Democratic "truth squads" head to GOP convention.

[madfloridian]

If there is a convention left, that is. If any Republicans end up going and there really is a convention. :evilgrin:

From Roll Call:

Democrats Come to Town

The heavy hitters whom Republicans dispatched to Denver last week to lead their “truth squad” efforts were effective in landing a few well-publicized punches.

Now the Democrats will return the favor in Minneapolis as their own star-studded cast of surrogates wades into GOP territory to try to steal some headlines and push an alternative narrative during the Republicans’ week in the sun.

In a sign of the escalation in truth squad efforts since the 2004 conventions, Democrats are also turning to some of their biggest-name surrogates this week, including — as of Friday — Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Rep. Chet Edwards (Texas), who was vetted as a potential vice presidential pick for Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.). Other Democratic Members scheduled to make appearances in Minneapolis and St. Paul next week are Reps. Hilda Solis (Calif.) and Betty McCollum (Minn.).

It’s a high-profile cast that seems to indicate that Democrats, like their Republican counterparts, are no longer content to simply send a handful of back-benchers and staffers to be the boots on the ground during the other party’s convention.

Sounds like they are well-organized. I love this.

The DNC began to roll out its “More of the Same” theme for the Republican convention last week with press packets distributed throughout the various media tents in Denver. Those packets included credentials for the Democratic “war room” — located just two blocks from the Xcel Energy Center — as well as fact sheets and even an “Ask Me How Many Houses I Own” button as a swipe at Arizona Sen. John McCain’s much-maligned gaffe last month.

Democratic counter-convention activities will begin each day with breakfasts for credentialed guests followed by morning news conferences and various other events highlighting their daily themes for the GOP gathering.

Way to go, Democrats.

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. I hope they get as much air time as the republicans did

Sounds great.

[Muttocracy]

2. Are they making Norm Coleman show up :)

[1corona4u]

3. Sounds like fun...I'm glad they're going....

I don't have the stomach to even watch it.

[Ashy Larry]

4. Please send John Kerry!

He has been great recently.

[madfloridian]

5. He has been speaking out powerfully lately.

I agree. I imagine that is not a complete list.

[silverojo]

6. I just hope to hell they don't all get detained

I mean...arrested. :scared:

[TlalocW]

7. I hope they send Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog

He did a bit a few years ago at both conventions, and after Ralph Reed refused to talk to him and walked away, he yelled after him something like, "How can you be against gay sex when you walk around with that stick up your ass all the time?"

It was a thing of beauty.

TlalocW

[EC]

8. They'll probably have them arrested as disruptors... n/t

[AtomicKitten]

9. They'll have their hands full rebutting all the bullshit!

K&R

[madfloridian]

11. Amen.

Hope they get good media coverage.

[MNDemNY]

10. Why, they will find no truth there.

[madfloridian]

12. Now that is the truth.

:hi:

[Erin Elizabeth]

13. Well, MSNBC just showed the convention hall

which was about 98% empty. There was no one outside, either. Just people inside setting stuff up right now.

They said today Laura Bush and Cindy McCain will speak to the delegates, but only about Gustav relief efforts, not anything political (like that's not political, puh-leese).

And it will last about 2 1/2 hours today.

So the truth squad is cool, but for today, the RNC isn't really going to be very on.

[madfloridian]

14. Having to adapt plans around lack of convention and Gustav.

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002942893

"As Hurricane Gustav battered the Gulf Coast Monday morning, and Republicans stripped convention plans to a bare minimum, Democrats are also recalibrating their strategy to counter the RNC festivities. A Democratic National Committee war room set up across the street from the Xcel Center — dubbed the “More of the Same Media Center”— was indefinitely shut down, as were news conference plans and a number of other press events.

A rally planned to “welcome” President George W. Bush to the Twin Cities was obviously cancelled, as the outgoing president jettisoned his visit. A slew of surrogates the DNC had lined up to come to town are also on hold, awaiting news on the storm and further action from Republicans, who have cancelled some events and promised to turn others into fundraisers for Gulf Coast families.

..."DNC members, with support from the local Democrat Farmer Labor Party (DFL), as Democrats are known in Minnesota, are discussing plans for their own Gulf Coast support efforts — and for countering GOP spin at the convention. Earlier in the week, they had discussed segueing door-knocking and grassroots political training for young people into fundraisers or other support efforts for people in the Gulf Coast.

“We’re just going hour-by-hour,” said Eric Fought, a DFL spokesman. “We had an aggressive field effort to plan for this week, and right now, we’re going to see if we’re going to move any of it or change any of it this week.”