As Right Jabs Continue, White House Debates a Counterpunching Strategy

[Czar One]

Source: Washington Post

By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 16, 2009


Facing a near-daily barrage of attacks from conservative opponents, White House officials are engaged in an internal debate over how hard to hit back, even as they have grown increasingly aggressive in countering allegations they deem to be absurd.

After brushing aside criticism during the presidential campaign that they tried to keep candidate Barack Obama too far above the fray -- and with memories of the abundance of media coverage during the Clinton years -- administration officials are accelerating their efforts to anticipate and respond to the most sharp-edged charges.

The White House officials are eager to avoid the perception that the president is directly engaging critics who appear to speak only for a vocal minority, and part of their strategy involves pushing material to liberal and progressive media outlets to steer the coverage in their direction, senior advisers said.

When critics lashed out at President Obama for scheduling a speech to public school students this month, accusing him of wanting to indoctrinate children to his politics, his advisers quickly scrubbed his planned comments for potentially problematic wording. They then reached out to progressive Web sites such as the Huffington Post, liberal bloggers and Democratic pundits to make their case to a friendly audience.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

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If this is true, if they're still trying to decide how to fight the BS, then I'm moving into a cave!

[tinymontgomery]

1. Almost a year later

and now their thinking of a strategy?

[Teaser]

7. Obama's team sucks. He'll never get elected

at this rate.

[Bandit]

14. But if he does he says "Beginning on Day One"..."One Brigade a Month"

We will get all our troops out of Iraq..

[exboyfil]

2. Start with townhall panels of families who were

screwed most by the big insurance companies. Fully vet the individuals to avoid any embarrassment (including having them pull all of their records and reviewing prior to the panel). Make sure you name names (UHC etc). Particularly concentrate on folks with employer health care who lost their jobs and had preexisting conditions.

I would also try to find some average citizens of foreign countries who have experience with their own health insurance (Germany, France, and Canada)

[zbdent]

3. Remember, the situation is similar to a little kid who hits a hornets' nest with a stick ...

the kid (Repug) keeps hitting the hornets' nest (Obama) with a stick.

When the hornets finally get pissed off and sting the living daylights out of the kid, the kid runs to Mommy (the media) and gets all kinds of sympathy and care ...

Like the cover of an old "Family Circus" book ... one of the kids crying "Jeffy hit me back!"

[Born Free]

4. Maybe they need to put Bill Clinton on the payroll...

If the right wingnuts have Bill's penis to think about again, it will be a great pacifier that will keep them busy while the Obama team works to fix the current problems facing the people of USA. Much like the pacifier you give the crying child , it will allow the adults time to think.

[Believing Is Art]

6. The Clenis as a pacifier?

[Teaser]

9. yeah, a politician who was cowed away from any major political endeavors

by a constant fear of right wing attacks. There's a role model.

[asthmaticeog]

5. Debating a strategy NOW?

So they went into the biggest social legislation since Johnson not only without a public education program but without even a strategy for one? Hey, great, thanks Mr. President, WE'RE FUCKED.

[liberal N proud]

8. The signal that they are finished trying to play bipartisan politics

They have let the right wing prove that no matter what the Democrats do, the right will not approve.

Now the gloves can come off and we will play the dirty game just like they wanted.


You have to give President Obama credit, he tried to reign in the partisanship but the Republicans were not going to have any of that. The only question is, can they swing back in such a way that deals that knockout blow?

[groundloop]

10. All of this is more difficult for Obama

I kinda' hate to say it, but because of race President Obama has to be extra careful how he handles the right wingnuts. So far he's doing pretty darned good.

[katkat]

11. I fail to see that

Why should his race affect his clobbering the a*holes?

[Gman2]

15. You're kidding right? ANGRY BLACK MAN!

[katkat]

16. I think not

I think not. In the past, yes, but now we're long past that. Everybody thought the jackass remark was pretty funny, and if there's anything I hear constantly it's that Obama is a wimp dealing with Repigs and teabaggers. Some anger would be just right, provided it came with actual (be still my heart) action.

[Doctor_J]

18. They proved that 6 months ago, yet the appeasement continues

your premise is, unfortunately, total BS. I predict more and more cowering.

[elocs]

12. That's the trouble with Dems now--too much counterpunching instead of taking control of the fight.

Enough with the counterpunching!!! It's time to do things the Chicago way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g0RLyxP13o

This is politics, no Marquis of Queensberry rules and you fight however you need to fight to win. Republicans understand this and practice it. Unless Democrats show strength and power and determination, willing to get down and dirty, Republicans will only sneer at them. They understand power, so they need to be brought to their knees.

It seems that at the start of this summer Democrats went on vacation and Republicans organized to take over the town hall meetings. So what's up with that? On healthcare reform do Democrats really want to win or do they want to make it look like they want to win? Whatever happened to the not doing cowering? It's time for Democrats to act like they have the White House and solid control of both houses of Congress.

[AusDem]

13. "White House Debates a Counterpunching Strategy"

just the headline is kind of amusing

[Doctor_J]

17. No kidding

try "counterpunching" like Mike Tyson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nuL0GlBgVI .

I supported Obama in the primaries because I thought he wouldn't scrape & bow to the deranged Limbeciles. Very discouraging

[yurbud]

19. they only reach out to progressives when those they are courting on right kick them in the nuts?