Outlook: Republican Loyalty in '06?

Joe Scarborough , host of MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" and former Florida Congressman, was online Monday, Sept. 18, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss his Sunday Outlook article on why Republicans would benefit by placing blame on President Bush .

Save Yourself, Blame Bush , ( Post, Sept. 17, 2006 )

The transcript follows.

____________________

Rockville, Md.: I enjoyed your article in yesterday's paper, even if I didn't agree with it all. I have agreed with President Bush's positions on most things, but one issue I have had is his refusal to veto any of the really egregious spending bills that have been passed by Congress over the past five years. I don't have a big problem with deficits for the right reasons, but Congress' spending habits have made drunken sailors look like models of financial responsibility! I have wondered if the president's acceptance of these bills might have been due to some kind of political quid pro quo, or if he was just more focused on terrorism than fiscal issues. Do you have any idea what has caused this?

Joe Scarborough: As you know, the President's primary focus has been on Iraq and the war on terror. If the President had spent the past five years vetoing Senator's bills, it certainly would have cost him support on the issues that mattered most. In a sense, Bush was backed into a corner.

Imagine what would have happened had the President vetoed Ted Stevens' outrageous bridge to nowhere. Stevens may have suddenly decided that Iraq was not going so swimmingly well and broke rank. The media would have loved the firestorm and used it to embarrass the President.

That being said, one does not sit idly by while government is growing at record rates. The $7 trillion Medicare drug plan was particularly disturbing.

_______________________

Newport Beach, Calif.: Joe -- Jon Stewart did a very witty bit last week where he showed screens from various network news programs where they had large captions at the bottom of the screen that purported to ask questions -- by putting a question mark at the end --when in reality they were trying to slyly get a point across. An example: "Are Democrats Soft on Patriotism?"

This made me wonder about your own recent program with the screen caption: "Is Bush an Idiot?" Are you that sly, too?

Joe Scarborough: No one has ever accused me as being as sly as Jon Stewart.

For the record, the President is not an idiot but appears to stifle dissent. The most damaging example was when he refused to ask his Secretary of State whether he supported the war in Iraq. The President said he didn't need to talk to Colin Powell because he knew the former general was opposed.

Those are the very people you need to bring in before making an epic decision--especially if that person ran the successful invasion of Iraq twelve years earlier.

_______________________

Atlanta, Ga.: Joe,

You suggest that Republican candidates for Congress run against President Bush. No argument there, but are you also suggesting that we, the electorate, are supposed to believe they will actually oppose Bush and his policies once they are reelected? After five and a half years I, for one, cannot trust them to do so. Therefore, I think I'll vote a different way.

Joe Scarborough: I would push my congressman or senator and ask for examples of when he voted for the best interest of the country instead of blindly following the party line. This is not just about Mr Bush and the Republicans. I would suggest that you probably do not want an elected leader who will blindly follow the dictates of Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid--or Hastert or Frist.

The biggest problem with DC is blind party loyalty. It's like the mafia. No one gets credit for being loyal to the family 95% of the time.

_______________________

Los Angeles, Calif.: Why do journalists always try to get White House officials to acknowledge a mistake in Iraq?

It's never going to happen. No sitting President has even said a war of his choosing was wrong. That kind of acknowledgement would have to lead to impeachment. Look at LBJ. He knew he screwed up, so he quit.

Joe Scarborough: One of Britain's greatest PM's was William Gladstone. He always said that when he discovered he was wrong, he would change his mind. He then asked his critics, "What do you do?"

You would be surprised to learn how voters respond to a politician who admits he is human.

_______________________

New Hampshire: Hi Joe and thanks for taking my question.

You wrote that:

"Escaping political death by attacking an unpopular president is hardly new -- especially since most endangered politicians have the loyalty of a starving billy goat. But this is Dubya's Washington, where the White House has pushed around, bullied and betrayed GOP lawmakers for years."

How in the world can the Republicans blame Bush when as far as I can see, they are still voting in lock step??? Maybe not on the torture issue (we will have to wait and see about that) but every vote I watched last week was a rubber stamp for the White House. I have not heard one Republican stand up on the Hill and holler that they have been "betrayed" or "bullied" by the Executive. Just last week, Pat Roberts and Kit Bond were objecting vociferously to a Democratic proposal to declassify some parts of the Phase 2 Intel report and it was pretty clear that they did so in order to provide cover for the White House.

Don't you think the voters are going to smell a rat when Republicans start blaming their President???

Joe Scarborough: GOP legislators have all been complaining that the White House has been taking them for granted for years. That is because they have. The fact that they will not say that publicly or cross their President is just the way DC seems to work. It was the same thing when Bill Clinton was president. So many Democrats in the House and Senate loathed the man even before Monica. But they would hold their fire because their political base loved him. The same has been true of Bush.

I think Republican candidates who say their president has not cut enough spending and has not sent enough troops to Iraq will gain credibility with conservatives and moderates alike.

_______________________

Rockville, Md.: Hi Joe, love your show, but wish you'd leave it to run again! Anyways, a question here. Clearly, Republicans have had a lot of problems in the last few years, but, what have the Democrats really done to deserve power? Still no plans for Iraq, no plans for National Security, they don't appear to take the war on terror seriously. This party has put their heads in the sand for the past five years, as a voter, what can they offer other than "we're not them"?

Joe Scarborough: A great point that I touched on briefly. Democrats are so divided on Iraq that assuming power would cause a legion of political problems. They have no plan to balance the budget, no plan to save entitlement programs that are going bankrupt, no plan on how to handle Iran or North Korea, no plan on how to right the wrongs of the Bush years. Just being against the President and his party may not be enough.

For those who say it is not their job to offer an alternative *like Brookings' Thomas Mann) I would suggest they look to what Gingrich did in 1994. He offered an alternative to Clinton liberalism and were rewarded with the Speakership.

What is the Democrat's solution to Iraq? They don't have one but I will guarantee you Gingrich, in a similar situation, would.

_______________________

Rolla, Mo.: While I come from the opposite side of the ideological fence, I appreciate your honesty and commitment to your core principles. Can I ask why it has taken so long for conservatives to speak out, did you not have enough evidence a year ago, two years ago?

Joe Scarborough: I wrote a book called Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day back in 2004. It brought up many of the same issues that I discussed yesterday but was two years ahead of its time. Republicans were shocked by my suggestion that Bush and company were bigger spenders than Bill Clinton.

It was true then. It is true now. The only difference is that others are agreeing with me two years later.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Congressman Scarborough, thank you for your insightful piece on how to run as an independent Republican, someone not viewed as merely as a "Bush-bot." You focused on policy positions, but in the eyes of voters, there are other factors that shape the public image of your party. I voted happily for Reagan twice, but am not an "authoritarian conservative," so in the last 10 years, I became an Independent.

Individual Congressional candidates have no say over what Ann Coulter or Bill O'Reilly or, to some extent, even Karl Rove or Dick Cheney, says about people who are not true believers. Because of their rhetoric, I've come to associate the Republican party with negative characteristics (fear, a demand for group think, bullying, even hatred). It's going to take a lot to win me back to the R side. Do you think the party would benefit from a Bill Clinton Sister Souljah moment, where a Republican candidate says "We're all Americans, regardless of how we vote. Let's not forget the things the things that unite us, including love of country." This may be hard to do during primary season but with voters such as me, could pay off in a general election.

Joe Scarborough: I expect that Sister Souljah moment to come early in the campaign of John McCain. He will continue moving to the right for the base but at some point will cross his base and win respect from independents--as Bill Clinton did in 1992.

_______________________

New York, N.Y.: Mr. Scarborough:

I enjoy your show, and the fact that you aren't hesitant to call someone out (left or right) on an issue.

Frankly, as a Reagan Democrat, I am appalled at this administration's complete lack of fiscal responsibility. And congress is complicit in this irresponsible spending.

I think bigger government, more than the Iraq War, is what has caused more and more conservatives to view this president as betraying one of their core principles.

Do you agree?

Joe Scarborough: The explosive of federal spending has caused the conservatives who supported Reagan and Gingrich to become disenchanted with the President. When domestic spending grows at rates faster than any other president save LBJ, there is a real problem with the White House's standing with the base.

That may keep many of them at home this fall.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Thanks for doing this chat! What is the one race that you are really, really watching?

Joe Scarborough: The Pennsylvania race. I remember politicians and lobbyists laughing behind Rick Santorum's back in 2000. They would whisper "Dead Man Walking." But somehow he won reelection then, and were it not such a terrible year for the GOP, he would win again. I really don't know what magic pixie dust Rick has to win in a state as difficult as Pennsylvania, but he somehow does it.

If Democrats win Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey, it will be a long night for the GOP. If Republicans can pull out two of those races, Democrats will not retake the Senate.

A NJ loss to Kean would be terrible for the Democrats' chances.

_______________________

Kernersville, N.C.: "Of course, you GOP candidates can be sure that such attacks will annoy Bush, even though your survival may be all that stands between him and a crazy Democratic chairman launching impeachment hearings." (from your article) Bush has wrested powers from the Legislature with his Signing Statements and from the Judicial branch with his run around FISA, for just one example of many. I personally consider these acts treasonous and an effort to reinterpret our Constitution. Bush SHOULD be forced to explain his MODERN interpretation of the Constitution to the other branches of government, and expose his "reasoning" behind his belief in these powers of the Executive. I am sure he heard arguments against his interpretation (media accounts of the controversies in the Attorney General's office, State Department, CIA, military judiciary, etc, over various policies are easy to find) but he ALWAYS chooses his interpretation as correct. Let's let the appropriate authority make a ruling on where his power ends and his fantasies begin, and whether his disregard of history, tradition, and the rule of law rises to a criminal level. Congressional hearings SHOULD be initiated (regardless of the party in power) to investigate this administration's power grab.

Joe Scarborough: You may want to keep that to yourself. The promise of impeachment hearings will only hurt Democrats.

_______________________

Kensington, Md.: In one of the country's wealthiest and best educated districts Connie Morella tried to campaign on the idea that she regularly had opposed the party line when it mattered. The voters saw through that ploy and, possibly with the help of some redistricting (not gerrymandering though) she was removed to Brussels. What makes you think the same ploy would work elsewhere this time around?

And where is a socially liberal, fiscally conservative independent supposed to go these days? Phillips did a good job in his book "American Theocracy" describing the Republican Party as having become a religious party rather than the responsible party I grew up with. Is there any chance that the Dems will actually prove themselves responsible? Or is it really time for total realignment?

Joe Scarborough: There will be a realignment, but let me suggest that Democrats would do well not to run away from God. We live in a religious country that ironically detests religious exclusion. Just as they don't want conservative shoving their religion in their face, they don't want liberals mocking them for believing in Jesus, the virgin birth and the resurrection. Respect for everyone's views, including evangelicals, would go a long way in aiding Democratic candidates.

_______________________

Portland, Maine: Joe,

It's true there's no one Democratic plan for Iraq (there are many), it's also true that the Democrats would not have started the war had they been in power. Should the Democrats be punished for being unable to find a plan for this horribly complex mess created by the GOP? Shouldn't we hold the GOP to account instead?

Joe Scarborough: If elections are about punishment, as they often are, then yes. Republicans should be held to account for their votes. But this election has to be about how we strengthen our country. Most Americans believe we cannot do that by maintaining the status quo. So what is the answer?

_______________________

Clifton, Va.: Joe, I think the Republican party needs a big dose of shock therapy to get it back into the idea of democracy. Nothing would turn the big spenders off faster than a Democratically controlled House. I don't think there is a good solution to the Iraq war, and even if there was this president wouldn't do it anyways. I can never vote for a Republican candidate that thinks torturing prisoners is a good idea, nor could I for a Democrat.

Joe Scarborough: So many Reagan Republicans I have talked to are cheering for a Democratic takeover of the House. They want to keep the Senate for the Supreme Court nominees, but believe a Pelosi run House will bring checks and balances back to the budget process and think that will be a good thing.

_______________________

Rochester, N.Y.: Joe, I'm a progressive but I enjoy watching your show, because I find you to be honest and refreshing, for the most part.

My question for you is this: how long will the Republicans stay with the "you're with us or you're for the terrorists" type rhetoric? Do you think it still works? I don't mean this as a form of flattery, but it's worth noting that Fox News (which employs this type of rhetoric) has seen its ratings fall sharply over the past year, while more responsible conservatives who eschew this rhetoric (such as you and Tucker Carlson) have not. Is that a harbinger of electoral things to come?

Joe Scarborough: Americans understand that the war in Iraq is just not going well. They also understand that some of the rhetoric that elected candidates in 2002 and 2004 was not helpful. However, and I am writing here as a political analyst only, they support aggressive means to tackle terrorism and will vote for the candidate who is toughest on national security issues. GITMO may shock the Supreme Court and millions of Americans, but the overwhelming majority have adopted Cold War reasoning. Whatever it takes to win is fine with me. Keep the terrorists away from my kids, their schools and the buses I ride.

Democrats need to always remember that.

_______________________

South Bend, Ind.: Recently, a buddy of mine (committed right-wing conservative), and I (committed lefty) were arguing politics. The only thing we could agree on was that the Conservative movement used to have principles. It stood for something: strong defense, limited government spending, personal responsibility, and so on. That's what I thought the Reagan years were all about, and while I almost never agreed with conservative positions, they were at least intellectually coherent. You could understand the argument for them.

The Bush crowd seems to represent something completely different. They lie about everything, shirk accountability, elevate cronies, and savage those who disagree with them. Their driving principle seems to be expanding their own power.

To me, they don't seem conservative at all. They seem like a bunch of thugs, and incompetent ones at that. What do you think?

Joe Scarborough: I agree with your first paragraph. I do not believe they are thugs. I believe they are doing everything they think is possible to save America from another terrorist attack. Though I disagree with many of their policies, I believe they are often misguided and nothing more.

However, when it comes to domestic policy, I am at a complete loss as to what they believe. Bill Clinton would have been tarred and feathered had he proposed GWB's plans for education, Medicare, spending, etc. His spending priorities suggest that he is not a conservative when it comes to the size and scope of the federal government. Were he a member of my 1994 Freshman class, his fellow congressmen would call him a "squish."

Conservative still do stand for something. We are just badly outnumbered these days.

_______________________

Hampton Cove, Ala.: Say it ain't so, Joe? Did you notice the mainstream media really, really likes you now that you are bashing Bush and hoping for a republican loss? Remember when you represented the panhandle of Florida, with patriotic Americans, before you sold out to the NY and DC crowd?

Joe Scarborough: I sold out? I think you have confused me for a sitting Republican.

I am saying the same exact things I said in 1994. Unlike too many in the GOP, I still support tax cuts, spending cuts, a less intrusive government and a strong national defense.

In the past five years we have seen the deficit and debt explode to record levels, seen our troops stretched thin and turned into the type of peace keepers we deplored when Bill Clinton was President, and watched as federal bureaucracies have busted at the seams in education and other domestic areas Reagan conservatives long believed belong with states and local communities.

I remain who I was and who I will be: an American with greater faith in its people than its politicians. What happened to you?

_______________________

Bethesda, Md.: Joe, let's say that someone you knew drove their car into a ditch, then dug the car further into the mud by keeping their foot on the accelerator. At what point would you suggest that someone else should try to get the car free. Would you really think it appropriate for the driver who put the car in the ditch to demand that someone must articulate their plan to get the car out of the ditch before they give up the wheel?

Joe Scarborough: No. But I wouldn't let just any jackass touch my car either.

"You say you can get my car out of the ditch but you need a check first? Okay fine. Have you done this kind of work before?"

_______________________

Munich, Germany: In layman's terms, what are the issues surrounding the increasing federal deficit? What are the implications for the average person when the national deficit reaches sky-high levels?

Joe Scarborough: Interest rates keep rising, the economy slows down, student loans become harder to pay, mortgages go up, credit card debt accumulates and those least able to afford this hidden tax increase are hit the hardest.

_______________________

Real conservatives: What do you think about Andrew Sullivan, who often argues in his blog for a principled conservatism, and whose new book "The Conservative Soul" argues for taking the party back from the Bush crowd?

Joe Scarborough: I haven't read the book but I agree with his views on a limited federal government.

_______________________

San Francisco, Calif.: Tell me again exactly why the Democrats have to have a plan for Iraq? The Republicans don't have a plan, other than the soft-headed "stay the course" which basically means keep losing money, international respect and soldiers' lives so that Republicans can feel better about the choices they've made. The fact is, Republicans have created a situation that has no good answer. I see no reason why Democrats have to answer for Republican mistakes.

Joe Scarborough: Do you not want your elected leaders to have a plan? Why are we debating this topic? Just saying no does nothing. Besides, they won't say "no" because they will not allow themselves to be responsible for what their opponents will call a retreat.

Come on. Let's all agree our leaders need a plan of governing, especially on the most important issue of the day.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Mr. Scarborough-

It's great of you to do this chat as a follow up to your piece.

Do you ever consider entertaining a Congressional/Senate run in the future?

Funny bit on the bashing of Abrams in the men's bathroom. Wasn't even just a little bit of that true???

I am a total liberal democrat, but do watch your show fairly regularly. I hope you can keep it civil. It's not even balance that we need so much as civility (and truth rather than talking points.)

Joe Scarborough: You are right. We do need civility. I cannot watch the shows where guests are shouted down, and when I start cut off guests, I cringe at the break. We need to listen and learn from others. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have the correct answer to the challenges our country endures.

_______________________

Centreville, Va.: You write: "I would suggest in difficult times, voters do not replace something with nothing." I'm having difficulty defining what that "something" is, other than the administration's "plan" for Iraq, which seems to be based on brute force and ignorance. Why should the voters not replace that "something" that has failed so drastically? At least it would mean that the people who have failed would not be able to continue to do so.

Joe Scarborough: Roosevelt had a plan in 1932. Clinton had a plan in 1992. Why shouldn't Democrats have a plan in 2006?

_______________________

Yonkers, N.Y.: I know it's unlikely, but don't new political parties emerge when disaffected portions of mainstream parties break off? Is it at all possible that conservative libertarians and fiscally-conservative GOP members could form a centrist party alternative to Bush-ism? Could it happen if there was a disastrous pre-emptive attack on Iran, for example?

Joe Scarborough: It won't happen soon but the Internet will play a role in the emergence of independent political forces. Look at the money Howard Dean raised in 2000. He did it on line with the help of Joe Trippi instead of being stuck on the phone day and night talking to multimillionaire investment bankers. Very liberating and the future for campaigns.

_______________________

Ellicott City, Md.: I am a faithful viewer of your show although I don't always agree with your politics. I want to take issue with your statement that Democrats must follow the religious right. Our nation is founded on freedom of all religions or no religion, its our right to choose. I am Jewish, not yet saved, and believe that religion has no place in politics. If you had represented NY City would you talk differently about religion than coming from the Florida panhandle?

Joe Scarborough: I am not saying they follow the religious right. I am just suggesting they become comfortable talking about faith. And if I were from NY, I would do the same thing that Hillary Clinton did the night before the 2004 inauguration. She spoke to a Boston audience about why God was important in her life and in the life of the Republic. We don't need sermons. Just assurance that you don't think we in Flyover Space are dumb because we believe in God.

_______________________

Tuckahoe, N.Y.: Just saying "no" isn't enough? Is that why Sen. Dole and the Republicans worked solely to defeat Hillary Clinton's medical plan, and purposely didn't propose a plan of their own to cover the uninsured?It seems your buddies on the right don't walk the walk, huh?

Joe Scarborough: That was a helluva chart Dole held up, huh?

There were a thousand alternative plans, on the state and national level. The GOP pushed Chafee's as I remember. Moderate Democrats got behind a congressman's plan from Tennessee. Think his name was Cooper.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: I appreciate your show and willingness to offer fair commentary. However, your propensity to say that the Democrats have no plan is sheer laziness. They hold no branches of government- they lack the "microphone" to publicize their plans to the degree that the RNC does. The DNC plans are on their Web site and honest reporting behooves you to do more research.

Joe Scarborough: What is the Democratic plan to get us out of Iraq?

_______________________

Wake Forest, N.C.: Are there any pundits that you listen to regularly and are their any that you avoid at all costs (either right or left)? Thanks for the chat.

Joe Scarborough: Yes. Those who let their guests answer questions.

_______________________

Pittsburgh, Pa.: Here in western PA, I haven't heard much support for Santorum, but this part of the state is pretty Democratic. I can tell you that he has been running ads like crazy here - over the weekend, I must have seen about five or six.

Confession - I'm a Democrat who can't stand his policies at all, but if the number of ads is a clue, he's clearly worried about his re-election bid.

Joe Scarborough: If he is lacking support in Western Pennsylvania, he is in trouble. Philadelphia will give Casey at least a 350,000 vote cushion.

_______________________

Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.: The best show you had was with that Nobel laureate, that crazy radio DJ, and Congressman Feeney from Florida.

The idea that militarizing space or going to mars is even plausible given what is going on is truly laughable. Feeney got skewered, and rightfully so. you know you're wrong when a Nobel laureate, a radio DJ, and the show's host all disagree with you.

Joe Scarborough: That's a blast from the past. I almost forgot that. Just laughed out loud.

_______________________

Former Resident of Scarborough Country: I can't believe you didn't enter the Republican primary for the chance to unseat Senator Nelson. Don't tell me the polls spoke against the prospect: there's no way you would have lost to Katherine Harris in the primary and against you Nelson would be in a competitive race. Instead, the Democrats will retain a potentially weak seat. What's more, here you are brow-beating Bush and ravaging the Republican Party like a boxer punting his opponent when he's down and the referee is distracted. And don't tell me you're just espousing the principles that carried you into the House during your heyday -- Newt Gingrich recently proposed 11 prescriptions for Republicans hoping to maintain the House and Senate in November, and he led the charge in 1994! So, Joe, why are you so down on your own party, what do you think of Gingrich's "American 11," and do you have any positive suggestions for Republicans to retain the House? Or has Chris Matthews and his Carter-era liberalism addled your once conservative brain?

The Gingrich article is available here: The American 11

Joe Scarborough: I just got an email from NRO re the Gingrich 11. I agree with most of them and Newt Gingrich agrees with me. Republicans have lost their way.

I have always been clear on where the GOP needs to go: balance the budget, cut federal spending, defer to the states and its citizens whenever possible, strengthen the military and cut taxes whenever possible.

I would have loved to run for the Senate but my younger son didn't see his dad for eight years because of politics. He wants me to stick around until he graduates. Do you have a problem with that too?

Rest assured my brain remains conservative in its leanings. But what of yours? Has the prospect of the GOP remaining in power at all costs so addled your brain that you can't even recognize when they are acting more like Jimmy Carter than Ronald Reagan?

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Try asking Joe Biden. Try using the Internet. Try using anything else than standard talking points. That's journalism.

"The Democrats have no plan" is a tired and useless talking point. It carries as much weight as the President's use of strawman arguments.

Joe Scarborough: Is Joe Biden running the party now? What is Hillary Clinton's plan? Nancy Pelosi's? We're talking about a unified vision here. Not 300 alternate visions of America.

_______________________

San Francisco, Calif.: Hello, Mr. Scarborough, and thanks for chatting with us today. I really enjoyed your Sunday Post article. Do you believe that Karl Rove will give GOP candidates as long a leash as you propose? In other words, can they establish "independence" from the President and still get the White House money and tactical support they need to win?

Joe Scarborough: It will be difficult but they may do it just to keep Henry Waxman from heading up 50 different investigations ranging from Iraq to the Downing Street Memo to the VPs Energy Taskforce.

_______________________

New York, N.Y.: Don't you feel a little bit bad (like, maybe a tad hypocritical?) about having CHAMPIONED this president and this war so much on your show only to now be taking a completely opposite opinion now? WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU SAY?

Joe Scarborough: Thank you for the question and your liberal use of CAPS!!! I LOVE IT!!!!

I voted for this president twice and would do it again were his opponents the same. I also supported this war and thought its execution in the first stage was brilliant. I think the occupation has been horrendous, I think the firing of police and military officers was a deadly mistake, and I agree with McCain that our biggest fault has been trying to win this war on the cheap.

Yes. That's right. If we are going to stay in Iraq, LET"S WIN!!!!!

_______________________

Ulman, Mo.: Joe,

Bush bashing in The Washington Post is a little like "preaching to the choir" don't you think? As an occasional reader of "Live Online" it seems to me that most of the online participants have a typical blue state left wing east coast mentality. I'm sure they will be cheering you on today.

Joe Scarborough: Read on. It appears that I am as unpopular with the left as I am with Bush loyalists. They don't think their party needs a unified message for Americans. I tend to disagree.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: I don't know if you are right or wrong on distancing from Bush, but both Rick Santorum and George Allen on Meet The Press in debates with their opponents basically stuck firmly to supporting the Bush administration wholeheartedly, particularly in relation to the war in Iraq.

Joe Scarborough: As I said in my column, take the President on for not sending enough troops to Iraq. If we are going to fight a war, let's win that war. I would not expect a Republican to embrace Lamont position on Iraq.

_______________________

Louisburg, N.C.: Don't those candidates that run away from Bush risk losing the base? "Hunt ducks where the ducks are" is an old political axiom. Unless The Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth have a forty-eight state strategy, it looks like the "base" is the only sure thing that the Republicans have this year. Risk and reward?

Joe Scarborough: Good point. You need the base but you do not lose it by running to the right of the President. Go after him for spending too much money, allowing government bureaucracies to grow out of control, and trying to win the war on the cheap.

That will not lose conservative votes.

_______________________

Logansport, Ind.: Hi Joe. Just wondering what you see happening in Indiana's Second District Congressional race this fall between Congressman Chocola and his Democratic challenger Mr. Donnelly. Thanks for taking my question.

Joe Scarborough: Going to be very tight and one of the House races to watch. A Chocola win suggests the GOP may not be as endangered as a majority as some have suggested.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va.: Joe your book may well have been two years ahead of its time but you must also recognize that some of us saw these problems all along i.e. since 2000. An important point for voters to consider is that while many in Congress are seeing the light and backing away from the president others thought this way all along and in general those are the folks who deserve to be in power because they clearly saw the right path from the beginning - not just in the last minute after it was arguably too late. Wouldn't you agree?

Joe Scarborough: What was the right path from the beginning? Staying out of Iraq? That is not my position. I believe in Colin Powell's approach to warfare. When you go into battle, you don't want a fair fight. Use overwhelming force, achieve your objective and then get the troops home.

That did not happen and because of it, our efforts in Iraq starting falling apart earlier this year.

_______________________

washingtonpost.com: Thank you all for joining us today.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.