Ds build strategy to retake Congress

With the Rs on the ropes after twin blows from Hurricane Katrina and the DeLay indictment (not to mention across the board declines in poll approval ratings) the Ds are seeing hope that they will make significant gains in Congress, if not retake control, in 2006. According to American Prospect Online, a left-leaning magazine, the Ds have been developing their campaign message:

"The preliminary version leaders have been outlining calls for making college universal in the 21st century, getting the federal budget under control, achieving energy independence, creating a new national institute for science and technology, and providing health care to all working Americans." says the mag.

By the way, among the players hard at work on the 2006 agenda for the Ds is none other than Maria Cantwell.

Noticably absent is any mention of Iraq. The American Prospect noticed too. "Given that Democrats lost the last two elections based, in large measure, on national-security issues, coming up with a coherent, unified national-security agenda and stance on America’s involvement in Iraq would seem to be job one for Democratic agenda setters."

The key word there is "unified." The Rs, who have claimed the law-n-order torch for years, have managed to parlay national security into a mandate. Nobody who opposed the war in Iraq was given any credibility. The reasons for that could probably fill a book. In any event, until the Ds (or some other group) can develop a credible alternative to "staying the course" the Rs are going to keep this issue. Consequently, it remains an issue on which Cantwell is vulnerable, particularly from the left.