Casting his opponents as pro war is a tactic that will work against Dean [View All]

[bigtree]

. . . especially now that Congress is back. You see, a sizable number voted as Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards did. For the war resolution. They are a bit miffed at the governor for labeling them as pro-war because of their vote. Many made that decision with the best of intentions for their country and almost all of them feel they were duped by this president and his cabal of spooks with 'detailed' presentations of large stashes of chemical and biological weaponry, and nuclear capabilities that Saddam was poised to release upon the region and the world.

Powell went before the U.N. with the same presentation and the world was misled. Most Americans initially supported the war. A majority polled still give the president high marks for his handling of foreign policy. Therefore, most Americans were misled by this administration.

My point is that these folks who supported the war vote - who rightfully expected the president to tell the truth when committing our men and women to war - are not stupid or inept. They were betrayed by this president, who launched a premeditated assault on Iraq, outside of any mandate from Congress or the American people; outside of any mandate from the international body whose 1441 resolution forms the basis for Bush's justification for war.

Most Americans who initally believed the president aren't going to accept any blame for Bush's betrayal. They will, more likely, recognize the explanations of those in Congress who voted to believe the president as kin to their own ambivalent support at the time. They share the sense of betrayal.

The 'Blame the Democrats First' strategy that Gov. Dean and others have employed will alienate those who stood with Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards at the time. To brand Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards as inept is a slap at the majority of Americans who agreed with their vote. It will become harder and harder for Gov. Dean to win over these folks the more he ramps up his know-it-all, anti-war rhetoric.

Gov. Dean feels that in his opposition to the invasion, that he was smarter than the majority of Americans. Good for him. Don't be surprised though, as those of us who weren't as smart as the governor, unite behind someone who may be more understanding of the betrayed trust we reluctantly, tragically, placed in the president's word.