Strategy

By now, you've probably seen this important RAW story on a Republican document outlining their forthcoming strategy. Bottom line: The Rovian hordes depend on their ability to set the news agenda -- because if you're defending, you're losing.

The bad guys have managed to do this a lot lately, despite the President's poll numbers. Immigration. Flag burning. The Republicans will announce: "Let's talk about this. Let's not talk about the war or the economy." And as always, the Dems go along.

How to control the agenda? Here's how.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Democratic leaders are hoping to convince voters the Republican Congress is weak on national security....

Menendez decried how much of the cargo shipped into the nation's ports goes uninspected.

"We need to scan 100 percent of the cargo," he said.

Menendez was a vocal critic earlier this year of the Bush administration's plan to let a Dubai-owned company buy a stake in several U.S. ports.

He also slammed the administration's chemical plant security policy.

Bravo. I have another suggestion. Continue this "weak on security" theme and segue back into the immigration issue. After all, Bush and a Republican congress have been in charge for five years since 9/11, and our border patrol remains ridiculously underfunded.