Laying the harsh talking points that will be hurled at Space and Wilson and their colleagues who voted for Bush's bill, the following words authored by a poster at DailyKos, are searing:

"You did it to protect Americans. You didn't want to take a chance. You had to stand up to the terrorists. You really had no choice. You're going to claim we can depend on you to be tough against terrorists even though you just put your foreheads to the floor at the feet of the most loathsome duo ever to sink their talons into the office of the Presidency. You're going to tell us you couldn't stand up to the blackmail, although that's not what you'll call it. You're going to say Democrats can't afford to appear weak."

"Frankly, you epitomize weak. Your every pore exudes feebleness. You are surrender monkeys. And you've just casually tossed away a basic protection as if it were a banana peel."

In a report about the debate on the bill, The New York Times said many Democrats argued they should stand firm against the initiative, contending it granted the Bush White House far too much latitude to initiate surveillance without judicial review.

If it had stalled, the article continued, it would have left Democratic lawmakers, long anxious about appearing weak on national security issues, facing an August spent fending off charges from Republicans that they had left Americans exposed to threats.

Space, who replaced disgraced Republican Congressman Bob Ney after his affiliations with now jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff came to light and earned him jail time as  well, is on the GOP's hit list of congressional seats they think they can win back next year.

Wilson, who replaced popular Democratic congressman Ted Strickland, who was elected governor of Ohio last year, is not on Rove's list, but if political attack ads like this one are any indication of the length to which the National Republican Congressional Committee will go to smear, Wilson should not automatically think that by winning his first term he is a slam dunk for winning the next one. Just as Republicans were tossed out amid the scandals that broke on their watch last year, so to could Wilson's destiny be caught up the growing disapproval of what majority Democrats have done on their watch in Washington.