Tough on Defense & Terrorism?

BELOW are talking points from the DSCC, a partisan source.

That said, they come with footnotes and should not be dismissed, espeically amidst so much mainstream media stenography unquestionably  accepting the rather nonfactual claim that the Bush Administration's foreign policy has been a success.

Key Point: The White House is pursuing a wrongheaded approach to terrorism, prioritizing defensive measures like surveillance instead of more aggressive tactics like increasing the number of strike forces who can kill Al Qaeda and boosting human intelligence, which as we saw in London, is key to foiling attacks. Democrats offer a new direction that takes the fight to the terrorists so that we can have real security at home.

WHY ARE WE WAITING FOR BIN LADEN TO CALL? Michael Chertoff’s pronouncement that the White House is focusing on expanding surveillance programs is another example of how it is playing defense on terrorism. Instead of waiting for the enemy to make a move before we pounce, we should expand our strike force capabilities so that we can disrupt and kill bin Laden and al Qaeda. We should also boost human intelligence assets, which as we saw in London, are keys to foiling attacks – We need more spies who can infiltrate al Qaeda and other terrorist groups plotting to do us harm.

AL-QAEDA HAS PROSPERED UNDER BUSH ADMINISTRATION. Bin Laden is still alive and Al-Qaeda cells continue to proliferate around the globe. In fact, the CIA closed a unit that for a decade had the mission of hunting Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants.

BUSH IRAQ POLICY BREEDING TERRORISM.

Iraq has become a new rallying cry and training ground for global terrorists. The estimated number of foreign terrorists and fighters in Iraq has quadrupled from 2004 to 2006.

AS TERROR PLOT UNFOLDED, BUSH TRIED TO CUT BOMB DETECTION FUNDS. As the British terror plot was unfolding, the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology.

9/11 COMMISSION GAVE GOP FAILING GRADES ON SECURITY EFFORTS. The 9/11 Commission gave the Bush administration 5 F's and 12 D's on its efforts to improve homeland security after the September 11 attacks. The most glaring failures included aviation security (grades C, D, F) and public safety communications (grade F).

GOP RHETORIC IS A SYMPTOM OF LOW-POLL DISORDER. With poll after poll showing the GOP’s electoral prospects growing increasingly dim heading into November, Republican rhetoric has gone over the top like when Dick Cheney made the absurd claim that voters in Connecticut are aiding terrorists. Republicans have seen their once double-digit lead on terrorism dwindle to a single-digit lead, with some polls like the one from the Washington Post showing Democrats leading on the issue.

SOURCES:

1) GOP Plays Defense: Wall Street Journal, 8/14/06

2) Al Qaeda Prospers Under Bush: Center for American Progress, Progress in Iraq Report Card, 7/25/06 ; CBS News, 8/5/06 ; New York Times, 7/4/06  

3) Bush Tried Cutting Bomb Detection: CBS News, 8/13/06

4) Bush Gets Failing Grades on Terror: 9/11 Public Discourse Project, 12/05

5) Bush Iraq Policy Breeds Terrorism: Brookings Iraq Index