••• White House chickening out of frontal attack on Tea Party GOP - BELIEVE IT OR NOT •••

[breadandwine]

(Note: This was posted before and locked but the mods were nice enough to tell me I could repost if I took out the part they found unacceptable, which I did. Thanks.)

(I also want to emphasize here that there is nothing wrong with passion on our side if it is guided by intellect. Emotion is an intermediary between intellect and action. If there is no emotion all the intellect in the world will not move a person to actually do something. Hence Ed Schultz has a segment in his broadcasts in which he says, "This is the story that has me FIRED UP tonight…")


http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_28/news/50094-1.html


Roll Call is reporting what is essentially White House vacillation and backtracking on a White House discussion reported the other day in the New York Times that they might actually DO SOMETHING about the GOP's rightward turn.

Here you have the whole F*CKING GOP basically baring its glass jaw and just BEGGING us to BELT them one and the White House is fretting that maybe, just MAYBE, they shouldn't do it.

The Roll Call article is entitled "Democrats Try to Tie Republicans to Tea Party" but read the fine print (note my emphasis in caps):

"Senior Democratic aides emphasized that their strategy for dealing with the tea party must be subtle, and THEY HAVE DENIED a New York Times piece over the weekend that suggested the White House was mulling a national ad campaign that would frame the Republican Party as taken over by its radical tea party fringe."

This could mean a number of things but it is hardly a ringing endorsement of a hard charging attack on what I call the "TOP" - "Tea party Old Party" to get above the right wing media noise machine.

Are they going to run ads or not? Sounds like they're chickening out.

Sounds like they were shooting with blanks again, as usual.

Here's another wimpy, hiding-under-the-desk quote (again my emphasis in caps):

"The White House and Congressional Democrats have begun stepping up attacks on 'extremist' tea party views that they say are infecting the Republican Party, but they are WARY OF GOING TOO FAR and ALIENATING THE MOST ENTHUSIASTIC GROUP of voters this cycle."

Let's get something straight. There is no alienating or not alienating. These people are against us and they are going to vote. Got it? There is no better-not-alienate-them about it. You can't win them over. YOU CAN ONLY GET OUR SIDE TO ACTUALLY BE ENERGIZED TO VOTE. Ooooooooh! Can't have THAT! Energize our own base????? NEVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We can't offend the Tea Party and the right wing and Glenn Beck because they are the most enthusiastic! Get OUR side enthusiastic? NEVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The GOP is allowed to energize its base by demonizing us BUT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ENERGIZE OUR BASE BY DEMONIZING THEM.

These people are all hiding under the desk and in the closet afraid of their own shadow.

For a second there I thought they were actually going to DO something. Guess I was wrong.

And note this quote, again with my emphasis in caps:

"But Democrats say THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO MUCH to convince the public that there is a link between the GOP and the tea party."

Do these people know ANYTHING about politics? Have they ever HEARD of politics? Do they know what it IS ?????? If WE had a Tea Party you can be sure the GOP would not be leaving it to what the public already knows. They would be running hard-hitting ads BASHING OUR LIVING BRAINS IN over it and FORCING the public to think about the whole thing in the most negative light, denying the public a respite from a guilty conscience.

There is a simple fact of politics. While it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, in politics that picture always needs a caption. The public looks at the situation but YOU have to tell them what the picture really means. Otherwise the OTHER side will put their own caption under it.

It's called SPIN.

And in a time when the other side uses enormously sophisticated media and propaganda outlets, spin is more than just a press release. It includes TV ads.

Did these people who lead our party ever get out of kindergarten?

Everybody already knows so we don't actually have to TELL them anything!

Okay, go ahead. Become a political wall flower. Let the public decide for itself. I'm sure FOX and all the others will just sit idly by and not tell the public what to think so there is no need for us to do that either. Just sit on your ass and hope we don't offend the sacred Tea Party.

That's really gonna work.

I used to think Tim Kaine was the head of the Democratic Party.

I was in error.

It's actually Franz Kafka.

Note this quote (and my emphasis in caps again):

"'To be honest, I don’t think we have to TRY TOO HARD to link them because they are linked. In people’s minds, they understand that the tea party is really a core component of the Republican Party,' Sen. Mary Landrieu said."

UH OH! WE BETTER NOT TRY TOO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who the F*CK are these pathetic wimpy people?

Another quote from the article (again, my emphasis in caps):

"The Democrats’ strategy is nuanced: Rather than invest in EXPENSIVE TELEVISION ADS, party leaders have been weaving the connection into their talking points."

What does this mean? It means that local Democrats complained to the White House that they don't want them spending money on ads that could be spent instead in local ads for individual candidates. Here you have a GOP that nationalized the election with blistering attacks on us nationally and created mass national hysteria but we can't push back and push the country's buttons the other way nationally because WE MIGHT HURT THEIR WITTLE FEELINGS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What if we were to OFFEND the GOP and Tea Party !!!!!!!!!! ?????????

Can't have THAT!

Go ahead. Hide under the desk, you wimpy little cowards.

For a second there I thought they were actually going to DO something.

Silly me.


Your thoughts, recs and kicks appreciated. This needs to get attention. This is just the most wimpy wimpy wimpy party. Pathetic. Hiding behind their own shadow instead of belting the other side.


There is a name for such people.

They are called LOSERS.

Great. We don't actually have to DO anything. Brilliant strategy!

[RandomThoughts]

1. I been wondering about that.

Could be the news is not covering them as much, some of them been on the news. And President Obama speeches have been great, as with VP Biden.

And Clinton is out working it, that is great.

As long as they point out the differences, without getting to 'in the gutter' they should do ok. They don't have to take cheap shots, just remind people what is going on.


edit
That makes sense, if they go on a show discussing some issue, then cuts of that discussion on many shows can be used against them by disingenuous means.

So they might be doing a strategy of no mistakes, that makes some sense, if they got the numbers. Then push for energy, and let the big speakers explain to the independents.

[breadandwine]

7. Great idea, RandomThoughts.

We better not fight because the moment we do, we are, to use your phrase, taking a "cheap shot."


To some on our side, all fighting is just a cheap shot and FORBIDDEN.


So we better be good little boys and sit quietly in the corner while we get our brains bashed in by the GOP.

[RandomThoughts]

12. I hear that word forbidden thrown around alot.

heh, who thinks they make those distinctions of what is and isn't allowed. Mostly that is a concept to make some claim for some self bias.

Or are you saying 'For Biden', missing a D there. So that's not it.


I did not say people should sit quietly, I have repeatedly said people should speak about what they think is best, and express their best ideas. And have repeatedly tried to show how many people that have spoken up have inspired me, or that I think are great.

But that does not mean you have to play snide games, that can be seen through, when the facts are on your side, you only have to reveal what has been going on.


What is the source that you say makes that forbidden? Who do you say makes that claim?

And why would you say that all people in a party would be under that set of 'rules' do you claim it is a hierarchical system centrally controlled by a single person or ideology?


It almost seems like you are saying some monarch system is in effect, is that your claim? and if you say that, are you saying you speak for that system, and if so what authority do you claim to have.


If it is some strategy discussed by some group, then I doubt you would use that word in caps.

[breadandwine]

20. The missing D you refer to has been put into the new Democratic party logo

since they have nothing better to do, being that the party leadership is AWOL.

[whistler162]

31. What wondering about what the next pretend poutrage was going to be about?

[ixion]

2. One of the things you can count on from the Dem leadership is that

they will always run from a fight. That seems pretty consistent.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. "If WE had a Tea Party you can be sure the GOP would not be leaving it to what the public

already knows."

No shit.

There are five and a half socialists in the Democratic Party, and they already paint ALL Dems as socialist.

Nuts.

[Scuba]

4. Rahm needs surgery. A spine implant is required.

[RBInMaine]

5. I have been saying from day one that they need to be out bashing the shit out of the SHITBAGGERS.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[breadandwine]

8. Thanks for the multiple recs, folks. Much appreciated.

...

[old mark]

9. Hey Mr. President! Remember November, 2008?, I do! I voted FOR YOU!

I'm a DEMOCRAT, even a PROGRESSIVE/LEFTIST DEMOCRAT!

The people on the right DID NOT VOTE FOR YOU!

They don't like you - YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT, TOO!!!

Democrats voted for you so you could do things WE DEMOCRATS wanted done.

WE will vote for more Democrats and everyone will be happy IF YOU DO THOSE DEMOCRATIC THINGS!

The people on the right won't like you NO MATTER WHAT!

Please read this till the ideas take root.

Thanks for your time.


mark

One of your liberal voters - a DEMOCRAT!

:dem:

[clarence swinney]

10. I want to weep

Democrats will not attack vilify smear just sit back and smile while getting clobbered.
Imagine Newt as Speaker Of the House and Trent Lott as Majority leader in Senate with these opponents.

Democrats have an arsenal of weapons

Country Club Party now Party of WSA (wall street of america)
Two largest increases in size of government
Reagan by 80% and Bush II by 100% (spending)
Two largest increases in Debt in peacetime
Reagan 170% and Bush 100%
Both created fewer net new jobs in 16 years than Clinton in 8 years.
19 Million to 22 Million

One had Housing Tsunami and Financial Volcano to cap off attempt to destroy the Middle Class. A Great Recession!!!!

What more nuclear material does the party need????

I want to weep. How to sleep walk victory into defeat
olduglymeanhonest

[clarence swinney]

14. LOSE IT ON TV

DNC and White House are concentrating on Precincts
And losing for most get news and direction off TV.

The president speaks almost dialy to his CHOIR of a few hundred and does nothing to influence milions via TV.

TV is name of the Game today.

Who are Leaders? Howard Dean is superb. But he does not get tens of millions watching
him.

The White House has no Political WAR ROOM.

They are focused on Accomplishments.Moving legislation.
Ignoring facts of publicity now not years from now.

Success is winning the election.Use Oval Office Mr. President.
Plus, keep you xxxx hands out of your Oval speeches. Hide them

Disgusting
olduglymeanhonest

[breadandwine]

21. Aw, Clarence Swinney, you're being unfair. The GOP didn't do much harm.

Just ALL FOUR of America's great stock market crashes.


Panic of 1873. Republican Grant was president.
Crash of 1929. Republican Hoover was president.
Crash of 1987. Republican George Herbert Walker Bush was president.
Crash of 2008. Republican George W. Bush was president.


There's a book with investing advice called "Don't Sell Stocks On Monday." It says that if you invested $10,000 in stocks during years when a Democrat was president and invested the same amount in the same stocks for the same number of years during years when a Republican was president, you would have made much more during the Democratic years. How can this be? Because helping Main Street helps Wall Street much more than helping Wall Street directly if there is no underlying economic growth on Main Street to support stock gains.


But why should we think about that? Republicans need help and love, being poverty stricken rich people. And they have such nice smiles! How could they POSSIBLY be wrong! Like Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell.

[annabanana]

11. Why are they trying so hard not to win?

hmmmmm?

[Quantess]

15. Isn't it frustrating?! This all stinks to high heaven.

The Democrats shift between being wimpy, spineless, capitulating, and playing "good cop" to their "bad cop". And every time, folding.

It's all part of the grand plan, that nobody is letting the people in on. We're getting ripped off.

[Xipe Totec]

13. Milo Bloom, is that you?

First headline: White House Planning to tie Republicans to Tea Party

Second headline: White House denies Planning to tie Republicans to Tea Party.

Third headline: White House chickening out of frontal attack on Tea Party GOP

[jaxx]

16. Unrec for assuming.

It's the old 'with friends like these' thing. There was no substance, just put downs.

[donheld]

32. Recommend just for you

[JTFrog]

17. "BUT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ENERGIZE OUR BASE BY DEMONIZING THEM."

So demonize ourselves instead? Well assuming of course you're a Democrat.

Awesome strategy. :shrug:

[RandomThoughts]

18. It seems most posters in this thread.

Are running from the fight.

[rustyd55]

19. be heard

maybe you heard 30 democrats are voting to extend tax cuts for all.the gop can get all rich people active if we could get the poor and middle class to really see whats going on then the tea party would be afraid to leave theyre house. because we would be protesting outside theyre houses peacefully of course we would have to go to the bathroom somewhere of course hey thats what they deserve.we need to educate and get people active be heard ,not on a computer.of course they are protected by the laws we are not.and please if we get out of vans to rally what will happen.they fly first class and private planes to their rallies.

[sendero]

22. It's been this way..

.. since around 2000. My first post on DU (2002 or so) was about the milktoast lameness of all Democratic party rhetoric.

Anyone that doesn't think strong talk works should ask themselves how a party that cannot find its own ass with 2 hands and a map keeps winning elections even when espousing ideas that most Americans disagree with.

Obama went on the offensive a bit a couple weeks back, I thought maybe he finally got it but I guess my guarded optimism will remain unfulfilled AGAIN.

[Vinca]

23. For a long, long time the basic problem with the Dems in leadership

positions is their reluctance to even slightly rock the boat. They are really wedded to the hand holding and kumbayah singing. It drives me nuts, but your post isn't a surprise at all.

[JackRiddler]

24. Just one thing: The "Tea Party" has not taken over the GOP.

The Tea Party is a GOP campaign, and always has been. It's just the latest version of the same set of activists who played the angry populists for Gingrich in 1994 and for Reagan in 1980, even for Goldwater in 1964. A couple of years ago there may have been small libertarian-minded groups that called themselves Tea Parties, but the Tea Party that mobilizes tens of thousands of footsoldiers (oooh, tens of thousands!) is a campaign to astroturf the active, more secular-looking parts of the Republican base into the semblance of a movement. In fact, its talking points are merely a continuation of the Palin side of the McCain campaign. The GOP voters who were already calling Obama a Muslim and a foreigner and a socialist in 2008 were rebranded as a populist movement the next year thanks to the magic of FOXNEWS (which literally provided and pays the Tea Party leadership) and a mainstream corporate media who were happy to portray the Tea Party as something new.

[madrchsod]

25. it`s the moderate republicans and undecided voters....

the democrats have to appeal to. the more the republicans move to the right the better chances the dems have.
there`s more than one way to skin a.....

[Bluenorthwest]

30. Explain to me how a person who can not decide to vote for

Reid or Angle is a 'moderate'. What is moderate about 'I might vote for O'Donnell'? Those who consider voting for extreme right candidates are not 'moderates' at all. If there are any 'moderate Republicans' they are already not voting for the Bagger nuts. If they were, they'd not be moderate.
A 'moderate' is not a person who might be either insane or reasonable, depending on the tone of a campaign or something.

[LonePirate]

26. What? The White House is afraid to speak out against something? Say it ain't so!

[BrklynLiberal]

27. a picture is worth a thousand words..

[woo me with science]

28. Attacking the teabaggers was never the key to winning this election.

The key was passing health care reform that actually makes health care AFFORDABLE for people.

The key was fixing an economy and a corporate structure that are bleeding the middle class to death.

The key was FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE ELECTION PROMISES THAT BROUGHT OUT 63.7 MILLION PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR HIM.

I don't give a shit whether they attack the Tea Party or not. Those people make asses of themselves without Democratic help, and attacking them still does not give anyone a reason to vote FOR Democrats.

ACTUAL STRONG, UNAPOLOGETIC MOVEMENT IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION is the best chance at reviving Democratic chances, even at this late date.

[AmericanMan1958]

29. What is there to connect

Tea party is promoted by Palin and the Gang... GOP
They all ran as Repubs....
They are Far right winger
Everyone knows they are financed by Right Wing supporter.

Anyone that does not believe Tea Party are GOP, are Nut Jobs and you will be wasting time try to convince them.

[donheld]

33. This White House seems to chicken out of most fights it could

win if it wanted to.

[breadandwine]

38. I have to say I'm bewildered.

I don't know why they behave this way.

[Bluebear]

40. Indeed.

[WinkyDink]

34. The National Democrats: Spineless since 1972.

[Paladin]

35. What Would Be Hard To Believe.....

....would be the Democratic Party leadership standing up to the sick right wing in this country, instead of seeing just how fast they can retreat. Absolutely mortifying.....

[breadandwine]

39. We're supposed to be so tranquilized we stay home.

Can't get the base riled up against the GOP.


Somebody might get mad at us.....

[Kablooie]

36. So they think that if they don't attack the Reps that the Reps will return the favor.

[breadandwine]

37. Yep. If we're nice to the fascists, they'll turn over a new leaf.

Turning the other cheek works. The right wing turns the other cheek all the time - ours. "Please turn the other cheek so I can belt the other one, you dirty libruls."