Prepare For An October Surprise

(Hint: It will involve terrorism in some way)

From the Washington Post-

...President Bush's low approval ratings, the sharp divisions over the war in Iraq, dissatisfaction with Congress, and economic anxiety caused by high gasoline prices and stagnant wages have alienated independent voters, energized the Democratic base and thrown once-safe Republican incumbents on the defensive.

As the campaign season begins, Democrats are trying to guard against premature celebration, even as their prospects are brighter than most ever imagined. Republicans are hoping for some outside event that would show the president and their party in a better light -- a spate of good news from Iraq, a foiled terrorist plot or an unlikely break in the deadlock over immigration on Capitol Hill....

Interesting. Rather than stand their ground and their defend their records, the Republicans are hoping for an 'outside event' that will distract voters in the final weeks before the election. And who can blame them? If your record involved the largest deficit in U.S. history, greater economic class disparity, two horribly mismanaged wars, a catering to religious extremists at the expense of any substantive domestic agenda, and being known as the rubberstamp to the worst President ever... you wouldn't run on it either! Bring on the sham terror-related legislation, Al Qaeda videos, and foiled terror 'plots'!

For instance, the NY Times reports that Congressional leaders are abandoning their more controversial and complicated immigration legislation plans and choosing instead to focus on the terror issue: "Congressional Republican leaders have all but abandoned a broad overhaul of immigration laws and instead will concentrate on national security issues they believe play to their political strength... Republicans in the House and Senate say they will focus on Pentagon and domestic security spending bills, port security legislation and measures that would authorize the administration’s terror surveillance program and create military tribunals to try terror suspects."

Regarding the bolded part- what measures would that be? Why Sen. Specter's amnesty bill, of course, which will make warrantless surveillance legal and allow for all future Presidents to bypass court oversight. This bill represents a major low point in our constitutional democracy and is a perfect example of why the GOP rubberstamp Congress needs ousting. Will Democrats take the bait or will they stand on principle and defeat this? I'm not too optimistic.

Ugh. Maybe this is why so few people vote.