by drational
Thu Aug 09, 2007 at 05:25:23 AM PDT
The FISA update was specifically pushed before the Congressional Summer Recess to generate exactly the reaction it has:
Remove Pressure from the Administration on purely domestic spying.
Fracture the Democratic Party, to create an issue of "more importance" to the progressives previously focusing their anger on the Administration.The Big Scheme
If you doubt this outcome was planned and executed from the White House Political Arm (Rove), then you have been in a coma for the past 8 years. The predictable schism has been opened and will be exploited with precision, skill, and proficiency.
Not only does the intra-party schism detract from the Warrantless Wiretap and DOJ Scandals, but it is designed to upgrade intra-party hostility for the rest of the primary season. Republicans want
"Terror" as a central issue in 2008. Not scandals, Not Iraq, Not Health Care, Not Education, Not the Economy. Not anything but the issue on which they feel they have an advantage.
They are setting up an intra-party schism on "Fighting Terrorism" to generate talking points that Democrats are so disorganized that they cannot come to a cohesive middle in balancing Civil Liberties with "fighting terrorism". Of course
the Republican answer is simply to eliminate Civil Liberties, but they, along with Fox News, will push, push, push focus onto terrorism in the coming year and a half. Civil Liberties are an abstraction for middle America, whereas terrorism is visceral.more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/8/9/63824/53794