Every poll is suggesting Bush and the Republicans have a serious problem on their hands. The cat's been out of the bag since Katrina: they're incompetent. Unfortunately, Democrats aren't pulling together the way they need to: at a moment when they should be ripping the administration apart, they seem to hem and haw. They can't even get behind Murtha in any concerted way.

Here's some observations:
They need a big idea, similar to Newt's Contract with America.
Republicans are out of the mainstream w/r/t every major issue. Use that.
The Republican agenda is not conservative, it's reactionary. Use that.

For instance:

Fighting "intelligent design" isn't refusing to "teach the controversy". There is no controversy among scientists. The attempt to shoehorn intelligent design into biology programs is an attack on science. Therefore, opposing the teaching of Intelligent design is defending science. Phrase it as such.

The administration's attempts to "reform" social security is an attack on a program that most Americans like. Democrats are defending social security. Same for other social services.

Iraq leaves us vulnerable. Defense spending is zero-sum; every cent spent holding Sunnis and Shiites at arm's length in Iraq is a cent not spent on real national security. Katrina showed that.

Conclusion:
Mad with power, the republicans have overreached. Their hands are now trapped in the cookiejars. The democrat's response should be phrased as a Defense of American Values. A defense of national consensus. The exact phrase eludes me. Thoughts?