Here's why it is so important to have Repubs defecting against Bush and his insane Iraq policy

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/215566,CST-NWS-iraq18.article

Republicans fight Iraq surge

White House scrambles to squelch rebellion

January 18, 2007
BY ANNE FLAHERTY

WASHINGTON -- A Senate resolution opposing President Bush's war plan on Iraq put the White House and Republican leaders on the defensive Wednesday as they scurried to prevent a trickle of GOP support for the measure from swelling into a deluge.

Eager to avoid an embarrassing congressional rebuke of the president's new war strategy, the administration seemed to hint that the effort -- led chiefly by Democrats -- might somehow be of assistance to terrorists.

''What message does Congress intend to give?'' asked White House spokesman Tony Snow. ''And who does it think the audience is? Is the audience merely the president? Is it the voting American public or, in an age of instant communication, is it also al-Qaida?'' snip

Hagel stood alongside Democrats in a press conference vowing to ''do everything I can to stop the president's policy,'' adding, ''I think it is dangerously irresponsible.''

[Kagemusha]

1. You mean bad press headlines?

Oh they're nice, no question, but it'd be helpful to have real substance behind it too.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Here's a broader view of potential future problems for the WH and *:

1. Lost republican support in the House and the Senate for escalating the military occupation of Iraq (not calling it a "war" anymore). The media and the country are listening to Congress, not the WH.

2. * and the WH go and surge ahead without Congress and the Senate.

3. Consequence: The public is increasingly angry. Can't strike out directly at the WH, so replublicans in office and candidates lose more support, that is, money. Democrats gain the power that the republicans are losing.

4. Fast forward. The RNC, seeing the writing on the wall for 2008, has to make a choice: stick with a miserable failure in the WH who will be gone is less than 24 months or try to regain lost ground as they can't have both any longer. RNC tells republicans to be more vociferous in their criticism of *, maybe, just maybe, republicans are using the "I" word.

Bottom Line: * no longer has the protection and immunity against screwing up. He won't be spanked by the democrats. It will come from his own party. Sort of the way Joe McCarthy self-destructed by the vacuum of support he once enjoyed.

[Vinca]

3. IMHO, the rats are going overboard in preparation for the 2008 elections. nt