A party divided

With midterm elections quickly approaching, Republicans, who desperately need to make some major gains in order to retain control of the House and Senate, handpicked the issue that would come to define this election season. With most early predictions about the outcome of the elections calling for "Democratic gains across the board," the Republicans were looking to campaign aggressively with two main approaches: the first, a well-funded, mudslinging campaign that targeted lesser-known democratic challengers and the second aimed at portraying the Democrats as soft on terrorism to the point of risking national security. \nAccording to the Washington Post, the National Republican Congressional Committee plans on spending "more than 90 percent of its $50 million-plus advertising budget on what officials described as negative ads." This strategy rests on being able to "define" the public image of lesser-known challengers "through attacks and unflattering personal revelations." It is also a tactic used primarily to distract voters from examining the qualifications and effectiveness of an incumbent's most recent term in office. \nPart two of the Republican midterm election strategy (which should have been easier than the first) has been blatantly obvious: Divert the attention of the American people toward homeland security. What Republicans needed desperately was to get a vote on record late in the term that would further establish the tough stance the GOP takes on security -- from military tribunes at Guantanamo to border security -- while simultaneously forcing Democrats to cast a vote portraying them as weak when it comes to ensuring that our country can protect itself.\nIn theory this was a perfect issue; the Democrats would surely oppose the measure that would allow detainees to be held without seeing the evidence against them and allow for trial by hearsay evidence. The Republicans were planning on anything but a knock-down, drag-out between the strongest and most influential members of their own party. Bush is essentially attempting to redefine the regulations set by the Geneva Conventions regarding the treatment of prisoners. He is basically asking the Senate's approval to use torture techniques such as water-boarding, sleep deprivation and other cruel and unusual practices. He didn't anticipate opposition within his own party. John McCain, who was tortured as a captive at the hands of the North Vietnamese, and former Secretary of State Collin Powell have both passionately opposed this, along with the proposal to allow captives to be held without presenting the evidence against them. Joined by committee Democrats, Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner and Lindsey O. Graham are both Republicans who oppose the measure.\nRightly so, the divide among the Republican Party has been hugely publicized, gracing the pages of newspapers all over the country, painting their own party as they would have liked to paint the Democrats. The issue that could have easily been the saving grace of the GOP this November has hopefully taught American voters a valuable lesson about the Republican party: If you can't even make the Democrats look bad, you have big problems.