GOP Chickens Coming Home to Roost

Mark Evanier, wordsmith and wit, identifies a under-appreciated aspect of the GOP's Iraq problem:

A couple of my Republican friends cite [Congressman John] Murtha's opposition to the war as the moment they knew it was lost, at least in terms of support from the U.S. citizenry.

Personally, I think the attempts to smear Murtha as a treasonous, pro-terrorist coward did a lot to make that happen.

I think that Evanier is right.

By publicly and loudly attacking the character of a patriotic, moderate American just for doubting the failed Bush Iraq policy, the Republicans, by extension, attacked the nation's swing voters -- i.e. patriotic, moderate Americans who were beginning to doubt the failed Bush Iraq policy.

And it's gonna be pretty tough for the Republicans to put that toxic genie back in the bottle by November.