Dems kicking back immediately!

[elleng]

It took Eric Cantor less than an hour to start lying about President Obama’s budget.

Cantor and Republicans in Congress are so desperate to protect special tax breaks for billionaires and Big Oil companies that they’re claiming that President Obama’s budget, “calls for massive tax increases on hardworking families and small businesses.”

That’s a bold-faced lie and they know it.

President Obama’s plan would simply ensure that the top 1% aren’t paying less in taxes than middle class families.

With the right-wing attack machine already running at full speed, we must set the record straight. We have a hard deadline of Wednesday night to raise the $150,000 we need to get our accountability campaign off the ground.

Contribute to our Obama Budget Rapid Response Fund today >>

You have two choices: you can sit back and do nothing or you can fight back.

I know what my good friends at Democratic Headquarters are going to do -- they have a plan for grassroots action and targeted advertising in Republican districts. But, we need you to act fast. We need to get our message out NOW to have an impact.

The question is: are you in?

http://dccc.org/Obama-Budget-Rapid-Response

Thank you for standing up for fairness and common sense.

Best,

Rep. Keith Ellison

[Dirty Socialist]

1. If Ellison Falls in The Forest, Will Anyone Hear Him?

My bet is the "LIB-rul" press will cover Cantor's comments and will completely ignore Ellison.

[elleng]

5. This is DCCC Rapid Response, Dirty.

[Dirty Socialist]

7. Response

Mine was a sidenote. See below.

[dionysus]

9. god FORBID we raise money to fight the republican slime machine. jesus christ...

[Nuclear Unicorn]

11. You don't need ad time to submit a bill. Just submit it.

[Hutzpa]

18. I don't see anything wrong with that.

killing two birds with one stone is always a good strategy.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. Why does it take $150,000 to bring the president's budget to the floor for a vote?

Any member of congress can do that for free. Bring it to the floor, have each member vote and then defend their vote.

[WCGreen]

3. It's about running some ads....

[Dirty Socialist]

4. You Might As Well Send Money

The Press ain't gonna to do squat.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. Ads for what? When have we ever needed ads to submit bills?

Just bring the budget proposal to the floor for a vote. Ellison can do it himself. If the GOP shoots it down let them answer to the voters.

[The Doctor.]

10. You answered your own question.

Why would they have to 'answer to the voters' if the voters were already convinced the budget would have 'raised their taxes'?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. If the bill passes and nobody's taxes go up people won't suddenly

think their taxes went up just because FOX said so.

[The Doctor.]

15. Really???

Here, in reality, people think their taxes are higher than they were under Bush just because FOX said so.

Seriously... This arena is well-established. Feigning naïvete to make a point is below you. You know better than this.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

16. So Average Joe is a moron, we just want him to be OUR moron.

Seriously. Is $150k even a serious ad-buy? That's what, one primetime 30-second spot on Sunday on a third-tier show between the ad for injury attornies and the latest iteration of the Snuggie. Methinks this isn't a national campaign as it is more geographically isolated one -- like a single congressional district.

Which certainly Rep Ellison is free to do and the best of luck to him.

But if the issue is getting the President's budget to the floor for a vote, then he should bring it to the floor for a vote. The beauty about budgets is they don't even require cloture.

[The Doctor.]

23. I honestly don't know.

Personally, I believe Obama should employ the bully pulpit of the media and make a 1 minute statement about how Republicans think the American people are stupid, which is why they can't say where in this bill there's a provision to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000/year yet they expect people to believe them...

"But I believe the American people are intelligent, and intent on not only understanding the proposals and legislation we need to create national prosperity for more than just the wealthiest 1%, but the American people are also intent on being part of those solutions. Now, many Republicans in Congress don't want those solutions because they believe that foiling prosperity right now is the best way to 'defeat' me. So they are going to try to tell the American people there are all manner of terrible things in this bill. Well, as I said, I believe the American people are capable of thinking for themselves. So... my administration has set up a website (you can see at the bottom of the screen) where anyone can go who has access to the internet and find the actual text of the bill, in it's entirety, and with a brief summary of what every section of the bill provides for. That way, no matter what you hear about this bill, you can see for yourself whether what you've been told is true or false. So the next time someone tells you the bill does something frightening and scary, ask them to tell you the chapter and section so you can see for yourself. Don't be surprised if they can't provide you with that information. Now... I believe that Americans are the most self-motivated people in the world, and I believe that with full information, Americans can make the best choices to ensure the prosperity of the nation. As Thomas Jefferson said, "An informed citizenry is the only true repository of the
public will.".
I have great faith in America, and in we, the American People, to do all the best we can at every opportunity. And every opportunity I can provide, or that we can provide one-another, gives us the chance to keep America great and lead the world in innovation, optimism, and prosperity. Good night, and God Bless America."


Okay, with introduction it's almost exactly 2 minutes.


But something like that would go a long way toward taking the hot air out of Republican sails.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

26. To be perfectly honest, I'm over the speechifying

If the bill is a good bill just put up for a vote. It can't be filibustered or any of that other nonsense. Giving speeches just looks like more chest-thumping and bloviating. People need to see practical results or at least genuine efforts to action. Just do it.

(sorry for the corporate sloganizing)

[The Doctor.]

28. Well, you're a little ahead of the curve.

For the average person, a little 'speechifying' can get the message across. Even if they're a Fox news junkie.

[TheKentuckian]

13. This is going to get silly for a bit and then We, The People will be flatened

We do not have the resources to "fight" productively over any length of time in this fashion.

There is no victory here other than for the wealthy who have found another money funnel, hit up the desperate for their last free nickles to get bills to the floor.

Anyone who believes we are going to win a spending war with the interests of wealth and capital is smoking far stronger shit than I have ever imagined. Their is little purchase in this soil.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

14. What's that got to do with submitting a bill for a vote?

[TheKentuckian]

22. I don't know. Ask those doing the fundraiser to submit a bill.

[gateley]

19. Despite all this back and forth, I love that they're naming names and calling

Cantor's bs lies.

[elleng]

20. Thank goodness someone does, gate!!!

[gateley]

21. Wish it was Obama himself saying this, but that wouldn't be realistic. But it'd

sure FEEL good!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. I love Keith, but why do they need money for this? They can't craft a winning message

without it???

[elleng]

25. The system forces a need for money

.to get the message out, via various outlets They can surely CRAFT a message, but organising and ad time COSTS, that's what its about and that's why the system is broken.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

27. Except you don't need to organize to bring a bill up for a vote.

[elleng]

29. This is NOT about bringing a bill up for a vote.

Its about obtaining votes FOR the budget.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

30. No it's not.

A sustained national media buy will run you a lot more than a paltry $150,000.

The DCCC should run fund-raisers. They're certainly smart to use important issues as an impetus. That's good. That's smart. But let's call it for what it is. I don't believe for a second that they cannot take action on the President's budget bill until and unless they get $150,000. To say that is to insult people.

[elleng]

31. The House will 'take action' when boner (and cantor) decide to do so,

that's the way it works.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

32. Force a vote.

Best PR for an "obstructionist, do-nothing congress."

But again, to say they can't submit until and unless is just bogus.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

33. O.K., that makes sense.

[elleng]

34. Thanks, I needed that!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

35. I will probably give the DNC, DCCC, and Obama some funds starting next month.

Won't be much, but it'll be something...

[elleng]

36. Nice. Me, too.