Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Bush Is Taking His Party Down With Him
Hearst Newspapers analysis shows that President Bush is on course to have troop levels in Iraq at record highs at the start of 2008. Once the new year commences, the President will say that he does not want to influence domestic politics during an election and will keep troop levels steady until after his term ends.
Recent history reminds us of the last time the President ignored public opinion and stayed the course in Iraq during an election. Republican candidates in the 06 midterms took a drubbing despite doing their best to separate themselves from the President. The panic in Republican circles was palpable as the election bore down with continued troop levels and an increasingly out of touch President determined to ignore the will of the people on Iraq.
Which raises the question. With the President seemingly determined to ignore the will of the people and feed even more troops into Iraq, how will the Republican party fare in the 2008 election? How would it feel to have to appeal to the core Republican voters who overwhemlingly support the President and his Iraq policy, in order to win the Republican nomination, but then have to win the general election? It seems to be an impossible task.
The Democrats in Congress have tried their level best to spare their Republican comrades that scenario by attaching timelines that end the occupation to funding for the war. Republicans seem dead set on bringing the catastrophe, from their point of view, that was the 06 midterm election to an even greater fruition by not helping Democrats overcome the President on Iraq funding. At some point, Democrats will have to bow to the stubborness of this President and his allies in Congress, pass a bill without timelines, and allow the President to destroy his own party in 08, to an even greater extent than he did in 06. Seriously! The Democrats are trying to throw the Republicans a lifeline as they flounder in stormy waters, and the Republicans are spurning that lifesaving offer.
This is reminiscent of the abusive relationships where the abused partner can not seem to leave the abuser, no matter what happens to them. They make excuses for the abuser, justify the abuse, refuse to see the danger, and when society tries to help them they reject that help and want to save the abuser. I know there are reasons for this behavior, and I'm not trying to pass judgement on people who have found themselves in this horrible predicament. But most people look at that type of situation and wonder, why won't the abused person just leave?!
Why won't the Republican Congress members just vote against President Bush, and leave this destructive relationship? Those of us on the outside looking in on this disfunctional pairing are left scratching our heads at the spectacle. What it comes down to is that we can't FORCE them to act in their own best interests. If they insist on doing it, we will witness the President beat Repubublican candidates to a bloody pulp at the ballot box, willingly allowing him to lead them straight to the private sector.
To my Republican friends who are having to put up with this continued travesty... I appeal to you. Help us (Democrats) help yourself. Help us end this war before it destroys you. If you don't, you have only yourselves to blame.
Recent history reminds us of the last time the President ignored public opinion and stayed the course in Iraq during an election. Republican candidates in the 06 midterms took a drubbing despite doing their best to separate themselves from the President. The panic in Republican circles was palpable as the election bore down with continued troop levels and an increasingly out of touch President determined to ignore the will of the people on Iraq.
Which raises the question. With the President seemingly determined to ignore the will of the people and feed even more troops into Iraq, how will the Republican party fare in the 2008 election? How would it feel to have to appeal to the core Republican voters who overwhemlingly support the President and his Iraq policy, in order to win the Republican nomination, but then have to win the general election? It seems to be an impossible task.
The Democrats in Congress have tried their level best to spare their Republican comrades that scenario by attaching timelines that end the occupation to funding for the war. Republicans seem dead set on bringing the catastrophe, from their point of view, that was the 06 midterm election to an even greater fruition by not helping Democrats overcome the President on Iraq funding. At some point, Democrats will have to bow to the stubborness of this President and his allies in Congress, pass a bill without timelines, and allow the President to destroy his own party in 08, to an even greater extent than he did in 06. Seriously! The Democrats are trying to throw the Republicans a lifeline as they flounder in stormy waters, and the Republicans are spurning that lifesaving offer.
This is reminiscent of the abusive relationships where the abused partner can not seem to leave the abuser, no matter what happens to them. They make excuses for the abuser, justify the abuse, refuse to see the danger, and when society tries to help them they reject that help and want to save the abuser. I know there are reasons for this behavior, and I'm not trying to pass judgement on people who have found themselves in this horrible predicament. But most people look at that type of situation and wonder, why won't the abused person just leave?!
Why won't the Republican Congress members just vote against President Bush, and leave this destructive relationship? Those of us on the outside looking in on this disfunctional pairing are left scratching our heads at the spectacle. What it comes down to is that we can't FORCE them to act in their own best interests. If they insist on doing it, we will witness the President beat Repubublican candidates to a bloody pulp at the ballot box, willingly allowing him to lead them straight to the private sector.
To my Republican friends who are having to put up with this continued travesty... I appeal to you. Help us (Democrats) help yourself. Help us end this war before it destroys you. If you don't, you have only yourselves to blame.
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