How To Cut And Run

Over the weekend, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pulled an ad that showed flag-draped coffins returning from Iraq at the request of Reps Chet Edwards of Texas and John Spratt of South Carolina, who contacted Rahm Emanuel and asked him to remove the ad. In its place, the DCCC replaced the Internet ad with a radio ad that targeted Rep. John Hostetler, R-Ind., for opposing an increase in the minimum wage.

This is why Democrats lose elections (and of course Spratt’s Repug opponent Ralph Norman praised the move; of course he would, since the Democrats are putting the Howitzer back into storage, so to speak, and deciding to fight the Repugs with pop guns instead).

Yes, addressing the issue of an increase in the minimum wage is important, but that issue doesn’t have the visceral impact of the Iraq War (I don’t know what it’s going to take to get the Democrats to understand that Iraq is “the alpha and the omega” when it comes to political hot button issues in the upcoming election).

Also, The American Prospect (via Kos) had a good post yesterday concerning an unguarded moment on this issue from House Majority Leader John Boehner.

Apparently it is necessary for Edwards and Spratt to receive a history lesson on how a Democrat once waged a successful re-election by creating a haunting TV ad image during a time when this person, Lyndon Johnson by name, obviously gave not a damn about offending anyone for the purpose of winning the campaign.

The Repugs have learned this lesson all too well. Maybe one day the Dems will relearn it also.