Two WaPo biggies write on Karl Rove and the 2006 elections. Now that he is cleared in the CIA case, will he be able to salvage his reputation, and the well-being of the GOP? That sort of thing. File it for later use. Just thinking "rolling realignment" and try to figure out if this is rocket science for Rove. And, by the way, how come 42 Dems voted with the GOP in Iraq yesterday if the Dems are so sure that eeveryone is against Bush’s Iraq policy, and therefore they will win back the House? Fred Barnes says Karl Rove laughs last.
The Dems are divided on Iraq. There are still some sane Democrats.
Yeah . . . the ones who are sticking to their principles instead of simply trying to be reelected. It took some balls to vote against a resolution that would make it look like you didn’t support the war on terror if you didn’t support the war in Iraq . . .
Grr . . . here’s a link to the text that’s not temporary . . .
Here
...the ones who are sticking to their principles instead of simply trying to be reelected....
So cutters and runners voted against their principles. And who are they trying to fool by these votes not to cut and run? Their own democrat constituencies who would vote them out of office if they told their constituencies the truth? Or Republicans, who wouldn’t vote for them in any event?
Well, if Rove gets the last laugh then it won’t be because of stellar performance. If the GOP comes out on top in 2006 it won’t be due to party loyalty or reward for faithfulness, but rather because of the utter tone-deafness and rudderlessness of the Dems. We are facing the lowest contrast election in my memory. Great, just great.
Uncle Guido,
Come on! You and I both know that this bill is almost completely political and is focused on forcing Democrats to take stands that middle-of-the-road moderates and independents don’t like (just like the recent bill on gay marriage and the upcoming one on flag burning). The Republicans are going to use it to make Democrats look as though they don’t support a "war on terror" when some of them do but, at the same time, think the war in Iraq is a mess, unnecessary, and/or too costly.
Please don’t pretend that the Democrats voting one way or another was any more of a political move than the Republicans putting the bill forward a few months before the November mid-term elections . . .
Yes, this vote was political, like all votes in Congress.