But I predict the Republicans will retain control of both legislative bodies and perhaps even increase their majority this November.

If present trends continue, by November, America will have more than 2,600 soldiers killed in Iraq and more than 20,000 Americans wounded. The Iraqis will continue to suffer more than a thousand dead per month-the equivalent of a World Trade Center bombing every week for them.

And nobody will know if sending in more troops or a total pullout is a better option for stability in the region.

President Bush has borrowed more money than all previous American presidents combined, according to the Financial Times of London. Today every family of five owes $750,000 toward this growing national debt.

There will be no coherent immigration policy; the prescription drug bill takes a bank of lawyers to understand and gasoline prices-while temporarily lower-will be rumored to be heading toward $4 a gallon.

With this dismal record, in a parliamentary system, the leader would have a vote of no confidence and be shown the door. But in America, the only two options are impeachment and off year elections.

Impeachment for incompetence and crimes against the English language is a tempting option. But a successful impeachment would elevate Dick Cheney to the White House-replacing incompetency with evil.

Should Cheney's pacemaker fail, Denny Hastert-a high school wresting coach who graduated from Wheaton College, would replace him. This is not a happy scenario.

But why do I think the Republicans will do well this fall?

Karl Rove.

Karl Rove is a brilliant Republican strategist and a long time advisor to the president. He will go back to the old Dixiecrats playbook to win the fall elections.

The Dixiecrats were conservative Democrats who ran the Southern states like a fiefdom for years. When more competent challengers in elections cornered them they screeched two lines, "My opponent is a Yankee sympathizer. He believes in the mixing of the races. Protect your white women and vote for me."

They played the "Race Card."

And corrupt, incompetent Dixiecrats would win the elections-and laugh at the ignorant gullible red-neck voters.

The Dixiecrats changed from being Democrats to Republicans en masse beginning in the 1960s. Today, they are the power center of the modern Republican Party.

Karl Rove is not so gauche as to play the old race card. Instead, in the next six months Republicans will raise issues of prayer in the schools, evolution, flag burning, gay marriage, gun control, posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings and abortion. Secular humanists will be flayed and liberal judges pilloried.

None of these issues speak to energy policy, the war in Iraq, global warming or deficit spending. Few, if any, of the Republican social issues have any chance of becoming law and even fewer of becoming constitutional amendments.

But they will galvanize the Republican base just as playing the race card did for the Dixiecrats in the Old South.

So remember, when you vote Republican this fall, Karl Rove is laughing at you.

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