Fox signals shutdown!

[skip fox]

Steve Doocy this morning called Chuck Schumer "Senator Shutdown," representing the height of Fox's attempt to inoculate the Republicans against fall-out over the shutdown by preemptively trying to blame the Democrats. Fox is anticipating the shutdown it seems.

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201104040003

The question is, will the preemptive blame work? The Republicans face a high bar rhetorically: to explain why Republicans voting against a continuing budget are not thereby voting for a government shutdown.

We could use sound bites or concise statements ("If you're against a budget, you're for a shutdown," "Against a budget? Against your country!," or some such) to counter Fox and Fiends. (Luntz's dunces.)

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. Right now they seem prepared to blame the Senate for a shutdown

I imagine that once most people get wind of what the Senate is blocking, they'll be glad it is (or they should be, anyway).

Of course, one can say that the Republican-controlled House is responsible for the shutdown by continuing to promote an irresponsible and RADICAL budget.

Divided government.doesn't.work (or at least not when 1/2 of it doesn't actually believe in compromise and genuine "bipartisanship"). I wish more people would recognize this before pulling that lever.
:banghead:

[gateley]

2. Problem is, WILL "people get wind of what the Senate is blocking"? The news

is so slanted and our messaging sucks.

[northoftheborder]

6. Yes. The Rep.'s House proposed budget needs to be BROADCAST to the country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Their cuts need to be made public in NEON RED. The ordinary person needs to know what they are proposing. Why doesn't the President make an Oval Office speech spelling this out in excruciatingly plain English?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. That is definitely a valid concern

and I hope that the Dems (like Senator Schumer) are making sure to emphasize what's in the House budget and why the Senate (and President Obama) are being more responsible than the House GOP in thrall to the teabaggers. I don't think there's any groundswell of popular support for defunding Planned Parenthood, ACA, NPR. Not to mention the fact that its primarily the teabaggers whom are preventing a deal from being made. I think that we wouldn't even be talking about this today if Boehner, et. al weren't scared shirtless of the teabaggers. They're wanting to cut $61B and the teabaggers don't think that's enough.
I have to say that Senator Schumer and some other Dems have been doing a bit better in terms of messaging and visibility about this debate. I imagine that we'll come out all of this better off than the Republicans will when all is said and done and the Teabaggers are going to ultimately be left crying in their milk over GOP "betrayal" (at least for a little while, anyway) IMHO. The full-on "teabagger" agenda is NOT widely supported by most Americans and Republicans seem to be damned if they do, damned if they don't when it comes to the teabaggers IMHO.

[PatSeg]

9. All the Dems in DC need a sign in their offices

"Its the messaging Stupid". How can a party repeatedly lose the message war when the message often is so basic and simple? Its not as if we need Luntz-style bogus talking points, we just need to tell the truth. Bill Clinton knew how to do this. Maybe he should give classes.

[brooklynite]

3. You need a simpler message...

"Republicans vote against spending cuts"

[LiberalFighter]

4. Government is not the problem.

Republicans are the problem.

[Andy823]

5. Well...

The idiots that watch fox news will buy into this BS, but then again they buy into anything they hear on fox news! Those with any brains at all know who it is that is trying to shut down the government, and with all the crap going on in states ran by republicans, it won't matter what fox new says because the truth about the GOP plan is pretty obvious "take from the poor and give to the rich" no matter how many people get hurt or die in the process!

[skip fox]

8. Don't let them spit it: A vote against a continuing budget is a vote for a shutdown.

Maybe simple as that.

[skip fox]

10. More pre-emptive blaming of Democrats by House leadership bodes ill

for a bill for extennsion.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-government-readies-for-shutdown-obama-dismisses-gop-stop-gap-plan/2011/04/05/AFAa71iC_story.html