[lbo-talk] up-er-down?

[Tom Walker]

One can hope that it was too clever by half. The only people paying 
close attention to the spectacle will be the political classes whose 
minds are pretty much made up. The effect of "making the Democrats 
squirm" may not be so advantageous to the Bush policy. The Rove strategy 
is often described as attacking the opponent on his/her strengths: to 
wit, "swift boating". When you try to think strategy that in reverse, 
you come up against a nullity: what is the Bush administration's 
strength? It has none. Well, the actual answer to that question is that 
the administration's greatest strength, perhaps its only strength, is 
the eagerness of Democrats to defend its flank. That's why the Repugs 
went ballistic over Murtha's 'defection'. The upshot of their little 
Moscow show vote may be that yellow-dog Dems may find it that much less 
appealing to defend the Bush administration flank. Or if they insist on 
doing so may have to cross the floor.

The Sandwichman

Doug Henwood wrote,

 >It was a clever move by the Republicans to make the Democrats squirm.