You will recall how Democrats plotted to politicize the investigation into these sorts of matters even before it began.
washtimes.com
miller.senate.gov
Whether Bush chose the commission or not doesn’t much matter when leftists are involved. After all, these people are so consumed by hatred and selfishness they would rather attack Bush than America’s real enemy. Everyone knows Clarke’s “apology” was false, insincere, worthless, and yet the leftists tried to make it appear to be some orgasmic experience when in fact it was just another Malox Moment. They actually were claiming this “apology” underscored Bush’s “failure” to apologize, as if Bush needed to accept blame for 911 instead of the terrorists. This sort of crap is actually coming from the mainstream media. It ought to be a clear indicator of the difficulties the GOP will have to face. This will be no cakewalk. The media demonstrably wish to see Bush harmed. You can bet that CBS, after being for so long shut out by Bush I, hates the idea of another Bush presidency. It has no compunction at all about exploiting its might to attack a president who has, unlike Bill Clinton, done nothing wrong.
If the GOP does not continue to fight the Democrats with the uncharacteristic consistency and rhetorical flair they have so far demonstrated, and if they do not brutally execute a plan to destroy their enemies over the long haul, this matter and others will go heavily against them. The Bush camp must heavily underscore every point it wishes to make if it wishes to overcome the leftists and make that point gain traction. Cheney, Rice, and very many other GOP operatives need to speak with the same shrewd voice, wherever they happen to be, freeing Bush to be the nice guy. If the GOP relents, the media will spin the GOP position into space and continue their typical support of the left.
Finally, Bush needs now to detach from this, putting his foot down firmly about protecting Executive privilege and then moving onward to build up his numbers on economic and other domestic issues. Rice ought not make this argument. Bush needs to, in effect, declare "I am the head of the Executive Branch of our government. The Executive does not report to the Congress according to our Constitution. I will not distort the Constitution by subordinating the Executive Branch to any political body that derives its authority from the Congress or any other Branch of the United States government. Whether it hurts me politically or not cannot determine the outcome of this matter. The decision is final because it is the law." Once he does this, he needs to push hard toward his message, brutally putting down reporters on it by referring bluntly to the law. He needs also to intimidate anyone who would challenge him on this by implying that the challenger merely wishes him to distort the Constitution for political purposes "and that is a thing I just will not do to the American people, even if it means my political enemies will harm me."
Americans would eat it up. |
