Thom Hartmann: The Republican Plan For 2008 Begins Today

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/29/1500/

The Republican Plan For 2008 Begins Today
by Thom Hartmann

It’s difficult to watch Democrats play checkers while Republicans play Chess with Iraq. It’s particularly difficult on Memorial Day as more Americans and Iraqis die. But the Republican Party has been playing politics with Iraq since the day after the Supreme Court installed George W. Bush in office in 2001, and they have no intention of stopping now. They may have borrowed some techniques from Richard Nixon, but they have no intention of repeating his mistakes.

The political calculus being pursued by Karl Rove and the Republican Party with regard to Iraq and the 2008 elections is a simple four-step process:

1. Shift “ownership” of the downside of the “war” and occupation of Iraq to the Democrats.

2. Begin to wind down American involvement in the occupation of Iraq no later than mid-2008.

3. “Claim victory and get out” of direct combat in Iraq by the early fall of 2008.

4. Win big in the 2008 elections by having “won” a “war.”

Step one was accomplished last week, when Republicans - particularly those most visible in our corporate “mainstream” media - played up hugely how “Democrats” in the House and Senate had “caved in” to George W. Bush’s demand for a “free hand” in Iraq. Bush, of course, is not up for re-election, so it’s no problem for him to take the short-term heat for the ongoing death and destruction in Iraq. With $500 million budgeted to re-write history after he leaves office (the so-called “Bush Library” and “think tank” associated with it), Bush has plenty of time to rehabilitate his legacy, much as Reagan’s handlers have so deftly done.

With the Democrats “giving the President what he wanted” on Iraq, the average person in our nation now thinks Democrats and Bush are jointly responsible for the current “mess” in Iraq.

Step two was initiated a few weeks ago with diplomatic initiatives by Condoleeza Rice to Iran and Syria. At Bush’s news conference about the passage of the Iraq funding bill, he all but laid out this strategy, in citing the Baker/Hamilton Commission, which recommended pulling Iran and Syria (and other nations in the region) into the process of stabilizing Iraq, and redeploying American forces to “safe” places like the Green Zone, the huge military cities (”bases”) we’re building there, and to nearby countries like Kuwait. A day later, the Bush Administration quietly announced that they were dropping funding for covert destabilization programs against Iran and Syria, and initiating talks with Iran “about Iraq.”

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[Demeter]

1. These Bozos Can't Organize Themselves Out of A Paper Bag

without Democratic assistance. Our job is to ensure that they don't get any more. Ever. For anything.

[quiet.american]

2. How? n/t

[Demeter]

4. Scientific Method--Trial and Error

coupled with legal method--trial and sentencing

Seriously, I don't see any successful Democratic strategists out there, except for Dr. Dean. I'm following his lead.

[IndyOp]

3. Exactly. The Dems MUST END THE OCCUPATION NOW. (n/t)

[CRH]

5. Hartmann is right, the democrats are squandering their mandate, ...

by allowing Bush to frame the war, allowing Bush to frame the timing of re-deployment, and allowing Bush the appearance of finding the best solution out of this war. By election time Bush will rightly claim Iraq was a war of bi-partisan decision, and will claim the victory of his administration of this war, regardless of the civil war left behind.

Not a single person in his administration will see a day in prison for any of the many crimes, and no one scandal will stick in the minds of the American people.

We will vote in our next election still counting electrons, not paper ballots.

The 911 farce or anthrax will never find closure.

The Patriot Act I and II, and the concept of the unitary President will be given the legitimacy with precedence.

Preemptive war, doctoring intelligence, ignoring Geneva Conventions, ignoring the United Nations, defiling treaties, torture, and repeal of habeas corpus will have the accepted legitimacy of past practice.

The posse commitus act and domestic spying by privatized government contractors, will have not been challenged.

The regulatory riot will have unshackled environmental and fiscal abuse, unphased by democrat objection.

The solvency of the government will be threatened with record triple deficits, while the republicans can rightly point out, these measures had bi-partisan support.

Free trade agreements will have been fast tracted, with democrat approval.

The democrats will have been framed into their true role, of ineffectiveness.

Now, after having sounded off on many of these issues, but after having changed nothing; If you are a swing voter or independent, would you rather vote for a less rabid but strong republican, or a flip flopping weak willed, ineffective democrat?

This coming election should not even be close, but now it is, ... very close.

[GreenTea]

6. Hartmann, unfortunately, is right on the money...The greedy, power mad republicans will NOT give up

power in the executive branch...Bush just signed order making him dictator "Bush Declares Self 'Mega Decider, New documents ensure Dubya will rule America, should calamity strike. Free balloons!" http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/morford/

Not to mention the republicans are hard at work to ensure they can continue to manipulate the 2008 vote.
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