Friday, June 23, 2006
Summer of '06 - Republicans' Grand Strategy
We Are the Enemy * Ronaldo the Magnificent
They are at it again. The Republicans have decided that success lies in standing behind the president and demonizing those who are critical of the war in Iraq. They have embraced the strategy, reported to be engineered by Karl Rove, to recover their crumbling fortunes. They have found the enemy and it is us. Charles Babington in the Post: "The Republican-controlled Senate, embracing President Bush's handling of the unpopular war in Iraq, rejected two Democratic efforts yesterday to begin a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the three-year-old conflict."
- Displaying cohesion that has eluded Democrats, Republicans voted overwhelmingly to leave deployment decisions in the president's hands. The votes, which followed three days of sometimes-fierce debate, outlined the positions the two parties will carry into the November congressional elections and underscored the Democratic constituency's split between staunchly antiwar activists and those who are frustrated but less fervent. Thirty-one of the Senate's 44 Democrats opposed setting a firm deadline for withdrawal.
More about Rove in Dan Froomkin's White House Briefing, June 22,2006: "Karl Rove is a master of high-stakes brinksmanship, as he has proven time and time again. But his latest venture may be his riskiest yet. Rove is betting that he can reframe the war in Iraq as a battle between courageous Republicans and pusillanimous Democrats. The stakes: Congress. (And subpoena power.)"
- Rove believes that this strength vs. weakness rhetorical construct, combined with continued attacks on the media, will be enough to counterbalance whatever negative news about the actual war continues to emerge between now and the mid-term elections.
Between Robinho, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho the Brazilians displayed great skill in their game against Japan (4-1). The Brazilians are in a strong position to return home with the cup.
