[YaYa123]

"""Krauthammer says he should not get in the gutter with the senate leader...just stay above the fray to win.""

I believe President Bush has the smarts to walk the fine line between staying out of the gutter, and making the usual GOP mistake of not responding to the enemy.

Don't we all remember how furious we've been at Dole, Lott, and crew for never never smacking Clinton/Gore/Lieberman down? Don't we all know the importance of responding to lies instantly? In the same news cycle?

I like Charles Krauthammer, but his area of expertise is NOT how to win the war of words with weasels.

[Miss Marple]

The President won't get in the gutter. He just demonstrated how to do this without losing his aura of being above the fray. It was genius politics, in my opinion.

As Trueblackman says, it is up to us to get the message out, and we need to encourage our elected people to do that. I am most encouraged that news reports say that the aadministration's people are fanning out to all the Sunday talk shows. Also, my senator, Lugar, who is notoriously mealymouthed, was quite strong and firm last week about Daschle's obstructionism. I am beginning to think Rumsfeld has been holding workshops!

[I_be_tc]

I agree with Krauthammer. If GW gets in the gutter with the snakes (hillbilly, tiny tommy and the rest) we will lose respect for him as commander in chief. Remember how low our last c-i-c went. He stays above them so superbly while slapping them down.

However, I agree with Trueblackman, that WE should not be above the fray. Let's take out hillie and tommie by what ever means we can, and hold GW up to them as a true leader, not a low rat!

TC