And Republican leadership (Newt) were arguably smarter politically and the Republican caucus in better array than either are now.

I mean, Bush’s Strongly disapprove rating was at 41% when he left office, and Obama’s is currently hovering around 34%. The Democrats have also lost an 8-point lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot. This makes his first 3 months arguably the worst politically of any president since the 19th century.

John F-ing Kerry – meeting with the NV while still a member of the USN circa 1972.
Bob McDermott – going to Iraq circa 1991 and denouncing the US on TV.
Nancy Pelosi – undermining the war by visiting tin-pot despot Syrian dictator, circa 2007.
Harry Reid – “this war is lost”.
Just getting warmed up too.

Right now, Obama’s down to 54-55% in Rasmussen. That means all it will take is for one more pretty bad thing to happen, and he’ll plummet towards 40-45% pretty quick…

Yes, the Republicans spent too freely in the last two presidential terms. As to Obama campaign criticisms such as the $10 Billion/month cost of the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars, all I can say is “How quaint!”

Republican leaders need to present the magnitude of the future debt to the public in some easy to grasp medium (such as the repeated use of an agreed upon chart).

Instead, they’ve quasi-retreated, like a confused deer in the headlights. It now looks to me like the ‘show trials’ have been called off!

Maybe Kos & co. are right after all – when the Dems really have the chance, they do seem to fail to pull the pin/go for the jugular.

In the end, what always seems to undo the Democrats is ‘not overreaches’ on their grandiose Stalinist Utopian dreams and policies – in the end, it always seems to be their inherent incompetence that’s their undoing.

The rest of you congressional Republicans take note. If only.

Rules of engagement, sound like a nice “civilized” touch but they are perilous to our soldiers.

Now that we have experienced attacks on our own soil, our civilian population is more at risk. Concern as to whether or not water boarding constitutes torture and recent publication of formerly top secret intelligence might make the world think better of us, but these actions put our civilian population at greater risk.

The “current in the general discussions, etc” is very real. I fully agree with you that there is one. However, in my opinion, it results from a realization of the peril in which our leaders have placed us, and their predictable attempt at shirking responsibility in the event of another terror attack, while placing blame on Bush/Cheney.