Hmm...

WASHINGTON - Embattled White House adviser Karl Rove vowed Friday to make the war on terrorism a central campaign issue in November.

He also said Democratic senators looked "mean-spirited and small-minded" in questioning Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

"Republicans have a post-9/11 view of the world. And Democrats have a pre-9/11 view of the world," Rove told Republican activists. "That doesn't make them unpatriotic, not at all. But it does make them wrong -- deeply and profoundly and consistently wrong."

Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean denounced Rove's remarks and renewed his call for the deputy White House chief of staff to be fired for his role in leaking a CIA official's name. "That is both unpatriotic and wrong," Dean said.

My word but Howard Dean is an idiot. Karl Rove hasn't even been indicted, let alone convicted, of leaking anything. Patrick Fitzgerald investigated the matter for two years and came out of it with one indictment, and that indictment was for a crime that didn't even exist until there was an investigation.

Honestly, Dean is like one of those toy dolls from years back that blurted out one of several recorded messages every time you pulled a string in its back. Every time the man is asked a question he spurts out something likt "ITS A REPUBLICAN SCANDAL!" or "WE'RE LOSING IN IRAQ!" regardless if those responses have anything to do with the issue at hand or not.

Anyway, back to the point of the article, Rove is exactly right: Democrats are dead wrong on terrorism and national security. But, that being said, Republicans have got to stop using national security issues as a political crutch. As fundamentally wrong as the Democrats may for the most part be on national security - and they are terribly, terribly wrong - the further we get away from 9/11 the lower terrorism and national security issues will go on the electorate's list of priorities. If Republicans want to keep winning elections like they have been in recent years they need get back to some of the core conservative values that caused them to be swept into the majority in Congress over a decade ago.

I'm talking about shrinking the size of the government. Real cuts in spending, not just reductions in the rate of spending growth. Radical tax reform. Social Security reform. Term limits. A tough stance on illegal immigration. For better or for worse 9/11 and terrorism (barring future events) will fade from the forefront of voters going to the ballot box. It is unfortunate, but true.

We all appreciate voting for the kind of leaders who will keep us safe, but when we feel relatively safe already we're going to look to other issues. When that happens Republicans have got to be ready with something else to offer as their platform. Over the last several years American voters have put Republicans in charge of the Presidency, both houses of Congress, the majority of the state governorships and the majority of state legislatures.

The GOP is eminently in power in this country. Now it is time for them to begin pursuing the conservative agendas they were put in power to pursue before they find themselves voted out of power and unable to provide us with the sound national security policy they've been running on in more recent years.

You can read more from Rob Port at SayAnythingBlog.com