No Republican will admit it in public, but in private they will admit that their typical attacks on democrats - that they are liberal/socialist/weak on defense/will tax you to death/will take all your money/are letting illegal immigrants into the country/cozy up to terrorists/will kill all your children/will let pedophiles into your house - are no longer working. As such, the Republicans have adopted a two-step plan to regain power, a plan so grotesque that it would make Machiavelli sick to his stomach.

First - the Republicans will continue to suggest that Obama is weak on terrorism and the Democrats can't protect "the American people" and "our precious children." They don't expect anyone to buy into this... they merely want to be on record as having been saying it, "warning" us over and over about this alleged "fact." It's passive fearmongering (as opposed to active fearmongering, the Republicans' typical M.O.). Why do they want to be on record with this fearmongering? Simple - it goes to step two of their plan.

Step two - from their Bible study groups or their NASCAR races, the Republicans are sitting around hoping and praying to Jesus that there will be a major terrorist attack on American soil. They desperately want this to happen so they can blame Obama and cite it as "proof" that he and the Democrats cannot protect the American people from terrorists ("like we did for seven and a half years!").

I should note that by "terrorist attack" they mean Islamic-based terrorist attack. Christian-based terrorist attacks, like the one that happened to Dr. Tiller at his church last week are perfectly acceptable to the Republicans, and thus won't be blamed on Obama. Not one Republican has so much as suggested that the death of Dr. Tiller to a radical, domestic faith-based terrorist was due to a failure of the Obama Administration's homeland security policies.

So, the Republicans want Islamic terrorists to kill Americans on American soil, because they know that this will be the only chance they have of regaining political power. Could they really be so callous to American lives? Yes, and this is why everyone needs to be aware of this Republican strategy. They see Obama, with his black skin and liberal, non-fascist ideals, to be the death of America. Just the other day Rush Limbaugh stated that the terrorists need to hurry up if they want to destroy America, "because Obama might beat them to it." Of course he'll say he said it tongue-in-cheek, but that's not what he'd say in private when talking to fellow anti-Obama conservatives.

This begs the question - would a Republican actively give aid or otherwise assist an Islamic terrorist in carrying out an attack on American soil? Objectively speaking, if America were truly at risk of being destroyed and the murder of a few hundred, or even a few thousand, Americans would save the country, would it not be worth it in the long run? We sacrifice many American lives in wars - wars that we fight for reasons far less important than the actual survival of America.

I think a small number of liberals would find it worth a number of dead Americans to have prevented the damage caused by the Bush Administration. A "worthy sacrifice." Republicans are far more dedicated to the proposition that the ends justify the means than are the Democrats, so I can foresee a large number of Republicans who would not only have no problem with a terrorist attack that kills 5,000+ American citizens if they believe it will let the regain power and end Obama's "destruction of America" - but I think a significant number of Republicans would help the terrorists, if given the chance. "Help" may mean nothing more than fail to alert the authorities of a confirmed terrorist plot.

Some will say this is all based on a false premise - that a terrorist attack the Republicans could blame on the Democrats would enable the Republicans to regain control. That may be true. I'm not saying the Republican's plan will actually work, I'm just pointing out what their plan currently is. However, there is a distinct double-standard between how Democrats and Republicans are treated in terms of responsibility for terrorist attacks.

To my great dismay, it seems most people don't even know that 9-11 happened on the Republican's watch - and the Republicans get credit for "keeping us safe from terrorists for 7 and a half years." (Why not a full 8 years? Yeah, exactly...). Meanwhile, could you imagine what would have happened if 9-11 had happened while Al Gore had been president? The Democrats would be finished - no Democrat would win so much as a school board election ever again. Note: I don't want to discuss the hypothetical of whether or not 9-11 would have happened if Gore had been president instead of Bush.

As we all know, 9-11 was the best thing to happen to Bush and the Republicans. For some Republicans like Rudy Guiliani, it gave their lives meaning and gave them a mantra to repeat over and over again. For other Republicans, it gave them an excuse to consolidate federal executive powers and act outside the confines of the law, with unquestionable and unlimited authority. For those Republicans with an itch to torture people, even they got to 'get off' on their sadistic fantasies with 9-11 as justification.

I hope I'm wrong, but I happen to think that the Republicans' "wait for terrorist attack, blame Democrats, say 'we told you so'" plan is actually their only possible hope of regaining political power in America. I don't know if it will work, but I think it's their best shot, and I guarantee you - they know that, too. Quite frankly, I think there is a very good chance that the American people would turn on Obama and go back to the Republicans if (when) there is another domestic, Islamic terrorist attack. Americans by their nature are a cowardly, easily frightened people who want more than anything else to feel comforted. After the horrors of a deadly terrorist attack, a calm, steady, thoughtful, rational President Obama would not be as comforting to most Americans as a wild-eyed Republican screaming "let's kill 'em all and get blood for vengeance!"

My biggest concern, however, is the self-claimed "patriotic" FBI, CIA, or Secret Service Agent who hates Obama, is a loyal Republican, and wants the Republicans back in power ... you know - "to save America from communism and high taxes." While I have no doubt that 99.9999% of FBI/CIA/SS Agents are incredibly loyal, competent, and would never consider anything less than absolute perfection in performance of their job duties, I fear that there might be just one or two out there who are actually willing to intentionally put the President and/or the American people in danger for what they misguidedly consider to be "the greater good" - the resurgence of the Republican Party and the ousting of Obama and the Democrats.

In conclusion, I think the Democrats need to be a little bit more proactive in making some attempt to preclude this Republican strategy. After all, even with 110% vigilance, as long as we live in a free and open society, it's only a matter of time before there is another terrorist attack. It's not a question of "if" but "when" - and the Democrats should not let the Republicans sit around and passively take advantage of that horrible inevitability. Smiling and saying "we told you so" should not be a strategy for dealing with terrorism when a party is not in power. Unfortunately, fearmongering and murdering abortion doctors are the only things Republicans know how to do.