Democrats Win, America Loses?
That’s not my opinion. What that little catch phrase represents is the latest talking point out of the White House, uttered last night by the Commander in Chief himself at a Republican rally in Georgia (via Raw Story:
Speaking at a rally held at Georgia Southern University to support Max Burn’s bid for Congress on Monday afternoon, President Bush insisted that “the Democrat (sic) approach in Iraq comes down to this: the terrorists win and America loses.”
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[From the transcript of Bush’s speech]
“For fighting the war on terror, the Democrats just follow a simple philosophy: just say no. When it comes to listening to the terrorists, what’s the Democrats’ answer? It’s just say no. When it comes to detaining terrorists, what is the Democrats’ answer? Just say no.
AUDIENCE: Just say no.
PRESIDENT BUSH: When it comes to questioning terrorists, what’s the Democrats’ answer?
AUDIENCE: Just say no.
PRESIDENT BUSH: When it comes to trying the terrorists, what’s the Democrats’ answer?
AUDIENCE: Just say no.
PRESIDENT BUSH: So when the Democrats ask for your vote, what’s your answer?
AUDIENCE: Just say no! (Cheers, applause.)”
In his speech Bush specifically tied Democratic votes in opposition to the NSA’s warrantless surveillance, to the extension of the Patriot Act and to the Military Commissions Act (the one which authorized the use of torture by the US Government and eliminated the writ of Habeas Corpus) as signs that the Democrats don’t want to win the “War on Terror.” And he pushed the familiar theme that Iraq is the central front on the war on terror. His justification for the invasion and occupation of Iraq, at a time when we should have been focusing all our attention on Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is a rehash of well worn White House slogans high on emotional appeal but completely lacking in any substance:
“One of the lessons of September the 11th, 2001, is that when this country sees a threat, we must take those threats seriously before they come home to hurt us. I saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. Members of both political parties in the United States Congress saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. The United Nations saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the right decision, and the world is better off. (Cheers, applause.) And now Iraq is the central front in this global war against these ideologues who murder innocent people to achieve their objectives. […]
Here’s what this person and the leaders of the Democrat Party in Washington seem to not understand. Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war against us. I would remind the House Democrats our troops were not in Iraq when the terrorists first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993. (Cheers, applause.)
We were not in Iraq when they bombed the USS Cole or the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and we were not in Iraq when they killed nearly 3,000 people on September the 11th, 2001. (Cheers, applause.)
You do not create terrorists by fighting the terrorists. The best way to protect you, the best way to protect the American people is to stay on the offense and defeat them overseas, so we do not have to face them here at home. (Extended cheers, applause.)
Our goal in Iraq is victory.”
Expect to see this theme coming from the lips of every Republican candidate willing to follow Rove’s script over the next week. Fear! Fear! Fear! And reason be damned.
Because Republicans don’t debate issues in an election campaign. They demonize Democrats and scare people gullible enough to believe the “Daddy” party can keep them safe.
