Republican Dichotomy Over Iraq

There's an interesting split among Republicans on Iraq. While President Bush, VP Cheney and others are making the war the centerpiece of this fall's election individual GOP Congresspersons are beginning to separate themselves from that failed policy. As election day gets closer and closer I suspect we'll see quite a few Republicans "getting religeon" about the effort. This is an interesting dichotomy and we'll be watching as it plays itself out.

Bush is like a mad dog after a bone and he refuses to accept the reality of events on the ground in Iraq. He and his generals keep predicting a decrease in violence and the possibility of reducing our troop presence there. The reality though is rapidly escalating violence, civil war as Iraqis kill Iraqis in the streets, and ever more U.S. troops necessary to keep things from getting even worse. Bush still insists on playing the fear card and trying to intimidate voters into supporting this disastrous course. More and more of his fellow Party members though, sensing the public mood, are distancing themselves from that policy.

Faced with the choice between voters calling them either opportunistic or "former Congressman So and So," they are changing their own courses on the war and coming out against the President's "over the cliff" mentality. It's interesting how self preservation usually wins out. Rather than follow Bush over the political cliff they're breaking ranks. Breaking ranks just as Bush is ratcheting up his rhetoric.

Is Bush being so vocal in an attempt to keep more D.C. Republicans from defecting or is he so married to his policy and his habit of using fear to keep the electorate in line he can't help himself? How many more of these worried Congressmen will decide their seat is worth more than supporting the policy? Another interesting observation will be those in races where their Democratic opponents haven't come out against the war. It could be the ultimate trump card this year.