Security is GOP gameplan

Republican lawmakers, candidates and party officials have launched a nationwide campaign this week to portray Democrats as  weak on national security.

Their starting point is a dispute over the administration’s counter-terrorism surveillance policy, but the end point is the election in November.

{mosads}The GOP tactic, successfully employed in the past, comes as Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the candidate most closely identified with support for the war on terror, is wrapping up the Republican presidential nomination.

Meanwhile, Democrats are strongly criticizing Republicans for “fear mongering.”

With eight months to go before voters cast their ballots, Republican strategists are moving swiftly to marshal their campaign weaponry and contrast the presumptive nominee and GOP lawmakers with their Democratic opponents.

Freshman House Democrats from New Hampshire to Arizona are under assault for a decision by Democratic leaders not to pass Senate legislation that would have reauthorized expanded wiretapping powers for national intelligence agencies.   

With lawmakers at a stalemate on a rewrite of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), an overwhelming majority of House Democrats supported Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) decision to allow a temporary surveillance law to expire at midnight on Feb. 16. Democrats wanted to pass an extension to the temporary law, but Republicans and the White House dismissed that approach.

Now, as the GOP attacks intensify, vulnerable Democrats may wonder if the confrontation with President Bush should have been avoided.

Bush used his radio address over the weekend to lambaste Democrats for putting the nation at “greater risk.” McCain called the decision to leave Washington without passing the intelligence legislation “disgraceful.”

Democrats responded that Bush has “chosen to manufacture a sudden and unnecessary confrontation” and argued that intelligence officials would still have the legal justification they need without congressional action.

But a nuanced policy debate outside of Washington could be a risky move for Democrats, who are competing with slogans that proved effective in campaigns since the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks.

Republicans appeared to be going back to that playbook this week in various parts of the country, trying to link vulnerable lawmakers with the bitter dispute in Washington.

In a typical example, Fergus Cullen, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, accused freshman Reps. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) of playing politics on legislation “critical” to national security.

“By skipping town and allowing this legislation to lapse, Reps. Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter have shown they just don’t take the threat to our nation seriously,” said Cullen.

Former Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.), who is running for Shea-Porter’s seat, has also joined the fray.

“[W]hile Congress adjourns for 10 days, a dangerous gap in intelligence gathering capability now increases the risk of terror attacks and undermines the safety of Americans,” said Bradley.   

Shea-Porter’s chief of staff fired back at her opponents.{mospagebreak}

“The legislation that is being pushed by the Bush administration would allow it to eavesdrop on conversations without a FISA warrant and with no meaningful oversight,” said Harry Gural. “Fergus Cullen should find this extremely troubling.  There is one thing that prevents the government from spying on Americans without a court warrant – and it’s called the U.S. Constitution.”

One senior party strategist said Republicans would also use the controversy against Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.). The Republican said that Clinton and Obama failed to show leadership on a crucial question by not pressing House leaders to pass Senate legislation extending wiretapping authority.

{mosads}McCain advisers say the likely Republican nominee will now begin to make more of an effort to draw contrasts between himself and the Democratic contenders on big issues such as taxes, government spending, and his forte, national security. McCain, a former prisoner of war, is the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Republicans are honing their message in congressional districts around the country. Freshman Democratic Reps. Chris Murphy (Conn.), Zack Space (Ohio), Charlie Wilson (Ohio), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.), and Nancy Boyda (Kan.) are among those who have received partisan blows in recent days.

Connecticut state Sen. David Cappiello (R), a candidate in Connecticut’s 5th district, blasted Murphy for “stonewalling” intelligence legislation, calling him “completely irresponsible.”

Local media outlets have also picked up on the controversy. The Connecticut Post, which covers parts of Murphy’s district, published a story Friday that reported on the accusations by local Republicans that “Chris Murphy and Democrats have chosen inaction and are skipping town.”

Republican challengers have also highlighted the issue in open-seat races. Republican candidate Darren White, who is running to replace Rep. Heather Wilson (R) in New Mexico’s 1st district, has used the surveillance debate as a cudgel against Democrat Martin Heinrich.

But Doug Thornell, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said it would be more productive if Republicans focused on reaching a bipartisan solution instead of exploiting the issue for political gain.

“It’s unfortunate that Republicans are once again resorting to political attacks and fear mongering to protect the big phone companies instead of working with Democrats on an important national security issue,” said Thornell.

“When the President returns from his weeklong overseas trip maybe he can explain why he put the interests of Ma Bell ahead of the American people.”

The fact that Democratic leaders decided to allow the intelligence law to lapse signals they’ve grown more confident on national security issues. Just six months ago, when Republicans forced them into a similar standoff, Democrats backed down quickly and passed temporary legislation granting Bush the expanded powers he had demanded. The capitulation sparked widespread criticism among Democratic activists.

 This time Democrats have decided to face the blows they’ve received repeatedly over the past several days.

“If we’re afraid to stand up to that then we don’t deserve to be here,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.).