Republicans decide to attack powerful Democratic women. I suggest they read Lysistrata by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.

Republican strategists plotting their party's comeback after it lost control of Congress have identified the "first lady" of Democrat politics as a key target in the 2008 White House campaign — even though she will not be running.

Senior party operatives told The Sunday Telegraph that they are already co-ordinating plans to attack Nancy Pelosi, the liberal Californian congresswoman and Speaker-in-waiting who suffered a damaging rebuff from her own party caucus last week.

The Republican strategy is not only to undermine Mrs Pelosi's control of the House but also to associate her in voters' minds with Senator Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the 2008 Democrat presidential nomination.

The only tactic that the Republicans seem to have left is this constant personal attack strategy which is clearly the ugliest side of politics.

They have attacked minorites, Democrats, environmentalists, scientists, and the poor in order to energize their base and undermine their opponents. But attacking these women, loosely based on their gender, is going to backfire badly.

It is clear that the Republicans only suffer swooning sycophants like Condaleezza Rice, Karen Hughes, and Harriet Miers. Women who know their place and follow the lead of their men without question or correction.

The reality is that the leadership of men has brought us economic difficulty, an unnecessary war, and the disdain of our neighboring countries. It seems to me that a woman in charge might have a much more gentle and diplomatic approach to many of these difficult issues. I would not be surprised to see many American women wanting to allow their sisters a shot at fixing this fractured country.