Dems and National Security

There's a great post here at AMERICABlog. The bulk of the post is just background info about your normal, run-of-the-mill Bush incompetence, this time with regard to cutting the size of the military in a time of war just to fudge the numbers. The money part, though, is the last paragraph.

Democrats there is a HUGE, ENORMOUS and MASSIVE opportunity for you here. A sustained campaign by the nation's Democratic Governors opposing the National Guard cuts paired with a plan in the House and Senate to repeal the tax cuts for the wealthy to pay for the war in Iraq could reap you enormous political hay in the future. In one move you go from being a party on the defensive in national security to the offense. You don't get handed a whole lot of opportunities like that. Pick a spokesperson now - only ONE and get them on TV as THE point person on this issue - and get a sustained PR campaign plan ready that you can launch after Alito. It'd be the right next move. Filibusterer Alito through the State of the Union and then move on to this and pretty soon it will be Spring, right in time to begin the 2006 cycle with a weaker opponent...

We already know the GOP is going to run on national security again for the mid-terms. Now is the time to take the wind out of that sail. The only reason the GOP sounds better on national security is because of talk, talk, talk. The facts just don't bear out the myth.

For example, they constantly hammered Clinton, claiming he was cutting the post-Cold War military to the point of putting the country in danger. But did you notice what Bush is doing?

President Bush will use his new budget to propose cutting the size of the Army Reserve to its lowest level in three decades

The lowest level in three decades. In thirty years. Since the seventies. Before Reagan. Three decades, that is. If the Dems don't jump on this, they really are missing out on a debate-framing opportunity, I think.