Ace of Spades - The

Ace of Spades - The GOP is going to start running ads invoking the terror issue as campaign-fodder:

"After months of sustained attacks against President Bush in Democratic primary debates and commercials, the Republican Party is responding this week with its first advertisement of the presidential race, portraying Mr. Bush as fighting terrorism while his potential challengers try to undermine him with their sniping.

The new commercial gives the first hint of the themes Mr. Bush's campaign is likely to press in its early days. It shows Mr. Bush, during the last State of the Union address, warning of continued threats to the nation: 'Our war against terror is a contest of will, in which perseverance is power,' he says after the screen flashes the words, 'Some are now attacking the president for attacking the terrorists.'

By indirectly invoking the Sept. 11 attacks, the commercial plays to what White House officials have long contended is Mr. Bush's biggest political advantage: his initial handling of the aftermath of the attacks."

Oh, you can watch for the Dems to let slip the dogs of bleat about this: "No fair, exploiting September 11 for political gain."

So - has the Howard Dean campaign exploited terror - or rather, its constituents' views on terror, namely the notion that Bush is the only terrorist - for political gain?

Note to Democrats: if you want to play politics with foreign policy, be ready for it to be played back.

And a note to all you moderate Democrats - and I know you're out there: If you, as a party, didn't think your ultra-left base's stance on this, the most important issue of our time, wasn't going to bite your butts with the general voting public, then what were you thinking?