Agreed.
In this case, however, I believe they, the dems were working the other way.
They were hoping bush would veto, after they and the willing accomplices of the media had "prepped" the minds of voters as to the nastiness of enron and "money grubbing republicans", then they would have harped ad nasueum through next November, in an effort to regain the house while maintaining the senate, which, after all, is the ball here that we need to keep our eyes on.
The dems sole drive, regardless of anything they say or do, is to maintain the senate and retake the house. They will do ANYTHING imaginable to achieve these goals, and conservatives have to ever be vigilant, and make the best possible play for each and every scenario. Sometimes that involves swallowing pride, sometimes placing a temporary dampner on principles, especially if the end goal is to retain those same principles.
When it works, it is a shrewd move, when it doesn't, the results are disasterous. The game is hardball, no prisoners, and the stakes are the existance of the United States as originally intended.
ABSOLUTELY! I'd like to believe the president is acutely aware of that fact as well.