WP: Tribunal Dispute Could Ruin GOP Election Strategy

[DeepModem Mom]

Tribunal Dispute Could Ruin GOP Strategy
Bush-McCain Standoff Over Terrorism Trials Overshadows Electoral Battle
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 17, 2006; Page A05


GOP Sens. John W. Warner (Va.), left, and John McCain (Ariz.) say President Bush's military tribunal plan for terrorism suspects violates basic principles of American fairness and would endanger U.S. troops. (By Chip Somodevilla -- Getty Images)

Congressional Republicans had carefully orchestrated the finale of the legislative year to be a showdown with Democrats over which party is best equipped to keep the country safe, a handpicked fight on traditional Republican turf.

But the high-stakes standoff between President Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) over military tribunals could ruin that legislative strategy, political analysts and strategists say. Instead of fighting Democrats, Republicans find themselves in the middle of an intraparty struggle between an embattled president and two of the most respected figures in their party, McCain and his ally on the issue, former secretary of state Colin L. Powell.

"Purely from a strategic point of view, this is another mess," said Stuart Rothenberg, a political analyst and editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. "Every time Republicans think they have an issue to unite them and divide the Democrats, the Republicans end up spending most of the time fighting among themselves."

Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio agreed: "If the goal of this process was to show stark differences between Republicans and Democrats, what is being portrayed is stark differences between George Bush and some Republicans. From that standpoint, you aren't hitting the message mark."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/16/AR2006091600650.html

[Pirate Smile]

1. Boehner had the RW talking point down - "Dems are more interested in

protecting the terrorists than protecting the American People".

McCain, Warner and Graham have screwed that up.

We were going to be listening to that mantra "Dems are more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American People" all the way up to election day.

Somebody didn't get their memo.


edit to add the exact quote - '"I wonder if they are more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American people," said House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "They certainly do not want to take the terrorists on and defeat them." '

That was the bludgeon they had planned to use. Oh, well, tough luck.

[K8-EEE]

2. This Is Great....

They didn't count on any of them having even the teeny, tiniest shred of human decency.

[aquart]

3. I'm not betting on it even now.

Maybe a few of the better educated ones remember what happens to legislatures when a dictator seizes full power: bullets and disappearances and secret prisons not for terrorists, but them.

It only takes a few series of show trials and executions before the dictator starts killing whoever doesn't jump high enough or fast enough.

Maybe one or two have figured that out.

[calimary]

5. That, and the fact that at least one of these "rogue" republi-CONS

knows what it's like NOT ONLY to see combat but to be on the receiving end of torture. And one of the other "rogues" is one of those who saw the Pentagon photos/videos that the rest of us aren't allowed to see from American operatives torturing Iraqi prisoners. Lindsey Graham said they made him sick.

[bluestateguy]

4. Something is not right with this whole GOP "feud".

It seems fake, or like some kind of a setup, which will somehow end up being the mean old liberals' fault, right around late October.

I smell a rat.

[dicknbush]

6. I agree...

I think it is some sort of set up with a tinge off honesty but I am afraid that in the end Bush will get some sort of compromise that will allow him to do signing moment where he says that they are doing their best to defend the country from the bookie man and all that crap. The Repubs who are standing in the way at the moment are being pressed hard you can count on that. Espcially McCain relative to his Presidentail plans. Hey John get on board or you may not get our support come 2008! I predict they will fold and bush gets to have his ITS PEACE IN OUR TIME .....paper moment! Count on it!

[struggle4progress]

8. It's the GOP hedge against the R = W attack, which Dems should be using

but have apparently decided not to push much

[Pirate Smile]

7. kick