In response to Kovie's well-observed piece on GOP 2006 planning:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
He has observed that the Bush Administration will now return to their 2002 and 2004 strategies of using 9/11 (with a phony implicit connection to Iraq) as a club to bash us with. They will attack the "Michael Moore/Cindy Sheehan/Howard Dean" left" and make the debate about "cut and run" as opposed to 2002's "protect the country from weapons of mass destruction" and 2004's "you may not agree with where I stand, but at least I have a plan in Iraq." I also expect them to use a dash of "flip flopper" to attack us on the issue of Abramoff (they did this to us in early 2002 to neutralize Enron! It worked in '02 because Daschle and Gephardt did not respond back!), as well as on the fact that many of our Congressmen voted for the Patriot Act in 2001 but against it in 2005 (even some Republicans JOINED us, facts don't exist in their thinking.)
However, one sentence in the Newsweek article grabbed my attention, and is the topic of my diary:
"That's why 2006 is the year, once again, when the White House will try to merge all wars into one, as it fights on the very different battlefield of domestic politics."
Our plan for 2006 should be "merge all ISSUES into one." Meaning that we need to tie themes in with certain issues that are both foreign AND domestic. Here are some exaples I came up with:
One theme of 2006 should be how we will handle national security better. OUR definition of national security should cover energy independece, education/increased scientific funding and healthcare. We need to argue that in order for America to remain a powerful and wealthy country, we need to improve ourselves in these areas.
Talk about how Bush has neglected their issues. Economic security is another one. Emphasize how Bush's plan to destroy Social Security put the SECURITY of seniors and disabled people at risk.
Talk about how Bush's tax breaks to Paris Hilton and cutting of student loans hurt our country's ability to stay academically competitive in the globalized world.
We can also talk about BORDER SECURITY and how corporations are encouraging illegal immigration (but without sounding racist or xenophobic like Tom Tancredo. The Republicans will try to make illegal immigration 2006's version of same-sex marriage, in the way that that issue was a counterpart to Iraq and 9/11, so preventing them from doing this must also be thoguht of.
Other proposed suggested themes:
9/11 changed everything, and so did KATRINA!: Although there has not been another terrorist attack on American soil (and if there is, may God Forbid it, then the American people will blindly rally behind Bush and but a slew of new magnet stickers on their cars and then support whatever unconstitutional policies he may choose to implement in the name of national security. Katrina was the first major disaster of an American city since September 11, and unlike that sunny day, the citizens of New Orleans saw a FEMA that did NOT help them! If People like Michael Brown and Michale Chertoff are MANAGING our Homeland Security, then how can we trust them to keep us safe? I have heard reports about people like James Moore being placed on a no-fly list, and how dinosaur exhibits (I don't have a link for this but I read a story several months ago) are getting funding while Chertoff DISMISSES Las Vegas! Heckuva job Bushie!
The conservatives are endangering our CIVIL LIBERTIES and spreading a climate of unwarrented FEAR, an OBJECTIVE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN: Everything, from their politicization of Terri Schiavo's legal struggle which allowed for unwarrented COngressional involvement, to the NSA program, are an INTRUSION into our personal lives! We are FULFILLING A GOAL THAT IS AL QAIDA'S!!!!!!! Their FEAR campaign where they told us of Social Security going bankrupt, and their lies about WMD must be highlighted. Suggestion for an ad: play a clip of FDR saying "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" for a patriotic ad that leads into Bush's plans.