Marshall Wittmann, a former Republican political strategist now with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, said Pelosi may have resurrected her party's most deadly liability -- voters' lack of trust in the party on national security.
"If Karl Rove was writing the timing of this, he wouldn't have written it any differently, with the president of the United States expressing resolve and the Democratic leader offering surrender," Wittmann said, referring to Bush's top adviser. "For Republicans, this is manna from heaven."
David Sirota, a Democratic strategist in Montana long critical of the party leadership's timidity, fired back: "It is not surprising that a bunch of insulated elitists in the Washington establishment -- most of whom have never served in uniform -- would stab the Democratic Party in the back and attack the courage of people like Vietnam War hero Jack Murtha and Nancy Pelosi for their stand on Iraq."
You see, Sherman, this is what I was talking about when I said that Democrats listen to too much of the Republicans' advice.
2 comments:
I don't disagree with you, Ben. Far as I can tell, the so-called Democratic Leadership Council has done little in the way of, you know, actually leading the party (as opposed to following the Repubs' footprints in the snow).
My thing on the DLC is that I think they've told themselves their brand of "centrism" was the reason Bill Clinton won in '92 and '96.
I think the reason Bill Clinton won is because he's Bill Clinton-even if you disagree with him you have to admit he's a brilliant campaigner and and a magnificent public speaker.
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