Isn't it interesting that a Republican in a close re-election battle against a strong Democratic challenger feels the need to criticize Bush on the domestic spying scandal in order to bolster herself in the polls.
And what a coincidence, a poll released today shows the GOP incumbent has 44% vs her Democratic challenger's 43%.
Why is this important? Because we've been hearing that the Democratic pundit/pollster class is terrified of taking Bush on over the domestic spying scandal. It will make Dems look weak on Osama, the pundit/pollsters say. Yet, when the Republicans are in danger of losing to a Democrat, what do THEY do? They choose to openly criticize Bush on this very same scandal expressly in order to curry favor with the public.
Now what do the Republicans know that we don't? That this is a real issue that actually troubles mainstream Americans, and that taking it on only helps them in the polls.
From the NYT:
A House Republican whose subcommittee oversees the National Security Agency broke ranks with the White House on Tuesday and called for a full Congressional inquiry into the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program.
The lawmaker, Representative Heather A. Wilson of New Mexico, chairwoman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, said in an interview that she had "serious concerns" about the surveillance program. By withholding information about its operations from many lawmakers, she said, the administration has deepened her apprehension about whom the agency is monitoring and why.
