Of course the GOP didn't plan to lose, but now that the inmates have taken over the asylum, they can be blamed, but not by the MSM, for anything that goes wrong.No matter whose plan is being followed in Iraq during the next two years, there's a chance the country will still go to hell in a hand basket.
I'm watching this one very closely. The Democrats campaigned on the premise that they could "fix" Iraq, so they're obliged to at least try. I'm sure they would just as soon leave Iraq alone so they could continue to blame the situation there on President Bush clear on through 2008, and they know that if they put their hands on the handling of Iraq, they can be blamed if and when things continue to go badly.
So here's what I expect the Democrats to do. I think they will propose a solution to the war that is so bizarre that the President will refuse to go along with it. When the President does that, the Democrats can still blame the President for things in Iraq when they continue to go badly. They'll simply say, "If you'd done what we said, things would be going much better and we'd be out of there by now."
These Democrats better be careful. Because, if they try this ploy, the President just might say, OK, you got it. We'll pursue the plan you have recommended." When things go badly, and they will, no one can blame anyone but the Democrats.
The downside of that is obvious. If things go badly in Iraq, things go badly for our National Security, and I don't think the President would allow that to happen.
I'm watching this one very closely. The Democrats campaigned on the premise that they could "fix" Iraq, so they're obliged to at least try. I'm sure they would just as soon leave Iraq alone so they could continue to blame the situation there on President Bush clear on through 2008, and they know that if they put their hands on the handling of Iraq, they can be blamed if and when things continue to go badly.I like your "conspiracy theory" better than the CBS variant, but the Democrats said they could "fix" more than just Iraq. If the President and the GOP hold their feet to the fire (which is always a big "if") the Demos are now the "blame line" for energy (i.e. gas prices), for health care, for political corruption and for education (e.g. test scores). If there is no measurable improvement in any or all of those areas (to include Iraq and the WOT), then even Rove's younger, stupider brother could beat the Democrats in '08.