GOP Plans Big Push To Tar House Dems With Goldman Cash

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/house-republicans/gop-plans-big-push-to-tar-house-dems-with-goldman-cash/

GOP Plans Big Push To Tar House Dems With Goldman Cash


This should get interesting: House Republicans are planning a major counteroffensive to use the SEC action against Goldman Sachs to tar House Democrats by aggressively highlighting how much in contributions Dems have received from Goldman and other financial firms.

The political arm of the House GOP leadership has drawn up a spreadsheet, which was sent my way, that documents the contributions of Goldman and other big firms to House leaders like Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, James Clyburn and others.

The game plan is fairy straightforward: With Dems on offense against Republicans for opposing the Dem financial reform plan, the NRCC hopes to push back on the attacks by saying, in effect, that Dems are tight with Wall Street, too.

“We plan to remind voters that Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic majority was built and protected with money from the very same Wall Street entities that they plan to provide permanent bailouts for,” NRCC spokesman Ken Spain emails. Republicans point out that Dem Rep Brad Sherman, who’s on the Financial Services Committee, has endorsed the claim that the Dodd bill would lead to “permanent bailout authority.”

The spreadsheet, which is based on FEC data, documents tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to leading House Dems from Goldman, Lehman Brothers, JP Morgan Chase and other firms.

The strategy would seem to carry some risks for Republicans. For one thing, nonpartisan observers have strongly contested the claim that Dem financial reform would lead to permanent bailouts. For another, this line of attack allows Dems to respond with charges of hypocrisy, pointing to the cash the financial industry has given to Republicans.

And Dems will argue that the GOP strategy is designed to focus people on political contributions, rather than policy, as an indicator of which party is more friendly to Wall Street. But from the Republican point of view, with Dems on offense, there’s no real downside in muddying the waters, in hopes that voters will tune out the Dem message.

I’ll bring you the Dems’ response when I get it.

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Update: DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer sends over a dismissive response:

“These baloney NRCC attacks have as much credibility as Bernie Madoff talking about smart investing. While House Democrats have fought to end Wall Street abuse, John Boehner, Eric Cantor and the rest of the Republican leadership have been busy cutting back room deals in hopes of trying to kill Wall Street reform in exchange for campaign cash.”

[high density]

1. It becomes clear now why the GOP wants to block Wall St Reform.

The GOPers will go home and say the Democrats are owned by Wall St and refuse to pass any reforms because of all this money they get from them. Of course the complete opposite will be true, but that doesn't matter.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. "back room deals" That phrase is key from now on. nt

[gateley]

3. All they have to do is show the fucking spreadsheet and we can say -- see? We

were the recipients of contributions, but we're willing to do what's right and risk losing that financial support. Then show a spreadsheet of what the Reps received from said institutions, and go "but THESE recipients don't want to tighten the screws on their benefactors." No need to get fancy about it. Obviously David Plouffe needs to be in charge of the script. :7

[LiberalAndProud]

4. This strategy will surely backfire.

I think I'm going to enjoy this fight.

[Ikonoklast]

6. Yep.

"Even though I took Wall Street political campaign money, I will cast my vote in the best interests of the citizens of my state for finance reform. My vote cannot be bought for any amount of campaign contributions."


I'm not a political strategist by a long shot, but fer cryin' out loud, even I could write the tv ad for this one.

[denimgirly]

5. The sad thing is BOTH sides are corrupt badly..just repubs are 100% while dems are 95% wholly owned

So it is really a battle of lesser of two evils. I just wish there was a party that was 100% behind the people, not special interests.

So this battle over Goldman is just a matter of who can "pretend" to be the lesser of the puppet of Goldman in the eyes to the people. The winner gets a seat and continued special interest contributions. Sweet. :eyes:

[DCBob]

7. Can't imagine this will work if the GOPers keep blocking the reform bill.

Grasping.

[Ian David]

8. They can HAVE Stephen Lynch. I'm voting for Dunkelbarger. n/t