Message: Republican tough talk does not win the war on terror

Following up on Walldon's post below on what to expect this Fall, I would like to see the Democrats start articulating and spreading this kind of message now. We need to head them off at the pass:

The Republicans have made a mess of everything. We all know that. They have totally botched the war on terror, too. So they are going to have to come up with something for the November elections. They are going to try to scare you, and try to fool you into thinking because they talk tough, only they understand what’s going on. Don’t fall for it. They have totally botched the war on terror by creating more terrorists and making it impossible for the United States to lead a real international war on terror. They lied us into the war in Iraq that has caused the deaths of American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis. They have been completely unable to make real progress in that war, much less win it, after more than three years – longer than it took the Allies in World War II to defeat the Nazis. Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have created hatred of the United States in all parts of the world. That’s no way to fight a war that needs the strongest possible international cooperation.

You can talk tough but it doesn’t mean you’re smart. We aren’t going to win this war being stupid. Not being able to use intelligence information because you didn’t follow the law isn’t tough – it’s just stupid. Creating more terrorists by killing Arabs as collateral damage isn’t tough – it’s just stupid. Making it politically impossible for moderate Muslims to fight terrorists in their own countries isn’t tough – it’s just stupid. Alienating our allies by using torture and violating international law isn’t tough – it’s just stupid. Undermining our authority as leader of the free world isn’t tough – it’s just stupid.

You have to be smart to really be tough. These guys just don’t get that.