GOP Enjoying Heightened Contrasts Brought by Debate - Los Angeles Times:

"The public is better informed and less scared."

Maybe, but the White House twisting the War in Iraq into the War on Terror is not good for Dems. The problem is that the Dems will lose on that issue. I'm not sure that the DLC policy of moving further right than the GOP is the best idea, but at least it gives you options.

The MSM likes short sound-bites and not detailed examinations of the arguments. I'd like a Logic 101 class to go over the President's speeches in the last week. I'm glad there is some more fact checking going on, but they give the Prez (and that darkone) a free pass when it comes to rhetoric.

The danger here is that the GOP is nationalizing the '06 elections with the "defeat and retreat" line. It's a good line, but the Dems have got to counterpunch. Nationally the party has to keep going after the the bad intelligence that got us into the Iraq mess. Link the Lobbying scandals to the White House, DeLay, and the GOP. Keep the pressure up on the Katrina "rebuilding." In other words make "Accountability" the theme of the '06 races.