Ronald Kessler
Friday, June 16, 2006

Reprint Information

Book on Katie Couric Makes Waves White House: We're Not Subject to FOIA FBI Seeks 2 Mysterious Men on Ferry Publisher: Conservatives Do Read As Much As Liberals Romney Shrugs Off Mormon History Film

Those who wonder if Karl Rove has lost his touch need look no further than the Republican strategy of forcing Democrats to go on the record about setting a date for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

For the past two months, Rove has been discussing the proposed strategy with Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, Republican congressional leaders, and others in the administration like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In Washington, debate goes on at two levels: There is the public debate, with a dozen members of members of Congress going on television to provide the sound bytes that will get them invited back, and the behind-the-scenes debate, which can be very different. The move to force the Democrats' hand by bringing the withdrawal question up for a vote in non-binding resolutions was a way to make the Democrats take responsibility for what they were saying publicly.

By 93-6, the Senate rejected a call to withdraw combat troops by the end of the year. The House debates a similar measure today.

During the 2004 campaign, Rove came up with a similar strategy: As John Kerry continued to flip flop about the Iraq war, Rove suggested that President Bush challenge Kerry publicly to say whether, knowing what he now knows, the Massachusetts senator would have voted for the resolution endorsing the Iraq invasion.

Kerry took the bait and said he would have voted for the resolution even knowing that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. Bush was able to say that Kerry "now agrees it was the right decision go into Iraq." More recently, Kerry has waffled again, saying his vote to support the war resolution was a "mistake."

Story Continues Below

  In the coming elections, Republicans will be able to make good use of the latest spectacle.

"Karl plays chess while the rest of us play checkers," said Noel J. Francisco, a former associate counsel in the Bush White House.

Editor's note:
Become a member of NewsMax's "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" Club – get the T-shirt – Click Here Now
If you love George Bush – you'll love NewsMax's "Bush Collection" – Check it out – Click Here Now
Check out "Resolve" with the official President Bush photo – Click Here Now

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration