Political fallout from ruling begins

THE WASHINGTON POST
Sat, Aug. 19, 2006

Political Fallout Begins Following Ruling On Warrantless Surveillance

A federal judge's ruling that warrantless wiretapping is unconstitutional set off a flurry of political responses Friday, as Republicans tried to keep control of the national security debate amid signs that their own party's ranks may be breaking under the pressure of the Iraq war.

The National Republican Senatorial Campaign challenged Democratic candidates to "stand up in opposition to a liberal judge," while the Republican National Committee released an Internet advertisement painting the Democrats as soft on defense. The ad shows prominent Democrats decrying warrantless wiretapping, abusive interrogations, ballistic missile defense and the war in Iraq through the opening of a cave, meant to represent the vantage point for terrorists monitoring the opposition party..

With that burst of activity, Republicans appeared ready to make the decision on wiretapping the 2006 equivalent of a Massachusetts judge's legalization of gay marriage in 2004: a rallying cry for the Republican base.

"They never miss an opportunity to play divisive politics on national security," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "The one casualty Americans would accept in the war on terror is partisanship, and that's the one thing George Bush won't give up."

But with polls showing Republican voters more divided on security issues than Democrats, it was unclear whether the strategy would work again.

"There is no consensus that Republicans are better on terrorism than the Democrats, as once was clearly the case," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center.

link

"There is no consensus that Republicans are better on terrorism than the Democrats, as once was clearly the case..."

I disagree... Rethuglicans are excellent at terrorism!

Anonymous