Ken Mehlman has laid out his party’s strategy for 2006 and guess what? It is the same as 2004 and 2002:

The head of the Republican Party accused Democrats of being willing to surrender the tools necessary to combat terrorism as the GOP tries to capitalize on its national security advantage in a tough election year.

Faced with President Bush’s low approval ratings and diminishing support for the Iraq war, the Republican strategy is to make the war on terrorism a central campaign issue and argue that Democrats hold a pre-Sept. 11 view of the world.

Ken Mehlman, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, stressed that argument in a speech Friday at the organization’s two-day summer meeting, similar to points made by White House adviser Karl Rove in January.

“America faces a critical question,” Mehlman said in his prepared text. “Will we elect leaders who recognize we’re at war and want to use every tool to win it, or politicians who would surrender important tools we need to win?”

So Ken – where is Osama?

Ask yourself a simple question when going into the polls this year; do I like the direction my country is heading in? The Republicans are offering only the same stale plans that they have for the last six years, which an overwhelming majority of Americans do not like. The pull the terror card out at every corner, yet the number of global terrorist attacks is on the rise. They constantly equate the war in Iraq with the War on Terror, and while that may be true, it is only true because the failed policies of the Bush administration has opened up a haven for terrorists in Iraq.

We need strong democracy now more than ever. We need a government with branches that are willing to exercise their power of oversight. The fear card that the Republicans love to play is a double edged sword. Before long, if you preach it long enough then you will start to believe it. This is what has happened in D.C. and why the administration is fighting for these broadened unchecked powers. These powers are a bigger threat to our nation then Osama. These powers lead down a road with only a single destination- dictatorship.

Also take a minute to ask yourself how you feel about the current state of our nation’s economy and social status. We are a country divided by social issues such as abortion and gay marriage and the Republicans are working hard to drive a wedge into that divide. If we are truly a nation at war then shouldn’t our leaders want a country united, instead of one divided? Should we not want our citizens to feel as though our nation is doing whatever it takes to insure we are able to receive the best health care, regardless of income or social standing? Should we not be able to feel as though if our country is hit with a natural disaster, then our government has the tools and manpower to respond and rescue us? Shouldn’t every single citizen be able to enjoy a day at work without fear of losing their job to some foreign interest?

If you answer yes to any one of those questions then you want a change in D.C. that the Republicans are not willing to make. Their strategy in Iraq is “stay the course” and their strategy for the overall welfare of this nation is “stay the course”. This course is very dangerous and we need a new navigator to return us to a country of growth and prosperity, like we enjoyed at the end of the last decade. The only way this will happen is changing the course in Washington.

John has much more on this.