London Terrorism Arrests May Aid Republican Political Strategy

By Heidi Przybyla and William Roberts

Aug. 11 (Bloomberg) -- The unraveling of a terrorist plot in London may bolster the Republican political strategy of presenting their party as best equipped to confront a dangerous world if the issue persists for the next three months.

The arrests of 24 suspected terrorists in London are ``a stark reminder that this is a nation at war,'' President George W. Bush said yesterday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where a planned talk about the economy was overtaken by the incident.

Bush's biggest political liabilities are Iraq and rising gasoline prices, and public dissatisfaction with the president is threatening to drag down his Republican Party in the November congressional elections, polls show. The Republican political strategy has been to link the Iraq war with the battle against terrorism and to portray Democrats as weak on both counts.

The foiled British plot may help Republicans, said Joe Gaylord, former executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

National security ``is our one remaining strength,'' Gaylord said. ``Every time you have one of these incidents it forces back up into everyone's minds everything from 9/11.''

James Lucier, senior political analyst at Prudential Equity Group in Washington, said the effects may not last until voters go to the polls on Nov. 7.

``Is this particular incident going to help Republicans for more than a couple of days?'' Lucier asked. ``Perhaps not.''

Coordinated Effort

The announcement of the U.K. arrests came a day after White House and Republican officials undertook a coordinated effort to portray Democrats as being weak on national security following the defeat of Senator Joseph Lieberman in a Democratic primary in Connecticut. Among congressional Democrats, Lieberman has been the most vocal defender of the war in Iraq and its link to the battle against terrorism.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said that Bush and other U.S. officials had been extensively briefed on the U.K. terrorism investigation since at least the weekend. He denied that the remarks about the Connecticut primary were made with the pending British announcement in mind.

``This was not done in anticipation,'' Snow said yesterday. ``It was not said with the knowledge that this was coming.''

A senior White House official who briefed reporters aboard Air Force One said Republicans will continue to bring up the war in Iraq and terrorism in campaigning for the congressional elections because Democrats have made it clear that they intend to as well.

Democratic Raise Issue

Democrats attempted to turn the London arrests to their own advantage, using the plot as an opportunity to criticize Bush's handling of Iraq and the war on terrorism. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and a potential candidate for 2008, issued a statement saying the plot ``exposes the misleading myth'' that the Iraq conflict is a crucial part of the battle against terrorists.

``In fact, the war in Iraq has become a dangerous distraction and a profound drain on our financial and military resources,'' Kerry said.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said that while the arrests are a reminder of the world's dangers, they also highlight that the U.S. hasn't spent the money to act on all of the recommendations of the panel that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks, partly because of the distraction of Iraq.

``This latest plot demonstrates the need for the Bush administration and the Congress to change course in Iraq and ensure that we are taking all the steps necessary to protect Americans,'' said Reid, of Nevada.

Republicans Respond

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman responded with his own critique of Democrats, pointing at Kerry and Reid. He cited Reid's opposition to post-Sept. 11 laws and programs that expanded the authority of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate terrorism.

``If Harry Reid had his way and killed the Patriot Act and ended the terrorist surveillance program, authorities would be less able to uncover terror plots,'' Mehlman said in a statement. ``If John Kerry had his way and we surrendered Iraq to the terrorists, Islamic jihadists would be strengthened and even more dangerous in the future.''

Homeland security is the one area where Bush and the Republicans continue to enjoy favorable public opinion poll ratings. The most recent Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll shows that by a 4-point margin Americans say Republicans are doing a better job than Democrats would in protecting the nation against terrorism.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed say they are confident the Department of Homeland Security can safeguard the nation from terrorist attacks, compared with a third who say they aren't.

Terrorism and national security are also the only areas where more Americans approve than disapprove of Bush's performance. By a margin of 50 percent to 46 percent, Americans approve of his handling of terrorism. Fifty-one percent of respondents say Bush's policies have made the nation more secure and 46 percent say they haven't. The poll of 1,478 adults was taken July 28 to Aug. 1.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heidi Przybyla in Boston at hprzybyla@bloomberg.net ; William Roberts in Washington at wroberts@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 11, 2006 00:02 EDT

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