Republican War Party Prepares to Campaign on More War (and 9-11)

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EXCLUSIVE: Majority Leader Boehner’s Confidential Strategy Memo For Thursday’s Iraq Debate

On Thursday, the House of Representatives will hold a debate on the Iraq war. Media reports say Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) “hopes to match the serious, dignified tone of deliberation that preceded the Gulf war, in 1991.”

ThinkProgress has obtained a “Confidential Messaging Memo” from Boehner instructing his caucus to conduct a very different kind of deliberation. Here’s a quick summary:

1. Exploit 9/11. The two page memo mentions 9/11 seven times. It describes debating Iraq in the context of 9/11 as “imperative.”

2. Attack opponents ad hominem. The memo describes those who opposes President Bush’s policies in Iraq as “sheepish,” “weak,” and “prone to waver endlessly.”

3. Create a false choice. The memo says the decision is between supporting President Bush’s policies and hoping terrorist threats will “fade away on their own.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/14/boehner-memo/

You can read the confidential memo for yourself HERE: http://www.thinkprogress.org/confidential-boehner-memo

[Joanne98]

1. 9/11 as “imperative....... Surprise, surprise....

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2. front-load the debate with fear

[Joanne98]

4. The terra is already upon us.... SCREAMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

[enid602]

3. " match serious, dignified tone of deliberation that preceded "

Compare the prices of the two conflicts both in terms of lives and treasure.

[BeFree]

5. WarPublicans on the path

Statesmanship becomes null and void when the WarPublicans enter the room.

It is a new day in America when falsehoods are conspired ahead of time before our representatives gather to discuss our business.

Well, so be it. I can only hope that Kerry's statesmanship overcomes
the repugnant WarPublicans.

[Kolesar]

6. That will motivate the gop base to keep them from losing seats

...that they should not lose. In my district, the gop voters do outnumber the Democratic voters. However, in a landslide year that might not matter because enough independents and a few gops will switch to the Democrats. This might save the gop a few seats on the margins.

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7. on the other hand

it should isolate them from the majority of voters who don't think war should be the primary focus of their government with all of the other concerns unaddressed and underfunded compared to all of the resources ($10b a month) going to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[NI4NI]

8. Seems to me that the Dems

have the advantage....but do they got the guts?