The Most Desperate GOP Talking Point Yet

This is pretty funny:

On the April 5 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews once again suggested Democrats would abuse the congressional subpoena authority if they regain control of one or both houses of Congress in the 2006 elections. In a conversation with former Rep. Vin Weber (R-MN), Matthews asserted that in 2006, Republicans will likely campaign on the claim that if elected, Democrats "are going to try to lynch the president."

The notion that Democrats will pursue partisan investigations of President Bush if they gain control of one or both houses was first advanced by Republicans and then picked up by Matthews. For example -- as Media Matters for America previously noted -- on the March 15 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) alleged that "you can expect two years of all-out investigations, attacks, anything they can bring to bear" if the Democrats regain control of the House or Senate in the 2006 midterm elections. Additionally, the Associated Press reported March 23 that in a fundraising letter, Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman claimed "[t]he Democrats' plan for 2006" is to "[t]ake the House and Senate, and impeach the president," adding, "With our nation at war, is this the kind of Congress you want?"

I think it is interesting the Chris Matthews and other BushCo members think that Bush has committed impeachable offenses. But really, what is the message here? Is BushCo saying,

"Look people -- we know you're not too happy with us right now. Sure, we've done some pretty squirrelly things and may have committed a few felonies in the process, but if you vote Democrat this year, then the Democrats could take control of at least one branch of Congress. If that happened, then its likely that the Democrats will investigate all of our wrongdoing, and you don't want that, do you? We're at War, for Christ's Sake! WAR!!!"

I just think it's funny that the predominant GOP talking point these days is: "If you don't want Bush impeached, then vote Republican." Such a talking point could easily backfire, given that Bush isn't really all that popular at present.

And speaking of popularity, Bush's approval rating in the latest AP-Ipsos poll is 36 percent, his lowest-ever rating so far in that particular poll.