Democrats Take Back National Security
24 February 2006 10:26 am by Taylor Marsh
From a political perspective, President
Bush's national security credentials have clearly been tarnished due to the
outcry over this issue. For the first time ever, Americans have a slight preference
for Democrats in Congress over the President on national security issues. Forty-three
percent (43%) say they trust the Democrats more on this issue today while 41%
prefer the President. Rasmussen
To illustrate the tenuous thread of President Bush's “strong
on terror” image, the Democrats just edged ahead. Rasmussen has a poll
out that has Americans preferring Democrats in Congress on national security
over the president, 43% to 41%.
What a difference the Dubai port debacle has meant, with only
17% of America approving of the deal.
This is a huge shift in perception that I believe has been building
for months and months. First we had the Iraq war gradually eroding in the public's
mind, then before everyone's eyes. The indictment of Tom Delay, Libby, the Frist investigation, Abramoff
hitting the Republican Party hard, all are factors, but as we know, Katrina
gave a face to our rage. The incompetence and out of touch reality of George
W. Bush came across our TVs in faces, stories and lives lost.
The NSA illegal spying issue hasn't caught fire yet, but it soon
will, if we can make the connection that President Bush's expansion of power
needs oversight, which only the Congress can provide. This is critical, because
without congressional oversight you get a situation where the president is granted
power for war in Iraq, which he can interpret as extra-constitutional authority
to invade our lives, while not actually catching terrorists. It's one thing
if the wiretapping worked, but there is no evidence that it does. It's also
a fact that Bush's NSA program, if brought under FISA, with congressional oversight and input, would actually be effective
and legal, both of which it isn't now.
In the end, President Bush has actually proved our point, which
is that talking about national security and terrorism doesn't make you strong
on it. Especially when you're willing to open our ports to foreign-owned corporations
from governments who helped hide bin Laden's money. Couple that with the violence
in Iraq, Hamas winning the election, and a madman in Iran, you've got a powerful
argument made through incompetence that Democrats in Congress would be a much
better bet on national security.
UPDATE: If you don't think this is huge news, read this (also this). Republicans are freaking out. Not even Rush knew how to spin this today.
UPDATE II: Matt Stoller has more.
