The Great Retreat: Democrats Need to Fight For National Security

January 29, 2010  |  Posted by Danielle Belton

In the great game of political chicken on national defense are the Democrats balking -- again?

During the President's first State of the Union, he came out swinging, telling Democrats to stop running for the hills on issues when they have the majority. But was President Obama talking about national security when he threw out that remark? Because from all appearances, not only do Democrats on the Hill need to heed his advice, Obama may need to play a little "doctor heal thyself" on this one too. There was NO mention of Guantanamo Bay in the State of the Union. Afghanistan and other national security issues were skirted around and other than reminding people of his promise to pull troops out of Iraq come August, he largely punted the issue. And then there was the talk of the domestic spending freeze, but no talk of any kind of examination of the bloated defense budget.

But what if Democrats decided to take a page out of the Republican playbook and go after what pollsters say is their strength – national security?

What would happen if Democrats did to them what they did to John Kerry in 2004? Only in this case, they wouldn’t have to make things up about what Republicans did to weaken the country and make us less secure.

What if Democrats refused to, in the president’s words, “run for the hills” when it comes to taking this issue right to the Repubulicans, defining the national security issue and debate?

Why should the Democrats play more offense? Let's face it. Republicans don't have any credibility when it comes to most issues in the eyes of the public. Economics? We saw how well no regulations, tax cuts for the rich went. Republicans are abscent on most domestic fronts. All they have left is their hold card -- their "fear" card on national defense -- and technically, after eight years of the Bush-Cheney Administration, that card should be shot full of holes.

From 9/11 to the Anthrax attacks to greatest foreign policy blunder in the history of the United States -- the Iraq War and the incredible, imaginary "weapons of mass destruction." That all happened on their watch and Democrats should be calling Republicans on the carpet for it. They should be reminding the public that unless you like a "shoot first, go-into-debt-and-death-fighting-a-poorly-thought-out-war later" you can't trust Republicans with national security.

Yet instead of standing and fighting, we fear the great retreat is upon us.

A retreat on national security. A retreat on closing Guantanamo Bay. A "partial" retreat on the trial of Khalid Shiekh Mohammad and other high level terrorists in New York City. A retreat on cutting the bloated defense budget, a budget even individuals inside the Pentagon agree needs to be wrangled with. Democrats want to talk "jobs, jobs, jobs" but as the economy improves, the Republicans, just like Senator-elect Scott Brown did in Massachusetts, will use national security as a cudgel to beat the opposition with because that's all they have.

Conservatives are holding tight to their fear cards and they will play them over and over, telling the public that domestic issues don't matter if you're dead.

Instead of letting Republicans rule the debate on defense, Democrats should challenge them on their own record of death and disappointment. The Democrats should define the Republicans on foreign policy by the garbage they created during the days of George W. Bush and remind the public that the Democrats were elected to take out that garbage.

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