Proof that Bush is politicizing war

A leaked internal White House memo, outlining Bush's re-election agenda, starts with "War on terrorism" and "homeland security" -- continuing proof that the admin has been managing the issue for maximum political gain.

This revelation is no big surprise to anyone that pays attention to these things. Bush's "war on terra" stopped being about national security a long time ago.

What is surprising is that Democrats are starting to show a spine.

John Kerry:

It continues to be shocking, but it's not surprising, that this administration will exploit the war on terrorism and national security issues for their advantage if they can.

Howard Dean:

The president is going to learn that Democrats have learned from our mistakes. [The issues list is] another attempt to play politics with terrorism.

An aggressive Democratic Party should be good for the nation's security -- if it can effectively assail the administration's Iraq obsession in spite of greater threats from Al Qaeda and North Korea. (Hey, when was the last time Bush even mentioned the name "Osama Bin Laden"?)

The list provides two other notable items: the president will abandon tax reform as an issue, and he will make a push for social security privatization next year. The social security issue, in particular, should prove interesting.

Posted December 29, 2002 09:45 AM | Comments (37)