Reply #4: political objectives for Republicans have changed..

[flaminbats]

before 2006 Republicans were focused mainly on how far they could ride the 9/11 wave of public support, and who would replace Bush as the neoconservative czar after the midterm elections. after a decade of being the majority party, Republicans began to forget about the importance of winning local and state elections.

Now Republicans have been re-energized. Most Republican voters feel the same way Democrats do about their primary candidates. But unlike the Democrats, Republicans are focusing again on winning back a majority in Congress. For the Republicans, the Presidential election is only a sideshow. But for many Democrats targeting beatable Republicans to increase our majority Congress is a sideshow. Winning the White House and who gets nominated in 2008 seems to be the focus.

Republicans like Pete Sessions and Paul Ryan are effectively using the politics of something for nothing verses tax and spend liberalism to get free media attention on the House floor. They are accusing Democrats of supporting the "second largest tax increase in history", of endangering the lives of our troops in Iraq, and of "micromanaging the war".

These guys are great at politics..they pass massive taxcuts and then accuse the Democratic majority of withholding funds for the troops in Iraq, they invade Iraq without an exit strategy and then accuse us of supporting the defeat of our troops when opposing Bush's escalation, finally they collect less in revenue than they spend while in power then accuse "tax and spend liberals" of "wanting to have it both ways!"

Republicans couldn't have it better! they spend their time in power partying and living the high life, then they use us to mop up the floor and to win votes the morning after. Democrats should give this a try, surely Republicans can give us something useful!