We Love Roberts!!! And Bill Frist Too!!!

I was discussing with Ron today how the Democrats should handle the nomination of Roberts for Supreme Court given Bush's nose-thumbing with Bolton and the likelihood of another nomination battle when Renqhuist dies or whatever. He thought, perhaps, that the Dems should give a little fight for show, but let him through, showing that they are reasonable before the right tries to paint them as obstructionists when they dig in on the next nomination, who will probably be someone to the right of Bork.

But that strategy is the one we've been using for a while -- we're the reasonable ones -- and it hasn't been working. So I had an idea:

Why don't the Dems act as if Roberts is the greatest guy in the world, like they might even have picked him themselves if they could? Play up how this nomination is a repudation of the power of the extreme and religious right, how this marks the wane of Rove's influence in the White House and the use of Rove's tactics. Say things like, "We're glad that the Bush administration has decided not to be controlled by the religious right with this nomination," and, "Bush is showing the extreme right that they can't push him around anymore with this nomination."

Just keep pointing out to the religious right how this compromise candidate flies in the face of Bush's campaign promises by mentioning how much we like Bush's choice. That's really gonna start pissing the extreme and religious right off, I bet.

And we do the same thing with Frist. Now that Frist has changed his mind on stem cells, to the consternation of the religious right, make him our bestest buddy ever! Just talk on and on about what a great, thoughtful, reasonable guy Frist is for changing his mind on stem cells. Kill him and Roberts with kindness.

The Roberts nomination is a trap. If the Dems just do the reasonable thing, the Bush regime is going to paste them with Rove-like tactics in the next fight, painting themselves as the reasonable ones for nominating Roberts this time and the Dems as the obstructionists for opposing their Bork-like next nominee.

My message to Senate Democrats: Don't fall for it.

Don't oppose Roberts. Make Roberts your best friend. Make Frist your best friend. Make Arlen Specter, George Voinovich, and any other Republican who does anything we like our best friends. Because nothing will piss off Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, and the religious right more than Republicans doing things Democrats like. Take any opportunity to praise any Republican who does the right thing, and we can sit back and watch the power of the extreme and religious right crumble.

Just a thought.