Throughout the Senate debate, Republicans are invoking the specter of Al Qaeda. That’s a vintage Bush/GOP talking point. Only problem is that while the U.S. has been totally distracted by the Iraq war that Bush and the GOP Senators continue to defend, Al Qaeda has been getting stronger. Might do those GOP Senators some good to read the front page article in today’s NY Times about the Al Qaeda resurgence in Pakistan. It’s another manifestation of Bush’s failed policies and you’d think this would be a concern for Republicans:

President Bush’s top counterterrorism advisers acknowledged Tuesday that the strategy for fighting Osama bin Laden’s leadership of Al Qaeda in Pakistan had failed, as the White House released a grim new intelligence assessment that has forced the administration to consider more aggressive measures inside Pakistan. The intelligence report, the most formal assessment since the Sept. 11 attacks about the terrorist threat facing the United States, concludes that the United States is losing ground on a number of fronts in the fight against Al Qaeda, and describes the terrorist organization as having significantly strengthened over the past two years.

The GOP Senators aren’t challenging Bush on his failure to vanquish Al Qaeda. No, they’re too busy helping Bush stay the course in Iraq, which, in turn, continues to strengthen Al Qaeda. But, hey, they still have the Al Qaeda talking point.