Once again, the Repubs are "out-framing" the Democrats...

[kentuck]

Those nasty unions are taking money from middle-class taxpayers, they say. And that is all many Republicans need to hear.

What is the Democratic response? What should it be?

Personally, I think teaching children is one of the best professions a person can enter. Perhaps these "union haters" think the country would be better off without teachers? Or is it that they believe they would be better off without teachers that belong to a union?

Teachers are not paid huge sums of money. Public education is something the American people agreed upon a long time ago. It is not a recent phenomenon.

The money that teachers are paid is theirs to do with what they wish. If they choose to join a union so their voices and concerns can be heard, that is their right and their choice. Who are these folks that would deny them that right?

I would like to hear a different response from the Democratic side than simply playing defense.

[RandomThoughts]

1. They don't want anyone to think or feel.

They want a weak minded population.

Although not about a political party.

[kentuck]

2. Governor Walker gets paid with taxpayer dollars...

..and I would prefer my tax-dollars go to any teacher in the state of Wisconsin than to Governor Walker.

Education is just as valuable to our economy as roads and bridges. When people buy homes in a new community, the first thing they look for is a good public school to send their children. That is of utmost importance to them.

It is a disgrace the way these Republicans badmouth public education and the school teachers whom we depend upon to educate our children. None of these politicians deserve to receive one penny of taxpayer monies, in my opinion.

[RandomThoughts]

8. I think organized labor is a good thing for society.

And Even if many people that work for better conditions are treated wrongly by some systems, after awhile I think it works out.

Norma Rae Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RiKfSvPNWw

[elocs]

3. Democrats usually allow Republicans to define them, make up definitions for the terms of the debate,

then ultimately control the debate, keeping Democrats continually on defense and having to explain themselves.

[emulatorloo]

10. Republican Tell A Lie. Then, Democrats have to explain that it is a lie

Then the media repeats the Republican lie without fact checking.

Dems constantly bogged down in explaining the truth. Nobody helps them, certainly not media.

[treestar]

4. So republicans are more persuasive?

Merely because they say something makes it true?

Did you not notice the demonstrators? Are they going home because the Republicans successfully "framed" things?

Republicans will always chatter on with tons of nonsense. Requiring a response or a "defense" allows them to control things. Ignoring them makes them irrelevant.

[OHdem10]

5. Republican Big Business Pals have outsourced and forced

the salaries DOWN in the Private Sector.(No real gains
and a loss of at One Thousand or more dollars annually.)

In order to carry out their Globalization(Free Trade)
Policies, they must push all other employees downward.
This includes Teachers, Fire Fighters, Police, and all
Public Workers.

Until we intellectualize and digest the fact that what
is going on here is Harmonization of Incomes. Globalists
have said all along "We cannot have the American Worker
making ten and 20 times what other workers are making".

The Republicans are being permitted to get away with this
because no one is willing to call a spade a spade explaining
exactly what is going on.

Businesses have lowered salaries, now the push is on to
bring Public Workers Salaries in line. The Elites consider
the Republicans to be better at accomplishing the job.

[blindpig]

6. Don't know if I'd call it framing.

The Republicans have always been up front anti-union, easy to dust off 100 year old propaganda. For the Democrats it's much trickier, they may have become the dominant party by partnering with the unions 75 years ago and have long been identified as friends of the working class based upon that but what have they done for us lately? Not much, hardly a damn thing in the last 50 years. Has Taft-Hartley been repealed yet? Rather the Democratic Party has been moving away from the people in it's actions for a long time while paying lip service only. And now even the lip service is being withdrawn. In truth we have always been on our own but now that fact is glaringly unavoidable.

[hwmnbn]

7. people in unions pay taxes too!

[socialist_n_TN]

9. Can we boil an good answer down to two sentences?

How about: What middle class? The rich have it all and there IS no middle class.

Any other pithy answers?

[etherealtruth]

11. People in unions ARE the middle class

They are the only one's that have been afforded ANY (any = some) job/ wage protection is this economy ....an economy where the "rich" have gotten richer and non-union (and union workers by agreement) have seen their wages stagnate or plummet.

[speltwon]

24. Agree. I am in a union, solidly middle class. I thank my union

for this.

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. You need to put a human face on "the union."

Just like Norma Rae.

[Celebration]

13. We need some money for ads

Showing teachers in action, giving facts about pay, etc. Seems ridiculous to waste money on ad campaigns, but apparently people respond to that.

[ZombieHorde]

14. We should make them define the phrase "middle class" with actual numbers.

If they say it depends on the area, have them say what qualifies as middle class in areas they are aware of. If they can't define the term, they shouldn't be using it in debates.

[slay]

15. The Dems should be going after THE RICH - and expose the Republicans for using "divide and conquer"

techniques against the people of America. The have convinced Republicans to turn on US - anyone who isn't just like them. But what we should be doing is going after who has the money and power to fuck this country up so badly and the answer is very obvious - the super rich and mega corporations. But the Dems are either too scared or OWNED to do that. I don't think the Dems represent us anymore sadly. Sure some local ones try, but not nationally - and for Republicans it's even locally just look at Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. We are in BIG TROUBLE because at this time we only have parties that look out for the rich and powerful - not the people. Maybe they'll throw us a bone from time to time, if we're lucky - and to continue the illusion that our government is not bought and owned and is now stolen from the people.

Foxnews needs to be investigated for promoting fear, hatred, lies, and basically being a pure propaganda arm of the republican party. Make no mistake the Republicans have declared war on us - and the Dems are NOT going to fight for us - if it looks like we're winning on a certain issue, only then will they jump on board. ugh. :(

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. at the highest levels of the DNC I don't think they care

because they agree

[bvar22]

17. Its like they WANT to lose the Public Debate,

because then they can say,
"We didn't have have the votes." :cry:

I get furious when I hear Democratic Party Leadership repeating the Republican Framing Points.

"Tax Breaks for the RICH creates jobs."

"Entitlements are breaking us." :cry:

"Shared Sacrifice."

Bullshit.



Who will STAND UP and represent THIS American Majority?
Platitudes, Rhetoric, Empty Promises, and Excuses are meaningless now.

"By their WORKS you will know them,"
And by their WORKS they will be held accountable.
Platitudes, Rhetoric, Empty Promises, and Excuses are meaningless now.

[Selatius]

18. Of course they want to lose, their campaign dollars depend on it.

It only takes a couple hundred managers to raise the same kind of money several thousand workers could. A politician who is about money would make the smart move by courting a few hundred managers and foregoing the poor workers because he'll get the same amount of money for advertising but with less work as far as pounding the pavement goes. He can win over half the workers' votes by throwing in a wedge issue.

[Octafish]

19. It seems to be a pattern.

Since Carter's day, by chance or design, the results are always the same:

The pukes frame the debate, the dems play catch-up, and policy becomes what the pukes wanted.

K&R.

[WinkyDink]

20. Not only teachers; the targets include police, firefighters, municipal employees.

EVERY PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BUT THEMSELVES.

[upi402]

21. media media media

The RW has a propaganda organ, and it's a whopper!

[toddwv]

22. I agree. Particularly since the labor disputes started.

The MSM in general has offered only a fleeting glimpse of what is occurring and are more than happy to trot out every anti-union right-winger to speak their "mind".

The MSM is ignoring the rallies even as they get larger...

[upi402]

25. But bus in 24 Teabaggers...

...and the media outnumbers the "protesters".

They must have trouble getting a shot without more camera crews than "protesters".

[dogday]

26. The media will show every protest the teabaggers have, every

press conference the right has, but does not give the same concessions to the dems. Never has, never will. I remember on the day of Bush's inauguration, they were pelting eggs at the limo, but MSM did not show that or the protests making you think everybody had accepted the decision by the SCOTUS.

[Snoutport]

23. I'm with you!

I'm a teacher and our district is facing huge cuts. What the heck?! I make 41 K with a masters (and a huge student loan payment AND I have to take classes every year to keep my license. Just the books for the class can be $200!) How can anyone possibly think I make too much money?!