PRESIDENT BUSH IS NEWLY COMBATIVE, THANK THE LORD

Among heartening developments recently, surely the newly combative posture of President George Bush toward his opponents has to be counted the most encouraging. Recently, on issue after issue, Bush has come out swinging. In so doing, he awakens his natural constituency, sharpens the differences between himself and his tormenters, and positions himself well for next year's reelection campaign.

Saddam Hussein and his army, the world's fourth largest, were among the first to feel the heat from the man derided as a "wimp" not long ago. But now a new, Ungentler George is emerging even on domestic issues.

This week, faced with charges of using racist tactics from the House Majority Leader, Missouri's Richard Gephardt, an indignant President Bush practically exploded. Addressing a Washington meeting of the National Federation of Independent Business, the President departed from his prepared remarks and uncharacteristically pounded on the podium for emphasis.

"Let me talk from the heart here. The Beltway interest groups and their spokespersons want me to accept ... a quota bill ... They want to grind me into the dust!" he exclaimed to the small business group. "And we have a good record on civil rights, and we had a good history of fair play!"

The crowd composed of small business employers loved it.

This is not Doormat George Bush of one year ago, the one who seemed resigned to running a coalition government with George Mitchell and Richard Gephardt. After the Persian Gulf, this is a newly confident President who tried compromise with Congress last year on the budget, and has watched them merrily tear apart that "solemn agreement."

Bad as it was, last year's budget agreement with Congress cleared the decks. It's given way to a newer, tougher President this year. He's come more than half way. Get ready for a string of vetos.

"This is a man who's taken great risks and been proven right," says Rep. Newt Gingrich, the House Minority Leader.

I recently read the comments of a man who was a teammate of the President's on the baseball team at Yale. The old teammate had been interviewed during Bush's 1988 campaign for the presidency. Recall that this was when Newsweek put the "Wimp Factor" on its cover, and this "issue" (we were assured by many pundits) was going to send Michael Dukakis to the White House.

"I cannot understand why they call him a `wimp'" said this old college teammate of the President. "He was absolutely the most determined guy on the ball team. Back then we called him `Bulldog' for his determination."