Monday, October 23, 2006

Washington Warfare Already in Evidence Mr. Bush

The White House’s prediction of Capital warfare should Democrats take one or both houses of Congress is 20/20 hindsight as it started in the late 1970’s with the idea of the permanent campaign. In the past candidates stopped running and actually governed once elected to office. Now, everything is couched in political advantage.

Negative campaigns heat up the last few weeks before an election. Dirty tricks this time came from a California Republican who sent Spanish letters to Democratic voters stating immigrants voting could end up in jail.

Another Republican ad showed their opponent talking on a phone sex line when records show the number to have been misdialed on a business trip. The verbal porn ad was sponsored by the National Republican Congressional Committee. It even offended the Republican candidate it purported to help.

One citizen found the ad so offensive she pondered not voting at all. Then she recalled she needed to exercise her right. Which brings to mind a question, would Republican undertake campaign strategies so offensive that it encourages opposition supporters to stay home? If the answer is yes, then what difference does it make if the Democrats have one or both houses of Congress as the relationship is already open warfare?

The issue is not contentiousness as we have that in spades. It is in ability to push an agenda vs. actually leading and serving on behalf of the American people. I hope Congress becomes a counterbalance to this President. It will give him an opportunity to show off his “Uniter, Not a Divider” skills that got him elected the first time (before they got sucked into the dark hole of Washington warfare).

Never mind President Bush’s sword waving the last few weeks of the campaign. He is the armless, legless knight from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Yet he keeps calling the other names. Strange days indeed…

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