FEAR!

It is almost zero hour, when Congress bows to the president and his cronies.

Almost time to give Bush all he wants, money and legislative humiliation.


What tool has Bush relied on in this time?

FEAR!!!

Have you watched Bush over the last few weeks? What phrase has he used, more than even Giuliani, time and again like a hammer. 9/11. Once it was a rally cry. Something to unite Americans. Something to remind us of a painful scarring loss in this nation.

Now it is a large large cudgel to bash about the heads of the populace.

Disagree with Bush? 9/11. Want to make radical changes in our Iraq policy? 9/11. Think Bush is close minded? 9/11. Worried about Bush's unresponsiveness? Did you know they want to kill your children?

And the effect? None, in the population. The people are sick of it...as a policy argument. (In the Republican presidential campaign, it is being lapped up as it flows four "America's Mayor".) Coming from Bush it is seen more and more as cheap words, the treading on the corpses of those lost, a desperate grab for power.

The people are becoming inoculated. Unfortunately, history shows that it will wear off in too short a span.

So who is being swayed? Congress. They don't want to be at risk of being blamed. Even if the people agree with the stand (to a point), even if they can clearly show that it is the president who is being obstinate.

TPM - Election Central:

Democrats said they did not relish the prospect of leaving Washington for a Memorial Day break — the second recess since the financing fight began — and leaving themselves vulnerable to White House attacks that they were again on vacation while the troops were wanting. That criticism seemed more politically threatening to them than the anger Democrats knew they would draw from the left by bowing to Mr. Bush.

Oooooooooooooo, scary! If we didn't give Bush his way, the White House would have criticized us!

Seriously, the Times account dovetails with what we've heard from multiple Dem staffers. And it has to be said that this is, like, soooooooooo June 2006. Recall that last spring many Dems were terrified of taking on the GOP and the White House over Iraq because they worried that the Republicans would tell the electorate an irresistable story: Dems are weak, and Republicans are strong. When Dems finally realized that Republicans would tell this story no matter what they did, they started telling the story their way: The war in Iraq is a disaster; it has made us weaker; Dems want to end it, and Republicans don't. The rest is history. Dems won the argument.

Now Dems appear to have let their own worries about the potential story that Republicans will tell -- Dems are on vacation while the troops are wanting! -- largely shape their course of action here. Sure, you want to game out what the opposition will do. But Dems, Republicans are going to keep telling the story this way no matter what you do. Indeed, the President just reminded everyone at today's presser that some Dems didn't want to support the troops -- even though the Dem leadership has already agreed to give him his no-timelines funding. Why not start by deciding what the right policy is, and then tell your story as forcefully as you can? Dems can win arguments, as 2006 showed.

So what do we get after all this? The war is fully funded. The reconstruction funding is at risk. Reconstruction funding is not at risk, as Bush can just ignore that bit and spend the money. And, a bunch of pork (some good - Minimum Wage increase) is in to buy up some added Democratic support.

Congrats representatives, you've just been bought.

Some people will stand against this. Pelosi is opposed and will vote against. How many others will stand by their earlier words? Where will the presidential candidates in office stand when it is time to be heard, on the record?