It's become quite clear, based on emerging news reports, that the Bush Administration is determined to find Osama bin Laden before the November elections (footnote: isn't it ironic that Osama bin Laden sounds phonetically like Obama n' Biden, give or take a few consonants?). It's been revealed that ground troops, specifically Navy SEALs, have been making incursions into Pakistan and the unmanned Predator strikes have increased.
Why the renewed urgency after 7 years in power? On one hand, it is fair to assume, as Sheryl Gay Stolberg does, that Bush is seeking to salvage his legacy. On the other hand, it is quite clear that Bin Laden's capture will be a net positive for Senator McCain's campaign. I am convinced that the Administration is going to try to use this as a game-changer. If my hypothesis seems far-fetched, anyone recall the serendipitous timing of the raid to rescue Ingrid Betancourt and McCain's visit to Colombia a few months ago? (A great story considering McCain was himself a POW for about the same length of time as Betancourt). Watch screenwriter and commenetator John Ridley speaking to this point on Morning Joe in July.
The Obama campaign would be well-advised to be prepared to go on offense immediately Osama bin Laden is captured so that the Republicans don't use it to their advantage. His capture should be used to reinforce the simple point that if we had focused on going after Osama rather than being diverted to Iraq, we would have made much more progress in the "war on terror."
Update I: See NPR story along these lines here.
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