I don't understand why the Democratic Party is not consistently and harshly attacking the Bush Administration over its national security failures. Despite Cheney's pronouncement that
voting for Kerry equals voting for an increased likelihood of terrorist attacks it is manifest that the Bush Administration has failed to make us safer. This is not just my opinion, it's the Bush Administration's opinion as well. Don't believe me?
Just ask them:
Homeland Security Advisory System
Current Threat Level
July 28, 2006 - The United States remains at an elevated risk, Code Yellow, for terrorist attack. At this time, there is no specific or credible intelligence suggesting an imminent threat to the homeland.
The United States Government will continue to closely monitor and analyze threat information and share that information, together with guidance for protective measures, with state, local and private sector authorities as well as the general public as part of the sustained national effort to prevent terrorist attacks and protect our homeland.
Recommended Activities
All Americans should continue to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicions items or activities to local authorities immediately.
Everybody should establish an emergency preparedness kit as well as a communications plan for themselves and their family, and stay informed about what to do during an emergency situation.
Of course, Bill in Portland Maine reminds us of this fact a few times a week including today:
And from the Department of No-Land Security:
Days the color-coded federal terror alert system has been in place: 1,593
Days spent at terror alert level Blue or Green: 0
Instead, we've had a constant
ping-ponging between yellow and orange. Blue, after all is guarded, which is not the absence of a threat, yet we've remained at elevated or worse since March 12, 2002.
Indeed, the DHS description of the Color-Coded Terror Alert System does not even contemplate lowering the threat level in its guidelines:
Color-coded Threat Level System is used to communicate with public safety officials and the public at-large through a threat-based, color-coded system so that protective measures can be implemented to reduce the likelihood or impact of an attack. Raising the threat condition has economic, physical, and psychological effects on the nation; so, the Homeland Security Advisory System can place specific geographic regions or industry sectors on a higher alert status than other regions or industries, based on specific threat information.
While DHS acknowledges that raising the threat condition effects the economy, the national psychology and the 2004 election, strangely it does not contemplate the effects of lowering the threat level, which would be just as significant as raising them. After all, if the economy, national psychology or the Democratic Party suffer when the level is raised, it stands to reason they would benefit when they level is decreased.
Simply put, by their own admission the Bush Administration has failed to make America safer. Deep down, everyone in America knows it. Between Dubai Ports World, Immigration, Osama at large, the inability to respond to Katrina, et al., the background facts are in everyone's consciousness. Democrats need to shout these failures from the rooftops and remind everyone over and over again that by its own admission the Bush Administration and its Congressional enablers have failed to lower the threat against America, despite fighting "the Them" over There. In the end, the Democrats' failure to lie back and attack the Bush Administration consistently and harshly makes them seem passive. In our media world where most Americans live in fear manufactured by the Bush Administration, this passivity alone must feel like a reason to vote for the bloated swaggering bully. The GOP thinks the fear of the American people is their strength, it's past time for Democrats to turn that fear against the GOP. I think the above is a way to start.