Another
Bin Laden tape has surfaced. As Steve Clemons remarks on
his blog:
If America does, in fact, capture or kill bin Laden in the next few months, I suspect that it will produce somewhat of a surge of support for Republicans in the election.
If these tapes keep appearing, there is increasing likelihood of a bin Laden factor in November 2006.
Of course Rove would be taking a page out of our playbook...
Howard Dean:
"The Democrats have a better idea... we will kill or capture Osama bin Laden...
Democratic Plan for Real Security:
Eliminate Osama Bin Laden, destroy terrorist networks like al Qaeda, finish the job in Afghanistan, and end the threat posed by the Taliban.
John Kerry:
Find Osama bin Laden and secure our ports and our homeland. Bring our troops home from Iraq...
IMHO Steve is right about this having an effect in November, so long as it doesn't happen too far from the election. Because if we get Osama in July, wouldn't the big question for most Americans in November be "Why are we still in Iraq, since we finally got the guy responsible for 9/11?"
I suspect that Dems will have to congratulate BushCo on finally fulfilling it's responsiblity in going after Bin Laden, but then they have to hammer the rubberstamp GOP on the question of Why Iraq? Why the diversion of time, money and lives?
Forewarned is forarmed.