Peggy Noonan: If I Were a Democrat [Here's what I'd do]

The 109th Congress has been sworn in and convened, and now the new post-election reality begins. If I were a Democrat right now I would think big and get serious. Second terms are tough for incumbents; history has not handed George W. Bush an easy ride, and there's no reason to think that will change now; and Mr. Bush is a gambler who's not afraid to throw the dice, which means he will likely have not only stunning gains but stunning losses ahead. The Democrats are still competitive. "In every defeat lies the seed of future victory, in every victory lies the seed of future defeat." Every morning I'd put my game face on knowing my party will stand a good chance of making a big presidential comeback in four years. Look confident; this will encourage victory. Or at least leave people saying you look confident, which for you will be a victory.

No one wants to be head of the Democratic National Committee. This is bad but understandable. A fractious party has been further fractured by a hard year. What you need for DNC chairman is a man or woman of some stature who can make the case for your party day in and day out in big media. Fund-raising expertise is secondary--hire someone to do it. So is organizational skill--hire organizers. You need someone who makes the Democratic Party look nonsleazy, nonmanipulative and nonweak on TV. He doesn't have to be nationally known, but he must be--how to put this?--good-natured, moderate in manner, and normal-seeming. That would mean not Howard Dean.

There is much to build on. You hold 44 Senate seats, 202 House seats and 22 governorships. You have been on a losing strain for a while, but you can turn that into opportunity.

What is she trying to say?

She is trying to say that instead of going along with the Republicans(RINOS) when they try and push smoking bans is they should oppose it. With all these traitor Republicans the Rats have a good chance of siphoning many votes away from these RINOS.

The Rats are the ones behind the smoking bans, and that's why we hate BloomingIdiot.

Unfortunately not. It's almost always Republicans who push for these idiotic bans with the Democrats joining in later

*Mike Bloomberg Republican pushed a city ban before the state and is the ultimate anti-smoking Nazi
*NYC Councilman Odo (Staten Island) a Republican who introduced the city ban .
*All 38 Republican NYS Senators voted for the ban (It should be noted that the GOP has a big 38-24 majority in that chamber)
*George Pataki Republican governor signed it.
*John Rowland Republican Governor Connecticut also signed a total ban in his state.
* Mitt Romney Republican Governor of Massachusettes also signed a total ban in his state.
* As well Republican governor Lincoln Almond in Rhode Island
* The chief sponsors of the Delaware smoking ban were Republicans Reps. Deborah Hudson (Fairthorne) and Robert J. Valihura Jr.(Edenridge)
*It was a Republican Senator Karl Turner (Cumberland) that originally sponsored the ban in Maine
* Republican Beulah Coughenour City Councilman of Indianapolis attempted (but failed) to bring a smoking ban to that city
* In Georgia in 2004, The Republican controlled house tried to pass a smoking ban (They were stopped by the Democrat controlled senate!!!!!!!)
*Republican Governors Guinn, Kempthorne, Pataki, Perry, Rowland, Taft and Probably a few others I can't think of right now all have recently raised taxes on cigarettes
*Republican Senators Judd and Hatch right now are working on stopping people from buying cigarettes over the internet and getting congress to regulate (i.e. Ban) tobacco.
*John Ashcroft a Republican appointee via the justice system is continuing where Janet Reno left off and suing the tobacco companies.

The only Republican that you can say is remotely standing up for smokers is Arnold Swarzenegger

OH, BTW As well as in Ga there were smoking bans killed in DC, NJ, MD, and VT, All by Democrat controlled legislators

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