We're in danger of losing the war issue and Patriot Act issue to the Republicans

[Ter]

Unfortunately, President Obama, who campaigned against the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, is not against these wars in the least. He also was anti-Patriot Act in 2003, but is as pro PA as they come now. Sadly, many, many Democrats in Congress agree with him. Republicans also were almost unanimously in favor of these two issues several years ago.

However, times are changing. Many of the hard-right tea baggers with a libertarian twist are now in opposition to both wars and the un-Patriot Act. The Karl Rove/George Bush/Dick Cheney/Bill Kristol neo-con wing of the party are on their way out. I expect the paleo-conservative/paleo-libertarian wing to grow in greater numbers in 2012, knocking off many neo-cons in the Repuklican primary.

We're in deep danger of losing these issues to the unthinkable, Republicans. If not by 2012, certainly by 2014-2016. We can't lose this issue to them, folks. The American people are with us, why are we turning our backs with support of the wars and PA? Is there any chance Obama can act like he did when he was running for the Senate? Any chance we can form our own "tea party" and primary the Democrats who support these things?

This is a winning issue, and if Republicans start talking about pulling out completely (not some half-assed retreat where we say it's an end to combat, yet still have 50,000 there) of these unpopular wars, I fully expect us to lose many more seats in the coming elections.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Republicans will never talk about ending the military campaigns or ending the patriot act

Both parties will continue to support the wars and the patriot act and there's nothing we can do about it. They fight for the same interests.

It is what it is.

Repeat after me....

War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.

[Ter]

8. Many of the freshmen members are openly talking about bringing the troops home

Not so much on repealing the PA, but Sen. Rand Paul is talking about that as well. I've been saying for the past year that the Bush/Rove NWO wing of the Puke party is far more dangerous than the Joe Miller/Rand Paul crowd. Hell, if a Democrat had to lose in Alaska, Joe Miller would have done more good than Lisa M. The far-right goes so far right they start tiling back left.

[DrDan]

2. agree - these are bizarre times

[Laelth]

3. We? Who's we?

Democrats have voted overwhelmingly to extend the Patriot Act and to continue (or escalate) the wars.

What few liberals there are in government are a joke. They have no power to stop anything. The Democratic Party owns both the wars and the Patriot Act now. If "we" means the Democratic Party, then "we" are "winning" on these issues when the Patriot Act gets extended and the wars get funded.

-Laelth

[Laelth]

4. Obama promised to escalate the war in Afghanistan.

How can you argue with a straight face that he campaigned against that war?

-Laelth

[Gaedel]

7. Yes, be very careful what you say to get elected.

Candidate Obama hammered the Republicans on Iraq, calling it the "wrong war" and insisting that the "right war" was in Afghanistan and that Afghanistan was being neglected by Bush and the Republicans.

President Obama thus came into office with complete political ownership of Afghanistan and every thing that would happen there in the future.

If Afghanistan turns to crap, it will be "his" failure. He "bought" Afghanistan with his mouth.

[mmonk]

5. They already won that issue along with the tax cuts issue

and "small" government issue.

[Autumn]

6. What do you mean "losing these issues"

Democrats have fully embraced the Patriot Act and the wars. I doubt we will have any republicans come out against them either. Both are a non issue. None of the people in power give a flying fuck about either issue.