the Bush administration have started to give hurrahs. They will be moving to the private sector, or even more drastic, to ostracism, which has seriously affected the US national security staff. "Additionally, the premature wave of withdrawals, only 20 months away from George W. Bush's departure from the White House, was also combined with another antique tradition all over the world - when something is wrong, blame it on someone else, and even more if it comes down to Iraq. "... According to Paul Light, professor of Public Service at the University of New York, 'whenever a president comes close to his end, emigration of members is usual, but in this case, we are talking about 'a high number (of government officials)'. 'It is too soon to see this kind of mass exodus.' "Bush's weakness speeds up the exodus - according to an Ipsos opinion survey, 6 out of every 10 Americans believe Iraq is a lost cause. The occupation of Iraq is 'radioactive' in the US, and this encourages a 'blaming game.'" To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires MATERA