From The New York Times on the current fall agenda in Congress comes two quotations:
With Congress reconvening Tuesday after an August break, Republicans in the House and Senate say they will focus on Pentagon and domestic security spending bills, port security legislation and measures that would authorize the administration’s terror surveillance program and create military tribunals to try terror suspects.
The Democratic response?
“Every day, people around the country recognize that this is a failed administration,†said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader. “If Republicans want to spend the whole month on nothing that is relevant to the American people, we are happy to do that.â€
Apparently the Democrats think the security of this country is “nothing that is relevant” less than a month after a plot to kill thousands of people was discovered by US, British, and Pakistani authorities.
And the Democrats have the audacity to wonder why they’re widely perceived as the party of weakness on national security issues…
Side note: Will someone tell Bolton the rest of America is counting the days, too?
And I’m praying that Katherine Harris wins the primary today.
Expect a poor performance for Harris tonight, but I think with a divided field of fourth-rate challengers, she’ll still handily win the nomination.
In response to the original argument of this thread, I’m actually relieved that the GOP intends to talk about nothing but security this election. Had they proceeded with the anti-illegal immigration strategy it appeared that they would a couple of months ago, Democratic candidates in Middle America would have really suffered for it. By tossing in their best hand and clinging to a pair of 3’s (national security), the Dems will have a distinct advantage heading into the elections.
I can just see the October “Meet the Press” faceoffs with Howard Dean prodding Ken Mehlman for the GOP strategy on fixing health care with Mehlman responding that “there haven’t been any terrorist attacks in America since 9-11.” However strongly voters may feel about the terrorism issue, the Republicans are looking cheap and exploitative at this point even to the die-hard security moms of 2004.
I get tired of Harry Reid. I always thought the Democrats could do better but then maybe a minority leader from a state whose most known ‘industries’ are gambling and legalized prostitution fits. And I guess Area 51 is in Nevada so maybe that fits as well.