READING BETWEEN THE LINES - AT 8:46 P.M. ET:  The White House has a new strategy for defending itself on terror, as The Politico reports:

Any day spent talking terrorism isn’t automatically a good one for the Obama administration, given the Republicans’ traditional edge on the issue among voters.

But debating Dick Cheney on terrorism? The Obama White House says it’s happy to do that anytime, as it did with Sunday’s split-screen standoff between Cheney and Vice President Joe Biden.

The dueling appearances, along with what is a clear administration strategy to play up its newly aggressive approach in Afghanistan, show a White House determined to project a posture of strength on national security and trying to gain the upper hand with Republicans who wish to portray Obama as weak.

"We have never engaged in chest-beating on what we're doing on terrorism,” said a White House official, who was pleased by how the interviews had played out. “But this dynamic where we're responding to criticism from the former vice president gave us the opportunity to explain what we're doing, without just going out and talking tough.”

And there is some evidence to suggest the strategy is working for Obama. A Washington Post poll released last week found that 56 percent approve of the way the president handles the threat of terrorism, making it Obama’s strongest core issue. Meanwhile his ratings on the domestic issues that got him elected slip: Only 45 percent approve of his handling of the economy, and 43 percent are with him on health care.

COMMENT:  This is a very weird story.  First, Vice President Cheney's poll numbers have risen as he's continued his attack on the Obama administration.  Second, the administration is now playing up policies that seem remarkably similar to those pursued by....Bush-Cheney. 

So the polls seem to show that, the closer Obama gets to the approach of the Bush administration on the terror question, the more confidence the American people have in Obama.   Maybe the White House should ponder that.  Debating Cheney may have some short-term benefits, especially on the left, but it may backfire if Cheney can claim that he's won the argument because Obama is moving closer to his position.

And if there's a successful terror attack, and Obama blows it the way his team blew it with the Christmas-day bomber, Cheney wins hands down.

February 14, 2010