Democrats have no plan for keeping America safe, or winning the war against
the fanatics. They have opposed most of the Bush administration's domestic
surveillance methods. They have opposed aggressive interrogation tactics
designed to get information to protect us, including opposition to the
detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where detainees are treated better
than they could expect if they were detained in their homelands.
This election isn't about House pages; it's about survival. In his new book,
"America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It," columnist Mark Steyn
states this irrefutable fact about the importance of winning in Iraq: "Being
seen not to run - or, if you prefer, being seen to show Œresolve' - should
be the indispensable objective of U.S. foreign policy. Were these colors to
run from Iraq, it would be the end of the American era - for why would
Russia, China, or even Belgium ever again take seriously a superpower that
runs screaming for home at the first pinprick."
For all of their promises to do a better job of fighting this war, Democrats
have no plan, other than retreat. That is the plan the terrorists have for
us. Retreat is not in their playbook. The terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere
don't speak of timetables for withdrawal or bringing their fighters home in
time for Ramadan. They're in it for the long haul. They believe we are not.
A victory by Democrats next month will validate their view and encourage
them to fight harder.
Republicans have been far from perfect in this war. They have barely
approached mediocrity in their handling of domestic issues. But to change
horses and leaders mid-war is a prescription for a longer engagement,
because this is a confrontation that will end only in victory or defeat for
one side or the other. That's why the Republicans need to keep their
majority and conservatives need to keep the pressure on them to get back to
the original GOP principles that brought them that majority. That's a better
strategy than Republicans acting like Democrat-lite.