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Monday, April 30, 2007
Rich Galen :: Townhall.com Columnist
A strategic trap
by Rich Galen
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Again, from The New Republic piece, in March, Reid had to send a supplemental bill to the Senate floor which was much less restrictive than the House version "to keep centrist Democrats like Ben Nelson (D-Neb) on board."

The problem for the Democrats is what we've been trying to tell them since this Congress opened for business: It's easy to be in the minority - all you have to do is say "No." When you are in the majority you have to actually cobble together legislation which (a) will pass the House (b) will pass the Senate and (c) will be signed by the President.

Harry Reid's ratcheting up his rhetoric is likely to further inflame the anti-war Left who will not be mollified by anything short of a total cut-off of funds for any purpose other than buying gas to get the Humvees out of the Iraqi desert.

In essence, they want to know why Harry Reid isn't putting his mouth where his money is.

Look for the anti-war types to up the ante against Democrats who are not toeing the out-of-Iraq line. That will force more Democrats - like those running for President - to slide farther over toward the "Declare Defeat and Leave" crowd.

That may satisfy the Coastal Democrats - those who live in New York and Massachusetts on the East Coast and San Francisco and LA on the West - but it will not sit well with those Democrats in places like Southern Ohio and Central Missouri who may not like the way this war has gone; but don't like America being called "a loser" by their elected officials.

In a fifty-fifty country, if the Democrats - again - become seen as the party of defeat, that might will tip the scales in favor of the Republican candidate for President in 2008.

The Iraq strategy being followed by the Congressional Democrats may well be a strategic trap of their own making.

On a the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Links to the House and Senate web pages on the vote for the Iraq funding bill; the National Review article, and the Sidebar on Conference Reports. Also a Mullfoto and a Catchy Caption of the Day honoring the memory of Star Trek's Mr. Scott.

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About The Author

Rich Galen has been a press secretary to Dan Quayle and Newt Gingrich. Rich Galen currently works as a journalist and writes at Mullings.com

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Reply # 1
Date: May 1, 2007 - 9:16 PM EST
Actually
The Neo-Con agenda has botched things so badly on every front there won't be another Republican President, not in 2008, nor ever. My moderate and a few hard line conservative Republican friends are wavering, not wanting to be one of the stooges anymore. I can't believe one of my most conservative friends confided to me in person that the more time passes it becomes more and more glaringly apparent that the Left was more right all along. They're not going pro-choice or anything nuts like that, but they are simply dumfounded by the utter hypocracy and incompetance.
The strategy that was supposed to make everyone hate big(or any government for that matter) government and politicians not only continues to backfire, but is picking off it's most loyal supporters one by one, like a gun that fires backwards but misses the firer.
Political attrition of the neo-cons has become such an artform it can be no nonger described as attrition, it's become a slaughter. Now, it's only a matter of time before the grand admission is made "Great people of America I have no strategy and now I have no army"
The rise and fall of the neo-cons ends with political equivalent of Pickett's Charge. Bush's Surge will cause the breakup of the weak conferation of fiscals, socials and moderates. The downfall of the GOP is at hand and there is a way out, but it's not a neo-con way.
Anyone who says otherwise mind as well be trumpeting "O'SOLO MIO" through every sphincter they have.
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Reply # 2
Date: May 1, 2007 - 7:00 PM EST
JPK,
you say,
"Reid and Pelosi are privvy to the same Intel that the President gets vis-a-vis Iraq."

ALL intelligence is filtered by Darth Cheney before any Democrats get to see it. If such weren't the case, how could Bush have "lied" about what the intelligence said?
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