The Evidence Builds....

Check it out, the Washington Post is catching on!

Both Parties Sensing Tighter House Races: Republican Fortunes Appear to Turn Rosier

"The obvious battle is over whether voters on Nov. 7 will be thinking more about the violence in Iraq, which pushes them the Democrats' way, or more about the broader war on terror.
In this skirmish, Republicans can chalk up modest but real gains. The Pew Research Center found that the proportion of voters who listed terrorism as the most important problem facing the country rose from 5 percent last May to 14 percent this month. Significantly, the proportion of independents who listed terror as the key issue rose from 5 percent to 13 percent." (See link below)

Good News for Republicans?

That being said, here's Newt (I miss you Newty....) Gingrich leaving Congress was the beginning of the end of my attachment to the GOP. When he left the budget cutting and reform ended, and the divisive anti flag burning and prayer in school crap (which even if you favor these the Supreme Court will, and has in the past, shoot them down for being unconstitutional). It moved away from politics that accomplish something, and basically became a battle of ideals that went no where.

"You now have a Republican Party in danger of being in a recession. The party is
confused as to its identity. And I don't see a very large market for a pro-pork,
centrist Republican Party."

-Newt Gingrich (from the real clear politics interview, see link below)

Newt Gingrich on the Direction of the GOP

Here's an interesting interview with Karen Hughes, who cites the clash of American culture with Islamic values as a major point of growing tension. While I am sympathetic to their disdain, at the same time, I don't think we should censor ourselves for their benefit. However, I'm quite certain that Hughes thinks a bit of censorship may be in our best interests as well. This would be counterintuitive to our desire to "liberate" people.

AP Interview: Longtime Bush aide says it could take decades to alter anti-American feelings around the world