THE PARTY IN POWER GETS TO CAPITALIZE:

Leaders of the Opposition (NOAM SCHEIBER, 3/29/05, NY Times)

ACCORDING to a now infamous memo circulated among Republican senators, the Terri Schiavo case is a "great political issue" for their party. The memo is half right: the case may be good politics - but for Democrats. After all, in defending their intervention, Republican leaders in Congress have marshaled traditionally liberal arguments about the federal government's obligations to its citizens.

Indeed, the practical effect of the idealistic arguments the Republican leadership puts forth to defend much of its agenda - from health care to education to immigration reform - may be to sell the middle of the electorate on longtime Democratic positions.

This phenomenon may be most pronounced in foreign policy, the president's defining issue. It is true that the president can claim that recent events in Lebanon, Egypt and even Kyrgyzstan vindicate his decision to invade Iraq, and so may bolster his party. If this trend toward democratization continues, however, Democrats may be better positioned to capitalize on it politically.

The reason is that - as with education, health care and immigration - promoting liberal democracy is a project Democrats have historically embraced.

You can almost pity folks like Mr. Scheiber who haven't figured out yet that its the Republicans not the Democrats who reflect their values.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 29, 2005 7:44 AM