I just can’t get too fired up over the latest ‘scandal’ involving the forceable ouster of several U.S. Attorneys. Although I think it was a bad idea for a number of reasons, the bottom line is that the replacement of political appointees for political reasons just doesn’t fire me up. Nor does another example of the incompetence of the Bush administration. I do believe that point has been more than adequately made by now.
What’s disappointing to me is the fact that Congressional Democrats are burning a lot of time and energy on this issue, thus falling into the same old pattern of attack-attack-attack the ‘enemy’ at all costs, and thereby losing an opportunity to show leadership on issues that Americans really care about. (Sorry, Dems, but the bottom line is that most Americans don’t give two hoots and a damn about fired lawyers.) Ask this question: If the Democratic campaign slogan in the last election were ‘Vote for Us, We’ll Keep Making Bush Look Bad,’ I don’t think that would have inspired a great turnout for Democratic candidates among the moderate voters who were the difference in theat election. There are important issues out there that need tending to: health care reform, energy policy, tax reform, growing income inequality. Democrats need to show leadership on these issues. That means putting forward sensible plans and — wait for it — putting these issues on the front page, rather than continuing to focus on pounding the Bush administration at every possible time. Just because you’ve found juicy targets (and I’ll admit, Harriet Miers and Alberto Gonzales are quite pathetic; Gonzales’ ‘my chief of staff did it’ schtick was truly awful) does not mean that you have to hammer them. It won’t serve your political interests in the long run by falling into the same-old same-old slash and burn politics. Moderate voters don’t care … they want leadership on substantive issues. Provide that and electoral success will follow.
Categories: Politics