Published on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 by CommonDreams.org

ThomHartmann.com - The Republican Plan For 2008 Begins Today

The political calculus being pursued by Karl Rove and the Republican Party with regard to Iraq and the 2008 elections is a simple four-step process:
1. Shift “ownership” of the downside of the “war” and occupation of Iraq to the Democrats.
2. Begin to wind down American involvement in the occupation of Iraq no later than mid-2008.
3. “Claim victory and get out” of direct combat in Iraq by the early fall of 2008.
4. Win big in the 2008 elections by having “won” a “war.”

If I were developing strategy for the R's, it would be much like that, to be honest.


Set up expectations for a withdrawl, and pray to GOd conditions on the ground make it impossible for the Next POTUS.

I suspec the Rs have written off the White House, and are already looking down the road to the off cycle Congressional elections in 2010.

I have to hand it to the Rs, but more specifically the Neo-cons who have captured control of that once grand old party.

Neo-cons, they're nothing if not excellent long term planners.