Lawyering up

This would actually be funny if the stakes weren't so high. The source here is Raw Story for today:

House Democratic leaders came under criticism Saturday from President Bush who said they are blocking intelligence legislation so lawyers can sue telephone companies for helping the government eavesdrop on suspected terrorists. ...

"When Congress reconvenes on Monday, members of the House have a choice to make: They can empower the trial bar, or they can empower the intelligence community," Bush said in his Saturday radio address. "They can help class-action trial lawyers sue for billions of dollars, or they can help our intelligence officials protect millions of lives." ...

"House leaders are blocking this legislation, and the reason can be summed up in three words: class-action lawsuits."

Other GOPpers have also been using the "trial lawyer" reference. With Shrub joining in, this is apparently the now-agreed-on line of attack, the newly-minted right-wing meme. Now, it's true that wanting to "kill all the lawyers" is an old sport, but this, it seems to me, is really silly. Does anyone outside of the 19% think this is going to fly as an effective argument? Does anyone really think people are going to jump up and say "Oh my GOD! Trial lawyers? I must support President Bush above all else! Congress, I am anti-lawyer, hear me roar!"

It sounds to me like some element of desperation is entering the winger thought processes (assuming that's not an oxymoron), that they are searching for something that will strike a responsive chord among Americans. The significance of that, especially in light of the silliness of the line of argument itself, is that is indicates that the old meme is no longer working like it did before. It's a clear sign that people are no longer moved by the repeated appeals to unreasoning fear like they used to be.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that those appeals no longer work, period, but I think we can say that they are losing their impact. Which leaves the GOPpers and their minions (including among Dumcrats such as Jay Rockefeller and Diane Feinstein) exactly where?