Rove's Destruction Of The GOP

by Steve

Here’s several domestic political items for you to chew on today.

Lessons of 2006

Two results from the 2006 election that will give the GOP heartburn is that Democrats showed strength in the suburbs as the GOP’s base moved more and more out to the boonies into rural areas and away from everyday people. And another result was that the New England GOP was all but obliterated as Democrats knocked out several GOP House incumbents. Karl Rove can take credit for pulling the GOP so far rightward that it made much of the party’s New England moderate wing extinct, except for Chris Shays and the two ladies from Maine. Rove has presided over the GOP becoming a South-only party that has lost terrain everywhere else in the country.

Agenda

Pelosi said this morning that Democrats will focus first on ethics reform, and bipartisan issues. The Democrats will focus on what they told voters they would do in the “100 Hours” agenda, even as the drug industry tries to slow them down on the Part D mess. But Democrats will take a “go slow” approach on Iraq, and let hearings dictate where they go on domestic surveillance and immigration, and will apparently let the courts sort out the illegalities McCain sanctioned with the detainee treatment bill.

John Dingell has put the word out that the Bush Administration can expect investigations next year on the following issues: the Medicare Part D benefit program; Halliburton and the rest of Iraq contracting; and the Cheney Energy Task Force. But Democrats need to be ready for the White House to blow off their subpoenas and claim executive privilege, and prepare for a public relations and constitutional challenge, painting the GOP and White House as hiding something and being unaccountable to the people.

Intelligence Committee

It appears also that Alcee Hastings won’t be getting the House Intelligence Committee chairmanship.

2008

Al Gore says he still has no plans to run in 2008. And yes, Obama seems to be thinking about an Iowa political infrastructure.

In a blow to Mitt Romney, Rasmussen says that 43% of American voters say they would never vote for a Mormon candidate.

In what was already a good Democratic Senate pickup opportunity in 2008, GOP incumbent Wayne Allard may not run for reelection now that he is in the minority party. In fact, the Post notes that the GOP will have an uphill climb retaking either the House or Senate in 2008.