INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN INEPT. Bloggers are in an understandable uproar over a Roll Call article in which a hodgepodge of nameless Democratic aides reveal that the leadership is readying to party like it's 2002 and refocus the election on economic issues. I'm a bit skeptical. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi haven't proven themselves to be obvious idiots (indeed, quite the contrary) over the past couple of years. And given, as Kos says, that 2002 and 2004 were both disasters based on that very strategy, I have a tough time believing they're itching for a repeat. Add in that "unnamed Democratic" strategists and aides could be anybody and tend to be willing to spout whatever counterproductive pabulum reporter's want, and I'm a bit hesitant to jump on this one as gospel truth. So I called up some folks in the Democratic leadership to ask them whether the story was truthful. The answer I got was "sort of." There are certain campaigns -- like Amy Klobuchar�s in Minnesota, and Sherrod Brown�s in Ohio -- that are pounding in a primarily economic message as that's what voters are worried about there. But the national messaging from the Democratic leadership has been almost all national-security focused. "Go through the press list of the last two weeks," one of aide advised me. "Count the number of events done on Iraq and national security, and those on the economy. There's been one event on the economy and I think eight on national security." Additionally, the next couple of weeks will feature an increase, not a decrease, of pressure on the Iraq issue. So I'd counsel a bit of caution here. Given the ineptitude of recent Democratic campaigns, it's natural to assume this one will be no different. But the truth is my aide friends were right: There's been very little messaging on economic matters, and a pretty significant amount on national security and, mainly, Iraq. The DCCC press releases archive offers little save corruption and Iraq, while on the Democratic Senate Caucus's page, there is a massive banner for "The Real Security Act of 2006: Learning the Lessons of 9/11," and their newsroom is little different. All that, of course, can change, but it's worth watching to see whether it does rather than jumping to the conclusion that it will. For now, that article strikes me as very poorly sourced, and if folks didn't think the Democrats were running a domestic campaign strategy yesterday, they shouldn't assume any different today. Update: This is what I meant by pressure on Iraq is about to increase. Guess the Democrats leaked it early in response to the Roll Call article. In any case, as I said: It really looks like that RC piece was a bunch of off-base anonymous quotes.
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Ezra Klein