By Greg Smith

Call Karl Rove, someone finally won the pool on when it would no longer be Bush’s fault. Whoever had 1,841 days collects, that seems to be about when it became the Koch brothers’ fault.

Who?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Democratic colleagues have made a major blunder in their quest to paint billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, who dig deep donating to conservative political candidates and causes, as the culprits behind everything from Russia’s annexation of the Crimea to income inequality at home. Reid and friends like throwing around the term “the one-percenters,” to attack the rich, but the one-percenters are now the people who have any idea who the hell Harry Reid is talking about. Or care.

Normally, Americans are sufficiently tuned out that any anti-billionaire campaign – even a campaign run by a group which also accepts millions from billionaires – would gain at least some traction. This is not a normal year. First, the average American voter may not like billionaires donating to the Republicans, but they know Democrats are not funding their super political action committees with a lemonade stand and bottle drive.

Americans are quite fed up with the direction the nation is headed. The coming election will be won or lost on issues. This doesn’t necessarily bode well for Republicans because they can’t seem to be for anything, but the attacks on the Koch brothers by Reid and company are going to blow up in their faces because it shows either they believe their actions are not at fault, or they just figure a little slight of hand will fend off a major defeat in November.

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday on another proposed change to Obamacare pushed by Senate Democrats. You can’t credibly blame your opponents’ political contributors as your own party pushes yet another alteration to its signature initiative, which you passed with no Republican votes. The average American doesn’t live on the set of MSNBC.

There are only two things that can save the Democrats from an historic drubbing in November. One is a come-to-Jesus meeting where they channel Jim Bakker, weepily sing “Amazing Grace” and cry for forgiveness – which isn’t very likely. The second, much more likely scenario is the Republicans keep their campaign strategists in place, offer no alternatives and just coast to a sure, small victory that leaves the Senate in the hands of the Democrats.

A little old fashioned leadership on the part of either party would improve their respective chances. Blaming the Koch brothers shows just how far the Democrats have to travel. What’s your opinion?

Greg Smith is a freelance writer and political consultant who lives in Bantam, CT. His blog is found at http://www.betterfatthanfascist.com.