I think that should be the attitude of Republicans to the latest congressional-White House showdown over subpoenas, executive privilege, etc. These kinds of fights are passionate affairs for insiders and partisans of both sides, but I think are generally off-putting to the public. There’s really not much more damage that Democrats can do to Bush with this stuff. What are they going to do? Take him from 29% to 27%? But they can further cement their own role in the ongoing saga Inside the Beltway called, “Everything Everyone Hates About Washington.” Republicans can hope after another year-and-a-half of this both parties will have unpopular high-profile symbols, Bush for the Republicans and Congress for the Democrats. That will make a little wider the best opening a Republican presidential candidate is likely going to have in ‘08, which is running as an outsider who is not vested in the tired old politics of the last 8 years. This strategy becomes even more plausible if the Democrats run a senator who has been a powerful fixture in Washington since January 1993.
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About the Author
Rich Lowry is the editor in chief of National Review.
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