Karl Rove's Ace In The Hole

Iraq is a mess -- in fact, the U.S. just launched a massive combat operation almost three years after Bush declared major combat operations over in that country. The fiscally irresponsible, Republican-run Congress just approved a $781 billion increase in the federal government's debt limit -- this is the fourth time lawmakers have raised the cap since the Supreme Court appointed Bush as president back in 2000. Bush's approval rating is somewhere in the mid-thirties. The Katrina Debacle continues to make the headlines.

Every Republican congressman running for reelection is scrambling to distance him or herself from the most unpopular president in a generation.

Yet the Democrats are still afraid to attack Bush. Why?

I think the Democrats' hesitancy can be summed up with one word: Iran:

The Bush administration, updating a national security strategy that laid the groundwork for invading Iraq, said that Iran and its nuclear ambitions are the biggest future challenges to the U.S.

``We face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran,'' a 49-page foreign policy doctrine released today says. ``We will continue to take all necessary measures to protect our national and economic security against the adverse consequences of their bad conduct.''

The document, which is mandated by Congress, reaffirms President George W. Bush's policy regarding potential national security threats that he outlined a year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. That doctrine, which stated that the U.S. reserves the right to pre-empt threats, was used as the basis for invading Iraq to deal with the risk that Saddam Hussein might use weapons of mass destruction against the U.S. or provide them to terrorists.

Administration officials today said they had no second- thoughts about the policy, even though no weapons of mass destruction were found after Hussein was toppled.

``The doctrine of pre-emption remains sound,'' White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said in an address in Washington to present the updated strategy. ``We do not rule out the use of force before an attack occurs.''

There is no doubt in my mind that the U.S. will attack Iran during the run-up to the 2006 Mid-Term elections. In fact, Bush will have little choice but to do so. Karl Rove is betting that the American people will forgive all of BushCo's incompetence once American bombs start falling on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. It's a hell of a way to run a foreign policy, but there it is.

The Democrats know that this will happen, and are therefore afraid to challenge Bush. They truly are a pathetic bunch.

It will be interesting to see how Rove's strategy plays out. I have a feeling that it will be a complete success and that by December 2006, Bush's approval rating will be back in the mid-to-high 40s and the G.O.P. will have gained even more Congressional seats.

Yes, I really do have that little faith in the American people.