Novakula to GOP: "Keep as far away from President Bush as possible"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Dem's win in Va. gov race gives GOP a scare

November 10, 2005

BY ROBERT NOVAK
SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak10.html



House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and the House Republican campaign chairman, Rep. Tom Reynolds, were given a sobering warning last week by senior GOP political operatives. They were told that on Tuesday, Nov. 8, the Democrats were sure to win the governorship of Virginia. After that, the warning continued, the watchword within the House majority would be: Every man for himself!

The victory of Democrat Tim Kaine over Republican Jerry Kilgore was the only contest in scattered off-year elections that was carefully monitored on Capitol Hill. For a liberal Virginian to win a Southern red state signaled that cherished Republican majorities in both House and Senate, plus all the perquisites they entail, could be lost in 2006. Eyeing the Democratic landslide in suburban northern Virginia just over the Potomac from Washington that gave Lt. Gov. Kaine the governorship, Republicans in Congress envision their own doom.

The antidote to avoid that fate is to keep as far away from President Bush as possible, a lesson underlined by the president's failed election rescue mission for former Virginia state Attorney General Kilgore. The consequences may be profound. As his approval rating dipped, Bush increasingly has been treated in Congress as a lame duck. Tuesday's Virginia outcome increases the propensity of Republican senators and House members not only to avoid their president on the campaign trail but also to ignore his legislative proposals.

Tuesday's off-year election outcomes do not approximate the clear warning signal given Democrats 12 years ago when the 1993 flip from Democrat to Republican for governor of Virginia and New Jersey and mayor of New York presaged the 1994 GOP landslide. This year's expected Democratic win in New Jersey and retention of a nominal Republican in New York's City Hall did not constitute a national sea change.

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. According to the rw pundits, the election had no significance.

[faithnotgreed]

2. and according to the wh the election wins showed dems "weakness"

yet another glaring example of 1984 speak

[hippiegranny]

6. well in "hindsight" it has no significance

but befor the election when they thought they would win, it sure did!

[MrBenchley]

3. et tu, douchebag?

I understand the Moonie paper is also wailing that pResident Weaksuck killed the GOP....

[DeepModem Mom]

4. I enjoyed reading that -- thanks! nt

[bluedawg12]

5. Why is he still a free man? n/t

[Javaman]

7. moron* has the stink. n/t

[Love Bug]

8. Too late, Novack!

There's plenty of filmed footage of Repiglicans smiling alongside * during all of his campaign swings last year -- plenty for all the commercials the Dems can show next year!

[Greeby]

9. Couldn't pass by without asking...

Whos my little Douchebag of Liberty? :D

[AX10]

10. Republicans need their picture taken with *!

:D

[Mme. Defarge]

11. Novakula!

That's perfect.

[UndergroundRadical]

12. Well that's common sense

So as long as the monkey is spouting the same line regarding Iraq and mindlessly lumping Southeast Asian al Qaeda ops with Iraqi insurgents we're going to continue with our downward descent. Who cares, he's killing his own party. I'm sure they will ignore and avoid him next year.