Fred Barnes on Bush's Communications Strategy

Fred Barnes dissects why the President was silent so long in the face of Democrat attacks on his war policy. He explains the President was consciously trying to be "nonpolitical" on Iraq, and consequently paid a high political price; he only reversed course once the Democrats "began a campaign of accusing Bush of lying to the country about prewar intelligence to justify invading Iraq--an impeachable offense."

The President's past attempts to be nonpolitical or bipartisan have been similarly rebuffed by the Democrats. Senator Kennedy was gifted with being the chief architect behind the No Child Left Behind Act -- and repaid the President's bipartisan gesture by being one of his loudest, nastiest critics.

Hopefully this time the President has learned the lesson for good: Democrats never play nice, and Republicans must thus always remain on the offensive.