The sleazeballs in the GOP gear up for their dirty work

In the wake of Joe Lieberman's defeat last night, the Republicans are apaprently planning to ramp up the replay of their sleazy, fear-mongering ways in the November elections. The head of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman, gave a speech Wednesday morning calling Lieberman's defeat a "shame."

The sleazeball went on to sneer: "Joe Lieberman believed in a strong national defense, and for that, he was purged from his party. It is a sobering moment."

And, as an AP analysis notes:

There's nothing new or surprising about the GOP rhetoric. Less than 100 days before the elections, it's become obvious to Republicans that they can hardly afford allow the midterm elections to turn on a simple referendum on Bush and his policies.

Stoking concerns, or even fears, about Democratic leadership served Republicans well in 2002 and 2004, the first two campaigns conducted in the shadow of the terror attacks of 9/11.

Their hope is it will again this fall, particularly among swing voters who will settle key House races in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and even Connecticut.

But, this time around, sixty percent of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Iraq and a majority would support a partial withdrawal of troops by year's end, according to a CNN poll released Wednesday.

I never put anything past the right-wingers and their dirty tricks, not to mention their blind, sheeplike loyalty to the clown in the Oval Office, but they may have a harder time exploiting Americans' fear of terrorism this election cycle. The public has clearly grown sick of the war, the incompetent way it is being waged, not to mention the way we were lied into it.