I wrote a diary yesterday complaining that democrats should shy away from giving details about a withdrawal from Iraq and commented that giving specifics can only hurt our efforts in the mid-terms. I again got some heat from the DKos crowd but that's ok, I am used to it by now.
But to round out the discussion let me state what I think will work to the Dems advantage and help us capture the House (which is the best possible thing we can do to protect and ultimatly bring home our brave troops).
1. Don't let the GOP frame the discussion towards the single issue that still works for them which is terrorism. Stay on message about the dismal GOP track record on Iraq, the budget, Katrina, Social Security, etc...
2. Be bold. The GOP is on the attack and that is thier strong suit so they will heat up the rhetoric trying to push
Democrats into defending themselve son issues of Natinal Security like NSA wiretaps, Patriot Act, GITMO, etc.. but whenever they start this crap take a page from Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).
When Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) was out on the Senate floor, accusing Democrats of aiding the terrorists.
"Al-Qaeda," he said, sees "the lack of resolve in some of our leaders, and they seek to exploit it."
She didn't shrink away or whine that the Republicans were being un-fair...she attacked!
"America is not tired of fighting terrorism," she retorted. "America is tired of the wrongheaded and boneheaded leadership of the Republican Party that has sent $6.5 billion a month to Iraq when the front line was Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, that led this country to attack Saddam Hussein when we were attacked by Osama bin Laden."
3. Remember how poorly Bush and the GOP's record actually is and slam them with it. Use thier own words whenever possible like
"Nothing is more important in the face of war
than cutting taxes."
Denney Hastert GOP Speaker Of The House 4-4-2003
or Cheney about whether had he known there were no WMD in Iraq
"It was the right thing to do, and if we had it to do over again, we'd do exactly the same thing."
or
we'll be treated as liberators
, etc...
Republicans will try to focus attention on many things and go negative every chance they get(and they've got the money to do it big!)...but the worst thing for them is to keep the focus on thier greatest vulnerability...thier record!