It’s always been problematical for someone to attack someone else who’s more popular than they are. The Democrats in Congress have discovered that however abysmally low President Bush’s approval numbers may be, theirs being lower makes it a bad idea for them to attack him.
So now what are they doing? Attacking somebody—Rush Limbaugh—who, like him or not, has more popular support even than the president. Limbaugh’s listeners—and in this kerfuffle a growing number of people who don’t listen to him—know he wasn’t attacking the troops with his “phony soldiers” comment. Tom Harkin has pretty much screwed the pooch with his remarks.
I’ve been speaking of the relative support levels of Bush, Congress, and Limbaugh, but it’s also worth noting that the overwhelming majority of onlookers these days are of the “a pox on both your houses” persuasion. Though they may be willing to believe what the Democrats are saying about Limbaugh, the effect will be neither to attract those people’s support to Congress, nor erode it from the radio host since he doesn’t have it in the first place.
As any Bronco owner can tell you, when you’re stuck and not even four-wheel-drive can get you out of the hole, spinning your wheels in a different direction does no good and just uses up what fuel you have left.
So, don’t think my title for this post means I’m not cheering Harkin and the rest on. I am, after all, a Republican. Anything that digs the Democrats in deeper and squanders their limited resources is okay by me—especially if it’s their own doing.
