Republicans revise tactics

VP Dick "Dark Lord, Five Deferments" Cheney for the first time has changed his tactics and has decided to attack his opponents' IDEAS instead of attacking his opponents personally. This is a new untested tactic for Republicans and no one is really sure how successful it will be, but their usual smear campaigns were backfiring.

Late last week, the White House, through Press Secretary Scott McClellan, attempted to deride Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) by aligning him with film-maker Michael Moore.   Rep. Murtha [see below], a decorated career Marine who served in Vietnam, had called for a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq. That attack, combined with Rep. Jean Schmidt's (R-OH) calling Murtha a coward (albeit through reading a letter from one of her constituents). Schmitt was later forced by her leadership to have her remarks stricken from the record and the White House did the back-peddle on their remarks also.

Now, forced to do something they have little experience doing, the Republicans are attempting to criticize their opponents' positions, which actually reflect the opinion of the majority of Americans, instead of personally attacking them. This bold new step can only be out of desparation. Rove must be bound and gagged somewhere in an undisclosed location because Bush and Cheney apparently felt obliged to actually PRAISE Murtha over the weekend and yesterday as "a good man" and "a patriot". You know that must hurt.

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My Letter to Rep. Murtha

Hon. Rep. John P. Murtha PO Box 780 Johnstown, PA 15907-0780 Rep. Murtha: Thank you for standing up to speak out for our troops. I support your valiant efforts and want you to know that despite the numerous attacks from the Republicans that you are encountering over this issue, there are dozens of millions of people who regard your bold action as the watershed event in overcoming what has become a very dark chapter in the history of the United States. Thank you for your service both in the Marines and in the House of Representatives. Kind Regards,

Hobbes

PS: I recommend you to read Murtha's statement rather than just the reporters' synopsis.