"First, let me put my cards on the table. Bush's signature on this steaming turd was a mistake. I know why he did it, however. Had he vetoed it, McCain would have screamed bloody murder, declared himself an independent, and would have caucused with Daschle. You folks are forgetting that Daschle had turned Jeffords. It would have been easy for him to flip McCain.
That said, those of you who wish to stand by principle come what may forget everything Ronald Reagan tried to teach you. Reagan understood when to compromise. Barry Goldwater didn't . Reagan never lost an election. Barry Goldwater got creamed in the only election that counted.
Principle can only be advanced through a two-steps forward, one step back approach. It is a long hard slog, sort of like a Supreme Court nomination fight. My way or the highway won't win the cultural battle on gun rights, abortion, or any of the other social issues. You don't like this? Get your reps to start reforming the law. It's how things are done."
az