Bush Paints His Goals As 'Crises' – Reprises A First-Term Tactic

[kskiska]

Saturday, January 8, 2005; Page A01

President Bush had great success in his first term by generating a sense of crisis that demanded decisive responses. Now, as he begins a second term, Bush is returning to the same tactic to accomplish three longtime conservative goals.

Warning of the need for urgent action on his Social Security plan, Bush says the "crisis is now" for a system even the most pessimistic observers say will take in more in taxes than it pays out in benefits well into the next decade.

He calls the proliferation of medical liability lawsuits a "crisis in America" that can be fixed only by limiting a patient's right to sue for large damages. And Bush has repeatedly accused Senate Democrats of creating a "vacancy crisis" on the federal bench by refusing to confirm a small percentage of his judicial nominees.

This strategy helped Bush win support for the war in Iraq, tax cuts and education policies, as well as reclaim the White House. What is unclear is whether the same approach will work, given the battering to the administration's credibility over its Iraq claims and a new Democratic campaign accusing Bush of crying wolf.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57476-2005Jan7.html

[eleny]

1. President Chicken Little

[rocktivity]

8. I prefer President Mightymouse

http://thinkfreely.home.comcast.net/GW5_Medium.mov

President Bush created the illusion of success in his first term by manufacturing a crisis with the help of a sychophantic coporate media expecting to be rewarded with favorable legislation. Now, as he begins a second term, Bush is returning to the same tactic? The real question is, will the mainstream media collude with him once more, or will the public get fooled again?

:headbang:
rocknation

[eleny]

10. I hadn't seen that one yet!

They did a fabulous job. Thanks!

[Nite Owl]

2. It's exactly the same

thing that he did with the war. If we didn't go in right away we were going to see nuclear clouds over our cities. It will work unless the Dems grow a spine and start revealing the tactic they are using.

[reprobate]

9. Democratic Spine is an oxymoron. Has been for decades.

[Cobalt Violet]

3. I wonder how much he is paying "journalist" to talk iceberg.

I hope that this crisis crap doesn't work.

[MichiganVote]

4. No WMD George. None. Nada. Not a fucking thing.

[nashville_brook]

5. seems like i recall some repugs at the debates yesterday

talking about dems crying wolf -- anyone know the reference?

[shraby]

6. Fool us once......

[The Judged]

7. Senator Reid weighed in on Social Security, lawsuit limits, & judiciary ..

... crisis!

quotes snipped from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57476-2005Jan7.html

"Bush Paints His Goals As 'Crises'
President Reprises A First-Term Tactic"

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 8, 2005; Page A01

1). Social Security:

"It is a crisis created in the mind of the White House because they want to take care of the fat cats on Wall Street," Reid said.

2). Malpractice Lawsuit caps:

"In 2002, the last year for which complete figures are available, malpractice costs amounted to less than 2 percent of health care costs, according to the Congressional Budget Office."

"Reid said the insurance companies, which set the rates for physicians, are to blame, not the trial lawyers."

3). Judiciary "vacancy crisis" on the courts:

"...confirmation of Bush nominees exceeds, in most cases, the first-term records of presidents going back to Ronald Reagan. "Does that sound like a crisis? Only if you failed math really badly," Reid said."

Senator Reid, apparently, is not rolling over!

[MaineDem]

16. Excellent talking points

We should be repeating these in LTTEs all over the country!

[UpInArms]

11. the only crisis that our country is having is that

this illegitimate squatter won't get out of the people's house - he keeps making the worst decisions and the most gawd-awful mistakes that have ever been (imho throughout the entire history of man).

[LynnTheDem]

12. TERRA TERRA TERRA!!! FEAR FEAR FEAR!!! CRISIS CRISIS CRISIS!

Dear Mr. bush;

Fuck off.

[Solly Mack]

13. Mussolini called his "battles"

sigh...same shit different century

[teryang]

19. The Nazi strategy of dynamic tension

One crisis followed by another to keep opponents off balance indefinitely. Never allowing resistance to consolidate for any period of time on any one contest.

Of course the tide will ebb, if only internationally. This is why the fundamental premise of neo-con theory is that no one has the "military power" to oppose us. If such were conceded, the inevitable reversal will take place but it might take a decade or a generation, or more. Such an unfounded premise denies the limits of American power projection in remote areas of Asia, including the middle east, suggesting that it may be supplemented by space based information and weapons systems and pre-emptive nuclear attacks to prevent "surprises."

The first step was the 2000 election, followed by the breaching or repudiation of numerous international treaties and agreements, followed by the LIHOP/MIHOP and anthrax sponsored events, followed by Patriot Act, followed by the fraudulent wars, followed by the building of "legal" foundation for the creation of a gulag for "enemies," followed by litigation campaigns and court decisions to eviscerate our Constitution and legal traditions, followed by more fraudulent elections. All accompanied by the most egregious corporate looting of the nation ever accomplished.

And so it goes. Fascist totalitarianism on the march.

[kentuck]

21. Yep...any now he presents his tax reform policy....

baffle them with bullshit....

[Solly Mack]

25. Yes. I think maybe attacking Clinton, which, in truth, amounted to an

attack on Americans, (constantly assaulting us with their trumped-up charges,lies, and words of division) set the scene for Selection 2000.
I don't think their primary goal was to impeach Clinton so much as to produce a battle weary & divided America for what was to come. By the time 2000 came along, many Americans were too exhausted from the previous 8 years of political upheaval to even care anymore.

[truthisfreedom]

14. a new Democratic campaign accusing bush of crying wolf?

wow, what a nice plug for something i've never heard of. and what's more, they managed to say it without bastardizing our adjective form... they might have said "a new Democrat campaign..."

[HereSince1628]

23. the meme should be "Where's the brink?"

Bush invokes problem solving by brinksmanship but without the cliffs.

[FlemingsGhost]

15. Old Jamaican proverb, Mon:

"If everyday you take the bucket to the well, one day the bottom gonna drop out."

[AussieDave]

17. Then perhaps it's time for the Dems to FINALLY take the gloves off

- no more pussyfooting around with cooperating and massaging the "moderate" Republicans in the Senate and the House. Those "moderates" are going to vote for even a modified version of the destruction of Social Security, for any of the extremist judges that Bush throws onto the stage, for Gonzales for Attorney-General, for Rice for Secretary of State, yada yada yada - because THEY ARE REPUBLICANS. Period, end of story.

Josh Marshall over at Talking Points Memo has been waging a campaign on Social Security, exposing Democrats who have either come out in support of Bush's plans, or are likely to do so in the absence of a clear statement otherwise. His point is that the destruction of Social Security should be a solely Republican action, with no cover of bipartisanship - this means that any Democrat who supports Bush on this matter should be targeted for defeat in the primaries in 2006.

I feel that at the same time all Republicans should be tarred with the same brush - newspaper and TV ads should be blunt: "Senator (or representative) X supports Bush's plans for Social Security, which will mean its destruction - are your future benefits safe ??" A simple statement which just may force Republicans to think twice about it, but gives them no place to hide. And that's exactly what the Dems should be doing - giving Republicans, especially the moderate ones, no place to hide.

To my mind these "moderates" should be heavily targeted when they are up for reelection, because in the end they are Republicans and will support Bush no matter what.

Too extreme ??

[kentuck]

22. Josh is exactly right....

Any Democrat that goes along with Bush on this should be defeated in his next election. May as well vote for his Republican opponent....

[snippy]

18. This is an important analysis for several reasons.

One is the accuracy of the analysis. Another is the examples which are referenced. And another is that it may reveal a willingness for the media to begin to stop obeying Bush.

Democrats should make an effort to develop a short and simple message based on Bush concocting various crises in order to manipulate the media and the public. To do so they need to research every use of the word "crisis" by the Bush administration. The message needs to emphasize that Bush's purpose is manipulation. Then the message needs to be repeated by every democrat over and over at every opportunity until the public is mocking Bush's constant cries of crisis.

[kentuck]

20. The American people are being hoodwinked by the Repubs

and George W Bush. They are dependent on the continuing ignorance of the people to push through their radical agenda. We have to keep reminding the Democrats in office about that reality and that is unfortunate.

[underpants]

24. GREAT! The press is sitting on the curb reporting on the coming car crash

Unbelieveable. The press basically is just sitting there telling the public about how they are going to be lied to again and doing nothing about it.

YOU ARE BEING LIED TO!!!!!!!! Got it yet?