Covering their asses

Don't think that this:

Fewer than one in 10 adults say they would prefer a congressional candidate who is a Republican and who agrees with Bush on most major issues, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday. Even among Republicans, seven of 10 are most likely to back a candidate who has had at least some disagreements with the president.

and the latest decision by Republicans to take a Democratic proposal to hold the Bush White House accountable for the war in Iraq and make it their own aren't related.

Here's what Harry Reid had to say:

As stated in the amendment, the Senate just voted overwhelmingly to change the policy of the United States with regard to Iraq. Republicans admitted what Democrats have been saying all along -- the administration's strategy is aimless and rudderless. It's a victory for our troops and the American people. If Democrats hadn't acted, our Republican colleagues would have been fine going along with the administration's "no plan, no end" approach.

The contrast between Democrats and the Bush Administration could not be clearer. Democrats offered a clear way forward and a strategy for success in Iraq. Rather than trying to score political points and mischaracterizing the Democratic amendment with language that isn't even in there, we think the top priority of Republicans should be succeeding in Iraq.