Bush Wants 'Clarity' on Interrogations
Whoa, what is really going on here?
Do you think that Bush has suddenly spun out of control and with Karl Rove tightly holding the reins of re-election for his party, is now somehow suddenly losing it?
Think again.
Bush may be wildly panicked that he committed international war crimes in water-boarding confessions out of prisoners, and willing to do anything to avoid prosecution, but there's plenty of time for him to cover his ass and election timing now is the key to everything. This is clearly a set-up for an election strategy that will polarize the wedges and magnets going into elections. Republicans holding House control is his protection.
Some Republicans need a president they can push away from (Bush becomes a wedge) some need one they can cleave to (he becomes a magnet). I know that is not the typical use of the terms but I'm making a point. With Rove the divide and conquer strategy always requires two prongs like a chess strategy--one strategy that compels and one that repels and both in play corner the opponent in a lose-lose play. In Rove's game they prod the Sheeple to the polls for his candidate.
Look to the Republicans' reactions to Bush's proposal, look to their home races, look to the Democrats opposing current stance. Rove is already dumping those candidates he can't control or who can't win through his strategy in favor of those who can (note the RNC backing of Liebermann and Chafee).
In the Rove strategy perception is everything. EVERYTHING. Were that not true, Bush's poll numbers would be much worse. Right now his numbers are going up while congressional numbers are tanking. Why? So Bush can be used in local Congressional races to push down or pull up the candidates Rove has targeted, and if you don't think pork barrel promises and influential committee positions won't be part of the package deal Rove offers those who play his way--for or against the party being irrelevant as long as Rove gets his wins--you're not paying attention.
Dems in races had better be repositioning their strategy with an eye toward the obvious move Rove will be taking next--framing their strength as a weakness and the Republican's weakness as a strength. The stand a candidate takes in opposition to Bush now will be used either way later, so dems need to know the races.
In which races is Republican support for Iraq a weakness or strength--where is that race's Christocrat voting block? What are the ballot measures already in place to bring them out? Remember that the 50 + 1% strategy means that wherever Rove has less than 50% on the candidate alone he will need wedge issues like the marriage ammendment to draw out the Christocrats who while there will also vote the Republican ticket.
And we should be talking about races and individuals whose seats Dems need to win. Not Bush. Bush is kryptonite. He is going to be polarizing and I promise you that in every case it will be the perception of the Democrat up for that seat--not Bush--that is being molded by Rove right now.
This is just smoke and mirrors:
Do you think that Bush has suddenly spun out of control and with Karl Rove tightly holding the reins of re-election for his party, is now somehow suddenly losing it?
Think again.
Bush may be wildly panicked that he committed international war crimes in water-boarding confessions out of prisoners, and willing to do anything to avoid prosecution, but there's plenty of time for him to cover his ass and election timing now is the key to everything. This is clearly a set-up for an election strategy that will polarize the wedges and magnets going into elections. Republicans holding House control is his protection.
Some Republicans need a president they can push away from (Bush becomes a wedge) some need one they can cleave to (he becomes a magnet). I know that is not the typical use of the terms but I'm making a point. With Rove the divide and conquer strategy always requires two prongs like a chess strategy--one strategy that compels and one that repels and both in play corner the opponent in a lose-lose play. In Rove's game they prod the Sheeple to the polls for his candidate.
Look to the Republicans' reactions to Bush's proposal, look to their home races, look to the Democrats opposing current stance. Rove is already dumping those candidates he can't control or who can't win through his strategy in favor of those who can (note the RNC backing of Liebermann and Chafee).
In the Rove strategy perception is everything. EVERYTHING. Were that not true, Bush's poll numbers would be much worse. Right now his numbers are going up while congressional numbers are tanking. Why? So Bush can be used in local Congressional races to push down or pull up the candidates Rove has targeted, and if you don't think pork barrel promises and influential committee positions won't be part of the package deal Rove offers those who play his way--for or against the party being irrelevant as long as Rove gets his wins--you're not paying attention.
Dems in races had better be repositioning their strategy with an eye toward the obvious move Rove will be taking next--framing their strength as a weakness and the Republican's weakness as a strength. The stand a candidate takes in opposition to Bush now will be used either way later, so dems need to know the races.
In which races is Republican support for Iraq a weakness or strength--where is that race's Christocrat voting block? What are the ballot measures already in place to bring them out? Remember that the 50 + 1% strategy means that wherever Rove has less than 50% on the candidate alone he will need wedge issues like the marriage ammendment to draw out the Christocrats who while there will also vote the Republican ticket.
And we should be talking about races and individuals whose seats Dems need to win. Not Bush. Bush is kryptonite. He is going to be polarizing and I promise you that in every case it will be the perception of the Democrat up for that seat--not Bush--that is being molded by Rove right now.
This is just smoke and mirrors:
ABC News: Bush Wants 'Clarity' on Interrogations: "Facing a GOP revolt in the Senate, President Bush urged Congress on Friday to join in backing legislation to spell out strategies for interrogating and trying terror suspects, saying 'the enemy wants to attack us again.'
'Time is running out,' Bush said in a Rose Garden news conference. 'Congress needs to act wisely and promptly.'
Bush denied that the United States might lose the high ground in the eyes of world opinion, as former Secretary of State Colin Powell suggested.
'It's unacceptable to think there's any kind of comparison between the behavior of the United States of America and the action of Islamic extremists who kill innocent women and children to achieve an objective,' said Bush, growing animated as he spoke."
posted by CLB at 7:07 AM
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