Breaking News: Dems Refuse To Be Defined By Republicans On Iraq

Maybe it's only a press release sent to members of the Washington press corps.... but we were somewhat taken aback when the following statement crossed into our inboxes. It's a sign that Democrats might actually be willing to tear up the Iraq script that Karl Rove has written for them and... fight back with confidence and verve?

No Plan, No End, Same Slogan

There they go again. On the Senate floor, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison just offered a slogan – “cut and run” -- instead of a solution. It’s time to call Republicans on their games. Today, the Senate Democratic Communications Center will shine the light on Republican rubberstamping. Americans have had enough of Bush Republicans’ no plan, no end. We need to hear more than Senator Hutchinson saying, “I urge my colleagues to think of the consequences of cutting and running from a fight that is much bigger than the stabilization of Iraq.” With the proposal put forward by Senators Levin and Reed, Democrats offer a plan for the Iraqis to take greater responsibility for their own security and future.

Where’s their plan?

Now -- if they can only get the message discipline part of the equation down then maybe you'll see an anonymous Dem quoted saying that his party "grew a pair."

Bonus: the Dems also sent out a blank word document entitled "The Bush Republican Plan On Iraq"

Bonus II: Here's what the Hotline had to say in today's Spotlight:

One can't help but watch Cong. Dems debate Iraq and recall Jon Lovitz's line playing Mike Dukakis: "I can't believe I'm losing to this guy."
-- Voters want to embrace an Iraq stance other than the GOP's, but still the Dems can't win.
-- Of course, Dems may simply be losing the media battle, not the voter war. Last week's NBC/WSJ poll showed a maj. of voters (including a maj. of all indies) saying they're "more likely" to support a cong. candidate who wants to withdraw troops in 12 months.
-- The problem, like Lovitz (er Dukakis) in '88: Dems on Iraq are showing too much caution and not enough confidence. The WH and the GOP are re-running the '04 message: "You may not agree with me all the time, but you know where I stand."
-- This week, Dems are taking the GOP bait and trying to find "common ground" on Iraq, which is caution delivered with very little confidence. That makes the GOP's Iraq straw man work, at least in the media. As for the voters? Polls don't show them as patient as they were in '04. But what if the most frustrated stay home?