In a way he is correct but for the wrong reasons. Bush has not used his "political capital" gained from 911 because he does not want to make the WOT a political issue. There is no doubt whatsoever that if he tried that it would be screamed from the headlines "Bush politicizes WOT". I don’t know when people will wake up to the fact that GW is NOT a politician and for that reason alone he squeaks out victories on the basis of his perception of right and wrong. That is NOT a bad thing.
The president could have said that, with so many suspected terrorists and their accomplices in custody, we can't afford vacancies and backlogs in our courthouses and my good frien' Pat needs to stop playin' politics with the federal judiciary. He could have said that wartime is no time for Congress to put preserving the integrity of Alaska's most pristine mosquito habitat over the energy needs of America.
There are two issues right there that Bush coulda run with, and mashed any charges of "politicizing the War on Terror".
- I could be wrong, but it seems to me a good common-sense argument that if we are going to put terrorists on trial, having some judges available to try the cases is a Good Thing.
- I could be wrong, but it seems to me a good common-sense argument that if we are going to War in the Middle East, domestic oil we produce ourselves is a Good Thing.
What woulda stopped Bush from running with these two, at least (just for example)?? The Media says what it will, but most Americans favor energy independence; and while less Americans follow the matter of "judicial appointments", it seems like an easy argument to say, "we're detaining suspects; we need some judges". What woulda stopped Bush from running with these two?
- I could be wrong, but it seems to me a good common-sense argument that if we are going to put terrorists on trial, having some judges available to try the cases is a Good Thing.
- I could be wrong, but it seems to me a good common-sense argument that if we are going to War in the Middle East, domestic oil we produce ourselves is a Good Thing.
Your first point would be valid if the plan was not try terrorists, except for US citizens, before military tribunals and I doubt that any realistic estimate of citizen terrorists would be high enough to be used as a justification for more Judges.
I agree on the domestic oil issue though.