Forget the Foley Scandal. Hit Them Where It Hurts [View All]

[Tom Rinaldo]

I'm not saying that the Foley scandal doesn't hurt the Republicans, and I'm not saying that the American public will or should forget the Foley Scandal, but it's time for Democrats to shift gears. The media has Foley gripped in their Pit Bull teeth and nothing is going to tear a ratings boosting story away from them before they milk it for every Nielson point. Foley will continue to generate headlines, which will continue to hurt the Republican Party with their values voter base. Democrats should monitor the story to keep Republicans from slithering out from under it with lies, but let the media lead, because Democrats are free to go for the Republican throat now. "Keeping Americans safe" is the Republican line of defense for holding the Hill in November, so that is where Democrats should attack, to throw them off balance, and off of their pre-scripted message. Let the media tie up Republicans with Foley, and while they do, Democrats can rightfully steal the Republican trademark issue right out from under them

If anyone had a shred of doubt about how Republicans planned to minimize their losses this November, ABC's "The Path to 9/11" should have laid that to rest. A sudden time warp engulfed our nation, and judging from the carefully choreographed and coordinated series of attacks Republicans revved up with it, Bill Clinton was on the ballot again. This election was always meant to be about Democrats being weak, and Republicans strong, that's why they smeared Clinton once again. Obscene as it seems to us, Republicans planned to campaign ON illegal wiretaps this Fall, and they planned to campaign ON torture, though of course they will never use those labels. According to them, all of that is just part of keeping Americans safe, and anyone who has qualms is a terrorist coddler, someone more interested in protecting terrorists than protecting America. That was their game plan. That is their play book. NOW is the time to rip it away from them.

Democrats running for Congress can hammer Republicans for making America less safe: by not putting the needed resources into true domestic security, by over extending and depleting our military, by neglecting our traditional alliances, by inflaming passions against the United States throughout the Islamic world, by increasing Al Quada recruitment, by providing Al Quada with the perfect training ground for a new generation of terrorists, BY BOGGING US DOWN IN IRAQ! The Iraq connection is key, always the linkage to Iraq, because Republicans no longer want to talk about Iraq.

That's why they accept, even embrace, a debate about illegal wiretapping, about the indefinite detention of those accused of being terrorists, and about the illegal torture of detainees. It's the 21st Century version of the Republican "tough on crime" message. Don't want to run afoul of the law? Then don't associate with the wrong people. Americans who don't associate with terrorists have nothing to fear from Bush's War on Terror, your phone won't get wiretapped, you won't be indefinitely "detained", only "terrorists" need worry. You got a problem with that? According to Republicans, then Bin Ladin supports you. Come the final ten days of this Fall campaign, watch for that theme in countless Bush and Cheney speeches, in countess Republican media ads, in countless Republican mailers, and from countless Republican shill talking heads and columnists.

But Democrats have the perfect opportunity now to head them off at that pass, to cut them off at the knees. Strike first and hard now while Republicans are back on their heels over Foley, and stay on our message. We don't have to win the public debate on this to win the Elections in November, we just have to hold our own, to muddy the clarity of the intended Republican message with our counter message. If we can fight them to a draw on their chosen issue, Democrats win going away. Want to sleep safe in your beds at night, we should say, then throw the inept Republicans bums out. They were wrong about Iraq, they are wrong on fighting terror. We are less safe today than we were on September 12th 2003. On September 12th America was unified, on September 12th the sympathy of the world was with us, on September 12th our military was strong and recruitment for it was up, and Americans faced the coming conflict in Afghanistan with determination and a common purpose.

Democrats were handed all the ammunition that we need in the National Intelligence estimates. The threat to America from terrorists is greater now because of Bush's war in Iraq. It's time for Democrats to open fire on this Administration with that finding and not let up until November 9th, when America will wake up to new Democratic leadership.