On Tuesday, via the New York Times blog (but not, at least according to this google search, their print edition), we learn:
Moments before a conference call with reporters was scheduled to get underway on Tuesday morning, Charles E. Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, apparently unaware that many of the reporters were already on the line, began to instruct his fellow senators on how to talk to reporters about the contentious budget process. . . . Mr. Schumer told them to portray John A. Boehner of Ohio, the speaker of the House, as painted into a box by the Tea Party, and to decry the spending cuts that he wants as extreme. “I always use the word extreme,” Mr. Schumer said. “That is what the caucus instructed me to use this week.”
Can you imagine how much media it would have gotten if Schumer’s Republican counterpart, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, was caught on a similar call insisting that Republicans call Democratic proposals “extreme”?
Now, what makes all this interesting is that given candidate Barack Obama’s concession to conservative ideas in the presidential campaign and the bipartisan agreement President Obama entered into last falls to extend the tax rates established by his Republican predecessor, the only way Congress can reduce the deficit is by cutting federal spending.
The Republican House, attempting to finish the work left undone by the preceding Democratic Congress, passed a budget for the balance of the current fiscal year, cutting $61 billion in federal spending. The Democratic Senate has yet to pass a budget. So, instead of trying to reach a compromise with his partisan adversaries in the other chamber of Congress, Mr. Schumer, under marching orders from his caucus, is seeking to demonize Republicans who have started making tough decisions on spending.
Par for the course for Schumer, writes Jim Geraghty in his Morning Jolt newsletter (available by subscription): “This is one more example of Schumer’s disdain for the voters, not only for trying to pin an ‘extreme’ label on the Tea Party, but for thinking the American people will actually believe his ‘politics as usual’ labeling.” Geraghty quotes Ace who seeks calls the New York Democrat on his blame game, “The key point is less about the message coordination and more about Schumer scheming to shut the government down, and preparing a rehearsed justification for it, claiming it’s the other guys who won’t negotiate.”
For Schumer and the Senate Democrats, the budget talks all about message coordination when they should be about deficit reduction.
Chucky Schmucky caught issuing Party Approved propaganda.
And for once, the State-Run-Hidden-in-Closet-Media didn’t cover for him.
Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while.
Regards,
Peter H.
Reagan: “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes.”
>>>a similar call insisting that Republicans call Democratic proposals “extreme”?
Of course, that would never happen. The Republicans never organize to vote as a bock against any and everything the Dems come up with. The record of Republicans voting against things were were initially for, simply to thwart Obama or the Dems, speaks for itself.
It speaks so well in fact, that Granny Goodness is mute in providing examples.
I liked Mitch McConnel’s counter barrage
#3 – Speaking of blind pigs….
Regards,
Peter H.
Hi Dan,
“Can you imagine how much media it would have gotten if Schumer’s Republican counterpart, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, was caught on a similar call insisting that Republicans call Democratic proposals “extreme”?”
Not a lot actually. It seems to me that this sort of thing is part of the poliitcal process. I think it is called something like “message discipline” or some such…
Gee, if only the Demonrats practiced “Fiscal Discipline” the way they practice “Message Discipline.” Of course, that would involve Chucky and Harry Reid to care more about the good of the country than they do about seizing political power; this call is evidence that they do not.
Part of the problem is venal politicians; the other part of the problem is those who give their evil a pass because “Hey, it’s just politics.”
The Democrats want the government shutdown since they think the Republicans will get the blame. However, 2011 & 1995 are in stark contrast:
* high unemployment, despite the Obama White House job numbers
* job stagnation thanks to Obama’s policies & regulations
* inflation due to Obama’s policies
* high deficits due to Obama’s policies
Furthermore, President Obama is not President Clinton. Obama is simply not a leader; he refuses to lead on any issue. All he can do is demonize while trying to vote “present” on important, controversial issues. This tactis no longer works. Obama can no longer hide his Communist identity. Although, Obama is trying desperately to run his 2012 campaign like his 2008 campaign; this will not work.
Cas,
While I don’t have at hand any examples of centralized planning on the right, I’m sure, if such examples exist, they were covered and demonized by the MSM.
Perhaps you can cite some examples?
One wonders if Cas has equal praise for Sarah Palin’s use of the phrase “Death panels.” It is, after all, an example of highly effective political messaging.
Hi TL,
Examples? I vaguely remember summer comments about “selling the war to the nation” when it came to Iraq. I also remember arguments in the press about “framing” debates in a way that makes them “resonate”more fully with members of the public. So, the recent healthcare debate was framed as “an extreme takeover of health care by the government” by Repubs. I am not arguing to the merits of the legislation here, just to the “message discipline.” I am sure there are plenty of Dems who think that Repub budget demands are “extreme.” Another Dem example–Repubs will destroy Social Security with their extreme… ” (fill in the blank).
And VK, I think you are right–it was very effective messaging, even though I think she is wrong about the issue. But, I think it was an inspired political choice–after all, that is what frightens some folks in the Dem party about her–she has a turn of phrase that can stick in people’s consciousness. She helped shape that debate, for better or worse. She doesn’t have to be right to be effective.
Also, Demonrats are apparently lying about there being a budget deal, so they can later claim Republicans broke the deal. I am sure all of this lying is just potent political messaging, and therefore perfectly acceptable.
May we presume Cas is comfortable supporting liars and hypocrites because she supports the underlying political philosophy of massive, out-of-control deficit spending and shrieking drama queen protests against even the mildest of spending cuts?
to Auntie Dogma..
With this year’s deficit holding at over $1 Trillion dollars, Obama is so “invested” in reducing the budget to save money, that he has proposed to cut $125 Million out of the ‘Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’ — Not for nothing Auntie D, but the only people who still think Obama is doing a good job at running the country are kiss-ass profiteers, and a few vociferous far left moonbats like yourself.
Rush Limbaugh has a neat way of exposing the “message discipline” among the Democrats and their talking-points-fed media: he finds the word of the day and pastes clips of the Pavlovian chumps barking it. It goes on and on and becomes funnier and funnier.
Surely, the progressives have their copies of Republicans and FOX News and Limbaugh, Hannity, Palin, Coulter, Bachmann, Paul, et. al. doing the same thing.
But, I don’t think they do and here is why. “Message discipline” is the art of propaganda. Propaganda is more than mere advertising; it is selling a counter-intuitive message. Republicans have basic principles that come from the Constitution and small government, free markets, individual achievement, representative democracy and fiscal responsibility do not need propaganda or “message discipline.”
HI Cas! would love to have us believe that the “whip” in each party is doing “message discipline” as well as canvasing votes. If there is any whip activity that is common to both parties, it is finding out how much a vote by an individual will cost and how it will be paid.
The TEA Party is doubtlessly seen by Hi Cas! and other socialists as a splinter group with “message discipline.” However, at the same time Hi Cas! and other socialists do not understand that strong principles do not require “message discipline.” That is why so many Hi Cas! types considered Reagan an amiable dunce, Palin a moron, and Bachmann a partner is stupidity. Those three in particular just stay on message and say it over and over and they don’t have to be led or “disciplined.” That is not a hard feat to accomplish when you feel the message in your gut.
So, Schumer says taking a tiny chip out of the whale-sized deficit for this year is “extreme” and all of the Democrats should immediatly run around calling the Republicans “extremists.”
H-m-m-m-m. “Extremists” remind me of Nazis and Luddites and union thugs and terrorists and eco-terrorists and anarchists. However, I suppose that the Salvation Army people and the Amish and hippies living off the land and flower children are also extremists. But I do not think that is Schumer’s “message.”
You know I turn on television… and I see ‘lil’ Debbie Wasserman Schultz all over the place and I see Chuck Schumer all over the place and I see Harry Reid all over the place : I don’t see Paul Ryan on the TV – no I have to read about him in the Wall Street Journal. And if like some Americans, all you do is watch TV at night, you could conclude that the Democrats still run the house of representatives and the conservatives are just lucky that they’re even being allowed through the damn door. That the condition they have to meet for being allowed in, is that they have to agree with whatever Harry Reid says… so of course now the psychological picture is, “Who runs the show?” It deceptively looks like the Democrats are running the show, right? This is purposeful.
Now it’s obvious, in fact it’s been clear to everybody, Obama and the Democrats have a plan in place – use the bureaucracy, not legislation. Use the bureaucracy to advance the most radical agenda possible while creating a PR perception in the opposite direction: That of the cool-headed moderate/open to ideas/civil administration. It’s a complete ruse. It’s nothing more than an attempt to deceive the people. Say one thing but act another way… the President and the Democrats talk about growing jobs when they destroy them. The same liberals talk about free markets when they attack them. But the best is the way they love talking about responsibility, when they flat out refuse to make meaningful cuts in spending in order to reduce our debt.
I’m telling you, if it wasn’t so sad I would laugh when I listen to these Liberal spendthrifts on the Hill, “…well now it’s time to compromise.” Hell no it’s not. Now is the time for compromise to be off the table. They never wanted to compromise with us, and we have no business compromising with them now – they lost in 2010. Losers compromise. We don’t. Besides, we’ve got nothing to compromise on when there’s not one aspect of the Liberal agenda that’s worth compromising over. Their agenda must be stopped.
You know what my answer would be if, like John Boehner, I was constantly being peppered by the press corps, “What are you gonna cut, what are you gonna cut?” – you know what I would say? “We gotta pass the bill first to find out what’s in it.” Too funny, right? I can already hear the media’s response, “Whaddaya mean by that?” Well after all, that’s what Pelosi said about health care, isn’t it? And the press did accept her explanation, didn’t they?
I believe I heard that Obamas FEBRUARY monthly deficiet was larger than Bush 43’s last annual deficiet.
The fact that the state run media is not trumpetting Obama as the most incompetent boob in history is truly amazing.
Gene, the MSM has to protect their boob because he is a Democrat.
GPW,
A story about Senator Schumer’s insincerity is truly dog-bites-man. Like an actor rehearsing his lines behind the curtain, the senator is giving his fellow actors their cues.
The voters of New York love Schumer’s politics, love his style, love how gets one over on all those yokels, hicks, and yahoos infesting Congress. He’s the Edwin Edwards of New York.
Wow. What a dick. This should NOT be forgotten.
Maybe Republicans are busy working instead of whoring themselves to the media? Anyway, try FNC or FBN particularly on Cavuto.