From The Morning Grind

It took no time for the war on terrorism to become the hot political issue of the week, three months before voters head to the polls and choose which party is going to control Congress next year.

Democrats seized on Sen. Joe Lieberman's (D-Connecticut) primary loss on Tuesday, describing it as a referendum on President Bush and the Iraq war. Republicans countered that Democrats are soft on national security and bowed under pressure from the anti-war wing of the party to ex-communicate a loyal Democrat who has served three terms in the Senate. On Thursday, the rhetoric got red hot after British authorities announced that a major terrorist plot has been disrupted. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) used the opportunity to criticize the Bush administration for the Iraq war, which was echoed by Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) who described Iraq as "a dangerous distraction, and a profound drain on our financial and military resources."

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman responded in kind.

"On a day when American authorities are working with our allies to stop a global terror plot, instead of focusing on political attacks, we should focus on the fact that we are at war and need every tool to win the war on terror," he said.

But Democrats see an Achilles heel for Republicans on Iraq. A CNN poll conducted earlier this month showed that 62 percent of Americans disapprove of how Bush is handling the Iraq war. But a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll released this month shows that 50 percent of Americans approve of how Bush is handling the war on terrorism. So now Democrats are seeking to tie these two issues together so that when Americans think of the war on terror, images of Iraq flash across their eyes.

"Weeks ago, we made a decision to keep pushing on the Iraq issue," a Democratic strategist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Grind. The push will continue through Election Day, the strategist added.

While Republicans acknowledge that public opinion on Iraq is low, they also believe that Americans do not trust Democrats with protecting them.

"When we talk about the war on terror and national security, it benefits our candidates, especially on the heels of the Lieberman Lamont race," said a Republican strategist, who too, asked not to be named.