WP: Katrina Darkens the Outlook for Incumbents (from both parties) in 2006

[DeepModem Mom]

Katrina Darkens the Outlook for Incumbents
Public Dismay Could Shape 2006 Elections

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 11, 2005; Page A02


Hurricane Katrina has the potential to foment change in Washington like the terrorist strikes did four years ago, altering the government's priorities for the foreseeable future and darkening the mood of an electorate that was already anxious before the storm hit shore, according to lawmakers, pollsters and strategists from both parties.

The dispute over Washington's role in saving lives in New Orleans and in the future threatens to make incumbents from both parties among Katrina's casualties, several officials said. With the popularity of Congress and President Bush sagging before the crisis, many officials said Bush and lawmakers made their situation worse by pointing fingers and digressing into political warfare with rescue operations still underway.

The aftermath of the past two weeks is almost certain to have a long echo. The billions of dollars already committed -- with many predicting the sum will eventually reach into the hundreds of billions -- is enough to make the New Orleans catastrophe a dominant factor in Washington's ritual battles over spending priorities for the balance of Bush's term. And the question of accountability -- fixing responsibility for what went wrong in the troubled early days of the rescue effort -- promises to color congressional debate for the next year or more.

Beyond these concrete impacts, some strategists expect Katrina to reshape the ideological premises of Washington debate in more subtle, but potentially more consequential, ways. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), in memos circulated among Republicans last week and in conversations with White House officials, argued that the party that offers bold ideas to modernize how government responds to crisis will be rewarded in future elections.

"Both parties have a great opportunity -- and a great risk," Gingrich said in an interview. "One of the two parties is going to be the party that brings the country into the 21st century . . . and you can't say today which party will win that battle."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/10/AR2005091001016.html

[JI7]

1. Gingrich ? HAHAHHAHAH

of course

[bullimiami]

2. good. i dont like very many of them at all. hate the pukes, unhappy with

most of the democratic enablers. sweep all of the bums out.

[creeksneakers2]

3. This is the second time in a week

that the Post sought out anonymous strategists with bad advice for Democrats. The latest poll has Congressional elections going 50% to 38% for Democrats. The public will respect criticism of Bush as long as it is well founded.

[depakid]

8. The Post is a wholly run Republican subsidiary

that constantly distorts and even spreads outright falsehoods in its attempts to tear down the Dems.

It's become such a joke don't even bother with them anymore.

Pravda on the Potomac- not even firt for fishwrap.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. I think part of it is Beltway provincialism --

D.C. reporters go to cocktail parties with the cabal, have kids in the same schools, so they can't imagine how evil they are. Also, they are so provincial they are clueless about the rest of the country. IMO, the NYT is a more valuable paper for national news coverage, and the LA Times more valuable than both.

[Vincardog]

4. Right it is time for some real Progressive Democratic Leadership.

The first leader who grow a spine and stand up to the 'elite' faux rulers wins.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

5. Majority of voters put their trust in the re-pukes and now blame Dem's, BS

The voters handed over the keys of government completely by giving majorities in both houses of congress and by re-electing a failed administration along with providing the opportunity for the neo-cons to pack the Supreme Court. The Democratic Party is nearly powerless yet it is their fault. MSM will be very busy selling this fairy tale too bad a lack of Democratic Party leadership will allow this myth to be propagated.

[Zenlitened]

6. Republicans cannot be trusted to govern. That's the message of Katrina.

Very simple.

As for Gingrich, note how he tries to cast this in terms of "modernizing" response to disaster. Bullshit. As usual, from him.

It's not about how to do it better. It's about how to do it right.

Gag. It it so sickening to see that pestilent little filth-bag creeping back out into the light of day lately. :puke:

[are_we_united_yet]

7. Nothing Electronic voting can't handle

[jaysunb]

9. This is a case of pure "mis-direction "

It's been working pretty good for the last five years, but someone might want to inform Mr Vandehei that, " the jigs up " "the cat is out of the bag !"
NO MORE BULLSHIT PAL !!!

[paulk]

11. WaPo still whoring for the RNC

:thumbsdown:

[confludemocrat]

12. This is the worst reporter among the worst, regurgitating spin. Worthless.

But we know some Democrats have "issues" on this mess. Only the democrats you couldn't trust anyway, like the Clintons (cozy with Bush or echoing his "no one could have known the levees would break" and pro-war thus guilty as anyone for not enough LA National Guard in the state) Kerry, Biden, Bayh, Lieberman (for either their silence or being supporters of the tack that kept 35-45 % of the National Guard in Iraq or giving a rubber stamp to Brown, and people like Obama who voted for the bankruptcy bill which wiill soon begin to bite lower and middle class people of N. O. having voted for this bill despite the lack of an exception for natural disasters. So a third party preference or anti-incumbent mood may happen.