In Pennsylvania, Casey was able to win a sweeping victory over incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum by campaigning against Bush's Iraq policy and emphasizing his social conservatism and his family's reputation as pro-life Democrats. Casey, though opposing immediate withdrawal from Iraq, demanded that the Bush administration put forward various benchmarks to wind down and end the conflict while attacking Santorum as lacking the ability and the "guts" to stand up to Bush on the war. Casey eviscerated Santorum on the campaign trail for being closely tied to Bush in foreign policy.
In 2006, three years into the Iraq War, Democrats were able to take advantage of that disaster and the increasingly neglected American at home to take control of both the House and the Senate, the former for the first time in twelve years. Democrats picked up five seats (six including the technically independent Joe Lieberman, admittedly a hawk). Three of those victors would be defeated 18 years later after reversing their earlier foreign policy views.
Similarly in Montana, Jon Tester ran in 2006 as a fiscal conservative critical of Bush's Iraq policy. In the campaign against the ultra-hawkish Conrad Burns, Iraq took center-stage, with Tester's success hinging on his ability to resonate with voters concerned about the war and economic issues, contrasting Burns' unwavering support for the administration.
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