Josh Marshall, Atrios and Kos says that Kerry needs to hit Bush on defense and national security now. I basically agree, and I don't think it'll take much to defeat Bush on national defense. No more talk about Bush's "strong leadership" post-9-11. There was none. For starters, here is the Bush's National Security record from the Daily Kos.
Bush took power
Bush ignored the threat of terrorism
9-11 occured
Bush was indecisive in that kindergarten class
Bush then hid out in Nebraska while his staff invented a "threat" to Air Force One to justify his absence
Bush went to war against Afghanistan (so far okay)
But instead of finishing the job, he let Bin Laden, Omar Mullah, and lots of Taliban and Al Qaeda to escape
Why did they get away? Because they diverted intelligence and military assets to fight a non-threat in Iraq
And how do we know Iraq was a non-threat? Because they invented evidence to justify the war and lied to Congress and the American people
They botched the occupation of Iraq, and close to 700 allied and countless Iraqis have paid the ultimate price, and more continue to do so
They botched the occupation of Afghanistan, as the US-backed government controls nothing more than Kabul, and the rest of the country is a haven for terrorists, religious fanatics, opium producers, and regional warlords
And now, over two years after 9-11, the administration is finally training all of our intelligence and military resources toward capturing Osama Bin Laden
The Dems will always have domestic politics on their side. Bush has so hopelessly screwed up the economy that he's never going to get it back, and his need to appeal to his theocon base is just going to alienate swing voters. In short, in terms of domestic politics, he's toast.
So the Dems should press the issue on foreign policy and security. Weaken him there, and he's totally finished. And it should be easy, because we can destroy him and his clique merely by speaking the truth.
If there is another attack on American soil before the year's end, it is due to Bush's FAILURE to properly handle the National Defense, and NOT due to the wiley ways of olive-skinned Evil Doers.
Without any funding, which of our port cities is going to be the first "nuclear-induced urban renewal project" of the Bush Administration?
"Billions for missle defense" while reservists have to take donations from their friends and neighbors to armor themselves and their HumVees before deploying to Iraq -- yah, that is the usual Bush priority.
Not enough body armor for troops in Iraq, and military veterans benefits getting cut -- but Chalabi gets 4 million a year for bum "intelligence" and Halliburton charges for theoretical (unmade, unserved) dinners. It's insane how Bush makes wounded soldiers pay for their meals when they are treated in our military hospitals, and why wounded guardsman have to live in sub-standard housing waiting for hospital beds and medical attention.
Don't you just love the fantastic way that the Commander in Chief runs his operations? Makes us proud, doesn't it?
The budgetary priorities of BushCo are this nation's real security threat.
