Stating the Obvious

The NYTs is reporting that the quickly souring public opinion of the war in Iraq might hurt Republicans in the 2006 Congressional elections. Go figure.

Some said that the perception that the war was faltering was providing a rallying point for dispirited Democrats and could pose problems for Republicans in the Congressional elections next year.

Republicans said a convergence of events - including the protests inspired by the mother of a slain American soldier outside Mr. Bush's ranch in Texas, the missed deadline to draft an Iraqi Constitution and the spike in casualties among reservists - was creating what they said could be a significant and lasting shift in public attitude against the war.

When in comes time to go to the polls in 2006, Democrats need to drill the Republicans for leading the country into a war. Sure, a lot of Democrats supported the war, but Republicans won out as the tough-on-national-security party.

Regardless of what the next few months bring, there are at least 1862 reasons to question the war in Iraq. If Democrats want to win votes, they need to distance themselves from the war, in words and deeds, and convince Americans that a Democratic Congress, and eventually a Democratic administration, will save lives.

Am I suggesting using the war for political leverage? Damn right. Republicans made this bed; they should have to lose in it.

--Matthew McCoy