As If We Didn't See THIS Coming!

The lead graph in a Washington Post story by Jim VandeHei and Charles Babington this morning:

"Republicans plan to use Congress to pull Sen. John F. Kerry and vulnerable Democrats into the cultural wars over gay rights, abortion and guns, envisioning a series of debates and votes that will highlight the candidates' positions on divisive issues, according to congressional aides and GOP officials."

Not only are unnamed Republicans spilling these beans ... they're bragging about it.

Their strategy is already well underway, with both John Kerry and John Edwards canceling campaign events today to fly back to Mugstomp-on-the-Potomac "for half a dozen votes on gun legislation, including liability protections for gun manufacturers."

The WashPost reporters describe John Edwards as "not thrilled" to be voting on gun issues just a week from major primaries in Texas and other Southern states ... so obviously the Republican strategy is working to discombobble the Dems, who are also obligingly signaling to reporters that the strategy is working. Sheesh! This is NOT the way to deal with Republican adversity, guys. Didn't you learn ANYTHING from Howard Dean? Well, no. Plus we have the supposed Dems leader in the Senate, Tom Daschle, actually planning to support the Republican gun bill. Makes us want to take a ballpeen hammer, and ...

The Republican Senate leadership is also gleefully planning confrontational votes on the President's gay-marriage-banning Constitutional amendment, another amendment to ban flag-burning, and potentially divisive votes on judicial appointments and more -- MORE -- tax cuts. Also in the wings is a Republican-drafted bill that would treat attacks on a pregnant woman as separate crimes against her and her fetus, which has already passed the House and which clearly chips chips chips away at abortion rights -- the conferring of new legal status to fetuses.

Kerry especially is already vulnerable on his Senate record, not so much the supposed liberal label Republican operatives want to hang on it as the fact that he's missed every Senate vote this year (yes, you read that correctly) and many last year.