GOP SCORES ON NATIONAL SECURITY - AT 7:48 A.M. ET:  The Republicans are down, but some are fighting back, and a new Gallup survey, reported here last night, shows conservatives to be the largest ideological block.  National security is a natural GOP advantage, as reported by The Politico's "The Huddle" column:

GOP NATIONAL SECURITY GROOVE: The party out of power is still doing well on national security issues, as Steve Dennis reports in today’s Roll Call: “Congressional Republicans are at their weakest point politically in decades, but they still appear to be keeping Democrats on the defensive when it comes to national security.

“The GOP attacks, particularly on the closing of the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, prison and the treatment of suspected terrorists there, have tied Democrats in parliamentary knots and repeatedly put President Barack Obama on the spot. While Democrats don’t believe the GOP is making major political headway, Republicans are relishing the fight. “The president made some major missteps, including announcing he would be closing Gitmo without fully understanding it,” House Intelligence ranking member Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) said.”

COMMENT:  Republicans can score major gains, based on the issues, in next year's congressional races.  The president's coattails may not be that long, and large chunks of the population disagree with him on the issues.  The attack on Dem policies must be sustained, but must be accompanied by Republican alternatives. Criticism alone doesn't do it. 

The Republican contract with America, containing real proposals, helped win the 1994 midterms for the GOP.  It can be done again.

June 16, 2009