Republicans have been spinning ad nauseum, with much success. Take, for example, their disingenuous spin on Medicare (Paul Krugman, The Conscience of A Liberal: “Having It Both Ways on Medicare” [2/10/2010]):
“One of the truly amazing things about the health care debate is the way Republicans have managed to pose as defenders of Medicare. The death panel thing has been absolutely central to their argument . . . It’s all hypocrisy, of course. Remember what the 1995 government shutdown was about: it was Newt Gingrich trying to force Bill Clinton to accept, yes, deep cuts in Medicare. And it’s not just history: Republican plans to balance the budget rely crucially on … deep cuts in Medicare."
Krugman explains the Republicans' plan to convert Medicare to a voucher system and impose deep cuts in Medicare spending over the long term. He states, "You almost have to admire the audacity: Republicans are denouncing Obama for proposing Medicare cuts, while themselves proposing much deeper Medicare cuts. And they’re getting away with it.”
It’s the same story with respect to urgently-needed financial reform. It should be obvious after the recent debacle that Wall Street cannot be allowed to conduct business as usual without significant changes in the rules. But Sam Stein, on the Huffington Post Blog, writes about “Republican message guru Frank Luntz” and his “playbook to help derail financial regulatory reform.” Luntz unabashedly lays out the Republican game plan in a 17-page memo entitled "The Language of Financial Reform." Among other things, it calls for an emphasis on the “government bureaucracy” the new regulations would create, in order to distract Americans from the consumer protection they would afford.
As Stein points out, “In Republican circles Luntz's words, which have helped the party win the message wars over health care and other legislative battles, are often treated as gospel. Already, some of the advice he's offered on regulatory reform has found its way into the political discourse -- with a proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency seemingly on life support under Republican objections.” (Sam Stein, The Huffington Post: “Frank Luntz Pens Memo to Kill Financial Regulatory Reform” [2/01/2010])
How can this happen? Democrats need to fight back with equally powerful rhetoric. Just because you’re morally correct doesn’t mean you don’t need a little PR now and then.
This phenomenon caused Albert Brooks to wonder if Obama is being “Punk’d” – yes, it’s that ridiculous:
“Sarah Palin had notes written on her hand at the same moment that she was making fun of Obama for using a teleprompter. One of the radio ‘hosts’ who makes fun of the teleprompter daily said that Palin's notes on her hand were ‘endearing.’ The ‘host’ also blamed Obama for televising his day with the Republican leadership, saying that if he was serious, he would have done it in private. This was after a solid month of daily beatings for not making the health care negotiations public.
The Democratic Party can now be assured forever that nothing, nothing, nothing they will do will stop the insanity . . . If they are hoping for good publicity from the majority media, (yes, I'm sorry Fox, but you are now the highest rated news network) forget it. Writing on the hand is okay, teleprompter is not. Opening up health care is okay, opening up the meeting with Republicans is not. It would not surprise me if Ashton Kutcher popped out of the West Wing and told Obama that he has been punk'd.
The swift boat ad that killed John Kerry was not an aberration, it was just the beginning. They took a man who actually served in Vietnam and made him a coward compared to a man who didn't. And people bought it. Now it's everywhere. Right is wrong, wrong is right, crazy is normal, good is bad, hot is cold. I am not sure what the anti-Christ's plan is, but I can't imagine this is not part of it.”
Albert Brooks, The Huffington Post: “Barack Obama is Being Punk’d” [2/10/2010].
In the words of Adolf Hitler:
“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.”
It would be nice if Democrats could simply sit back and hope that the American public could see through the nonsense and understand what is necessary. But with so much spinning going on in one direction, the truth won’t stand a chance without some help. Dems have to fight fire with fire, or they’ll continue to get burned.
“One of the truly amazing things about the health care debate is the way Republicans have managed to pose as defenders of Medicare. The death panel thing has been absolutely central to their argument . . . It’s all hypocrisy, of course. Remember what the 1995 government shutdown was about: it was Newt Gingrich trying to force Bill Clinton to accept, yes, deep cuts in Medicare. And it’s not just history: Republican plans to balance the budget rely crucially on … deep cuts in Medicare."
Krugman explains the Republicans' plan to convert Medicare to a voucher system and impose deep cuts in Medicare spending over the long term. He states, "You almost have to admire the audacity: Republicans are denouncing Obama for proposing Medicare cuts, while themselves proposing much deeper Medicare cuts. And they’re getting away with it.”
It’s the same story with respect to urgently-needed financial reform. It should be obvious after the recent debacle that Wall Street cannot be allowed to conduct business as usual without significant changes in the rules. But Sam Stein, on the Huffington Post Blog, writes about “Republican message guru Frank Luntz” and his “playbook to help derail financial regulatory reform.” Luntz unabashedly lays out the Republican game plan in a 17-page memo entitled "The Language of Financial Reform." Among other things, it calls for an emphasis on the “government bureaucracy” the new regulations would create, in order to distract Americans from the consumer protection they would afford.
As Stein points out, “In Republican circles Luntz's words, which have helped the party win the message wars over health care and other legislative battles, are often treated as gospel. Already, some of the advice he's offered on regulatory reform has found its way into the political discourse -- with a proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency seemingly on life support under Republican objections.” (Sam Stein, The Huffington Post: “Frank Luntz Pens Memo to Kill Financial Regulatory Reform” [2/01/2010])
How can this happen? Democrats need to fight back with equally powerful rhetoric. Just because you’re morally correct doesn’t mean you don’t need a little PR now and then.
This phenomenon caused Albert Brooks to wonder if Obama is being “Punk’d” – yes, it’s that ridiculous:
“Sarah Palin had notes written on her hand at the same moment that she was making fun of Obama for using a teleprompter. One of the radio ‘hosts’ who makes fun of the teleprompter daily said that Palin's notes on her hand were ‘endearing.’ The ‘host’ also blamed Obama for televising his day with the Republican leadership, saying that if he was serious, he would have done it in private. This was after a solid month of daily beatings for not making the health care negotiations public.
The Democratic Party can now be assured forever that nothing, nothing, nothing they will do will stop the insanity . . . If they are hoping for good publicity from the majority media, (yes, I'm sorry Fox, but you are now the highest rated news network) forget it. Writing on the hand is okay, teleprompter is not. Opening up health care is okay, opening up the meeting with Republicans is not. It would not surprise me if Ashton Kutcher popped out of the West Wing and told Obama that he has been punk'd.
The swift boat ad that killed John Kerry was not an aberration, it was just the beginning. They took a man who actually served in Vietnam and made him a coward compared to a man who didn't. And people bought it. Now it's everywhere. Right is wrong, wrong is right, crazy is normal, good is bad, hot is cold. I am not sure what the anti-Christ's plan is, but I can't imagine this is not part of it.”
Albert Brooks, The Huffington Post: “Barack Obama is Being Punk’d” [2/10/2010].
In the words of Adolf Hitler:
“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.”
It would be nice if Democrats could simply sit back and hope that the American public could see through the nonsense and understand what is necessary. But with so much spinning going on in one direction, the truth won’t stand a chance without some help. Dems have to fight fire with fire, or they’ll continue to get burned.
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