Republicans feel like winners in Hill debate over Iraq war

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Republicans appear convinced they are benefiting from the debate in Congress over Iraq, even though the war continues to divide the country and depress President Bush's approval rating.

"Republicans want people to be asked to make a choice between what President Bush is doing now and what the Democrats would do," said Republican strategist Grover Norquist.

"It's like the old joke lines: `How's your wife? Compared to what?' By comparison, Murtha and Kerry make Bush look good," said Mr. Norquist.

Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, and Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, are outspoken proponents of resolutions to get U.S. troops out of Iraq, which strategists say has allowed Republicans to portray Democrats as the "cut-and-run" party.

"No question, the strategy Republicans are following forces the Democrats to confront the reality of what it means to be critical of the war effort, to say what their alternative is -- to set a date certain for withdrawal, to conduct the war differently," said Republican consultant Bob Heckman.

The strategy also puts the Democrats at a generic disadvantage similar to the one the Republicans had when Mr. Bush proposed reforming Social Security.

"I'm not sure the Democrats have great credibility on how to conduct a war," said Mr. Heckman.

"One problem with Social Security reform is that people didn't trust Republicans to reform a program that Republicans never liked in the first place, just as the public perceives the Democrats as not being enthusiastic about the use of American force abroad. The public doesn't trust the Democrats to use that force properly."

Republican strategist Jeff Bell said Republican lawmakers have shown a remarkably disciplined adherence to Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman's year-old plan to prevent Democrats from turning the 2006 elections into a referendum on the president and the war.

Mr. Mehlman's called for Republicans to make the topic of Iraq a choice between the president's goals of a stable, democratic Iraq that is not a training ground for terrorists, versus policy alternatives that Democrats should be encouraged or maneuvered into stating.