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Republicans Try to Change Subject From Bush
By REUTERS, from NYTimes on the Web, March 25, 2006
WASHINGTON, Mar. 24 -- Republicans, beset by an array of political troubles, are cranking up the attacks on Democrats and trying to change the subject from President George W. Bush ahead of November's congressional elections. With Bush slumping in the polls
and Republicans on the defensive over the Republicans hope the strategy will limit the national momentum that Democrats might ride into November and fire up the party's conservative base supporters to ensure they turn up at the polls. "What the Democrats are trying to do is make this a referendum about Bush," said Republican pollster David Winston. "What we are saying is, 'Look, this is about a choice.' The strategy is to go out and define what this choice is going to be about and that's what you are beginning to see." Vice President Dick Cheney fired the latest salvos against Democrats on Friday, saying their "sorry record" on security issues proved they were not capable of leading the war on terrorism. "Some Democrats in Congress
have decided that the president is the enemy," Cheney said at a fund-raiser in Republican Party chief Ken
Mehlman has led attacks on Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold's push for a
censure resolution against Bush and Democratic calls for a phased withdrawal of "The Democrats' plan for 2006? Take the House and Senate and impeach the president," Mehlman said in a fund-raising e-mail sent to Republicans on Thursday. "With our nation at war, is this the kind of Congress you want?" POLITICAL WOES Republicans say the strategy is designed to get them off the defensive about their recent political problems, including scandals involving high-profile party leaders and uproars over a now-dead Arab port deal and a secret eavesdropping program. Those difficulties have eaten
away at public support for Bush and the Republican-led Congress in recent polls.
But Republicans also believe Democrats, who have yet to develop a unified
approach on "When you have a climate like we currently have the last thing Republicans want is a nationalized election," said Republican consultant Whit Ayres. "But there is no assurance that even voters who are upset with Republicans will necessarily choose a worse alternative in Democrats." All 435 House seats and 33 of the 100 Senate seats will be on the ballot in November, when Democrats must gain six Senate seats and 15 House seats to regain control of each chamber. Bush's slump in the polls has included a drop in Republican support but raising alarms about the prospects of a Democratic takeover can help bring the disenchanted back to the fold, strategists said. A series of votes planned in Congress over the next few months on hot-button social issues like abortion, gay marriage and flag burning also should solidify the party base, analysts said. "Midterm elections are all
about rallying the base," said Steven Schier, a political analyst at Given the political climate, putting Democrats on the defensive could be the best hope for Republicans, he said. "Anytime you are on offense, it is always better. It means you are driving the discussion and debate," Winston said. (Emphasis Added) |
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