Fractures and Schisms: Puppets are a Dime a Dozen

With Bush's approval ratings at an all time low, there has never been a better opportunity for the Democrats to launch an organized, incisive offensive against the failed administration. However, there lies a significant danger in defining the Bush regime as the sole problem. As Bush's lame-duck presidency increasingly makes him the Republican scapegoat, infighting among conservative factions--once hidden behind the pretense of a unified front--is becoming more and more visible. Recently, the right wing libertarian Cato Institute has publicly denounced Bush, as have leaders of the religious right. With various conservatives working to distance themselves from the Bush administration, it is important both to focus on opposing the strategies and ideologies of these factions, as well as to ensure that the right does not simply replace Bush with a new name and face working for the same goals.