President Bush Can Still Sink the Democrats

RCP ^ | Fri Jan 5, 9:45 AM ET | Jed Babbin

[rightinthemiddle]

Now the clock has begun to run on Nancy Pelosi's first 100 hours as Speaker. She'll find them very short. Despite the disdain for George W. Bush's political skill, he has remade the political landscape into a rough road for the Dems. They can't openly advocate cutting and running from Iraq: they're taking cover under the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group report. Worse still for the liberals, George Bush has made it possible to debate seriously everything from Social Security to private options in education and health. But it's not easy for Republicans either. They have to exorcise the ghosts of surrenders past or they will end up caving in on key issues and allow the Dems to consolidate control of Congress and move on to capture the White House in 2008.

Congressional Republicans have to choose among three paths. They can go along with the Democrats and try to claim partial credit for whatever liberal horribles the Dems pass. They can obstruct (and often succeed) but probably won't for fear of the 527 Media. Or they can join with the president to push hard for their own domestic agenda while the president's time is dominated by war.

[fantom]

Please , step away from thr bong !

[unkus]

The Democrats will do nothing for the good of the country.PERIOD

[RightWhale]

The President is apparently clearing the decks for action. He isn't saying much, but much is happening.

[frogjerk]

President Bush Can Still Sink the Democrats

Can and Will are too entirely different things. I hope that W finds the Will.

[johnny7]

Pelosi's already blown 36 of those 100 hours...

[Voltage]

Bush needs to veto bills with pork in them, and expose and make fun of the pork and make a laughing stock of the representatives that put in the pork.

The house and senate will soon discover they are the weak branch of government.

[rightinthemiddle]

Please , step away from thr bong !

__________

Are you talking to me?

[Vigilanteman]

Baker's surrender strategy was - and is -- also the core of his foreign policy theory. He, like many of his background and age, are stability addicts. To gain stability - on domestic or foreign fronts - he's willing to trade more than it is worth. Trying to prop up Gorbachev, Baker opposed American support for Balkan freedom, nearly getting into a fistfight with fellow cabinet member Jack Kemp over it. Now, when the Iranian mullahs are beset by falling oil production and growing internal unrest, Baker wants to make it harder for Iranians to overthrow the mullahs just like he wanted to make it harder for Latvia and Lithuania to shake off the shackles of the Soviets.

Just about sums up James Baker's resume.

[Mr. Mojo]

They [the Democrats] can't openly advocate cutting and running from Iraq: they're taking cover under the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group report.

Correct, but how exactly does this fact help the President? The author seems more than a bit confused.

When the Iraq Surrender Group first released its report many thought that it would give the Bush admin. the perfect out for leaving Iraq. But as I suspected, it turns out quite the opposite -- the Democrats are using it as cover for their cut-and-run position.

[rightinthemiddle]

"Dems won't make Bush's hugely successful tax cuts permanent, but why shouldn't Republicans push for permanence anyway? Moreover, George W. Bush has made fair game of the entitlement programs that are the heart of the federal deficit. If he and other GOP leaders can assure those dependent on those programs that they won't be affected, but reform those programs to be financially sound in the foreseeable future, the Dems will sink."

________

The Republicans should fight like crazy for continuation of the tax cuts. The evididence is in their favor IF they will use it and present it in a way the average Joe can understand.

[bert]

"At a time place of my choosing" W

[SF Republican]

The Democrats will do nothing for the good of the country They wake up everyday thinking what can we do to destroy America and make this place and its people in worse condition.

[harrowup]

Pelosi's already blown 36 of those 100 hours...

Not while she is the one that keeps the legislative clock ticking or tickless whichever she needs for the press on Sunday.

Or they can join with the president to push hard for their own domestic agenda while the president's time is dominated by war.

One only can hope.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Might as well fluff up the pillow for a 24 month nap.

[CottShop]

I have to aggree with that- the dems now have somethign to hide behind and appear not to be advocating a cut and run- now all those that were calling for immediate 'redeployment' are now saying they are going to give the pres 6 months to 'prove' one way or the other if more troops will help- although the whole six months we'll have to brace for more vitriol over how bad things are going over there according the the defeatist dems. http://sacredscoop.com

[firewalk]

They have to exorcise the ghosts of surrenders past

.

[Obadiah]

And people wonder why America always sought to prop up dictators around the world in the last 75 years! It was because of people like James Baker. THe very same Baker who sold Reagan down the river and started the whole Iran/Contra scandal.

[unkus]

Good points. They need to fight the MSM Pimps to get the message across. If the Reps and the President can show the Dems for what they really are and show their true colors, the Dems will be rejected.

[jazusamo]

Good piece by Jed Babbin. He's right about President Bush not wavering on the WOT and the Dems are divided on their Iraq war policy. Even holding the majority in Congress they can't or won't get a withdrawal of troops from Iraq anytime soon.