Posted on 10/12/2011 2:48:02 PM PDT by neverdem
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), the Democrats’ chief political messenger, is up to old tricks. In a memo to his Democratic colleagues, Schumer lays out his preferred strategy of blaming “Tea Party Republicans” for the sorry state of the economy. In this case, Schumer argues, Democrats should blame the “extreme” GOP opposition to the President Obama’s jobs bill (defeated last night in the Senate) for putting the economy at risk. As the debate over jobs moves forward, he writes, “the Tea Party’s growing unpopularity has the potential to be the GOP’s Achilles’ Heel.”
Recent polling appears to confirm Schumer’s claim that the Tea Party’s popularity is waning. A CNN poll in late September found just 28 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of the Tea Party movement, while 53 percent had an unfavorable view, signaling a steady decline over the past year. Schumer is hoping to capitalized on this perceived weakness.
“With the economy at a crossroads, the GOP’s current political strategy — block anything that could improve the economy, lest it boost the President’s standing — has the potential to backfire,” Schumer writes. “By linking the GOP to its extreme Tea Party fringe, Democrats can bolster the prospects for the President’s jobs ideas, or at least make clear who is responsible for the stalling of the recovery.”
He goes on to coin a number of new terms that you can expect to hear parroted ad nauseam by Democrats and other liberal talking heads in the coming weeks and months: “Democrats can make this link by branding the school of thought that resists against any job-creation measures as ‘Tea Party economics.’ The opponents of the President’s jobs proposals should be invoked as ‘Tea Party Republicans.’ If their obstruction continues, it will risk a ‘Tea Party recession.’”
At the same time, Senate Democrats will seek to advance the president’s plan “one plank at a time.” As they do, Schumer argues, “it will only get harder for Republicans to sustain their blanket opposition to the President’s policies.”
Schumer’s strategy is to essentially to get Senate Democrats in line with the Obama administration campaign, seeking to pin the blame for the poor economy on Republicans, despite the fact that they control only one house of Congress. It may be a tough sell, however, as a number of Senate Democrats, particularly those up for reelection in 2012, have also expressed opposition to the president’s plan, which failed on a cloture motion last night in the Senate, 50–49 . However, taking into account the three Democrats (Lieberman, Manchin, and Webb) who voted for cloture but said they could not support passage of the bill in its current form, and the absence of Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla), who is recovering from prostate surgery, a more accurate reflection of the Senate’s support would be 47–53. The president likes to claim that his jobs plan is full of bipartisan ideas, but at the point the only thing bipartisan about it is the opposition.
Schumer, though, is apparently convinced this is a winning strategy, telling reporters this morning that it is “almost impossible” that Democrats will lose the Senate in 2012.
UPDATE: You might be surprised to hear that, according to Schumer, Democrats do not control the Senate. Ezra Klein reports:
A reporter asked Schumer why voters were supposed to blame Republicans for economic outcomes when Democrats control the White House and the Senate. “We don’t control the Senate,” Schumer shot back. “You write that and it’s false.”
BTW, rats are defending 17 seats in the Senate next year. All voted for Obamacare. They have 6 open seats. I noticed a headline at Roll Call. Lingle, former governor of Hawaii, is going ror Akaka's open seat.
(Schwuler = Fag in German)
I’m still waiting for these libs to blame al Queda for 9-11. ....
Schumer - what a putz. That miserable little twerp is a gross insult to New York.
Ok, lemme see if I understand this correctly. The dems are going insane because they can’t control their own majority, so it must be because of ... THE TEA PARTY! Yeah, that’s right, it’s all the Tea Party’s fault.
And what’s with the formality of *declaring war on the Tea Party* ? It’s been clear from the beginning the Tea Party threatens all politicians in DC, heck even our own gop establishment shakes in fear! HA!
Romney and the Democrats have already declared war on the TEA Party, so Schumer won’t make difference.
it’s now Democrat for Romney! Well, make that RINOS and Democrats for Romney.
Self fulfilling prophecy at it's finest.
“...make that RINOS and Democrats for Romney.”
The fact is, in 2009 & 2010, Obamah and his majority in the house & senate totally ignored jobs and the economy to focus on nationalizing America healthcare system.
Was the CNN poll done before the Occupy Wall Street folks started chanting the following:
Skinny man: You Can Have Sex
Crowd: You Can Have Sex...
Skinny man: With Animals
Crowd: With Animals
Skinny man: You Can Have Sex
Crowd: You Can Have Sex...
Skinny man: With Animals
Crowd: With Animals
Chuck Schumer, what a vile and despicable human being.
Chuck U Schumer, what a vile and despicable human being creature. Fixed it.
Until, I suppose, reality becomes glaringly, crushingly undeniable.
Who is a bigger liar?
Upchuck Schumer or Doggie Wasserman Schultz?
Schmucky can’t blame the Tea Party for the failure of the 2009 Stimulus...only the members of his own party are responsible for that failure.
Keep it going chuckie. That’s another winning issue for the socialist democrats, right along with your parties endorsement of the Occupy outhouse direlets. I can see by your leaders popularity your democrat strategists are right on the ball. You should look into giving Debbie a raise.
Correction!!! Senate Democrats must defend 21 of their own seats and 2 Independant seats for a total of 23 seats. The GOP only needs to defend 11 seats in the 2012 election cycle.
He’s much worse than a, “putz”.
Schumer is a true blue gun grabbing big gub mint liberal a hole.
...., the Tea Partys growing unpopularity has the potential to be the GOPs Achilles Heel.
Chuck is trying to be so clever by half, as usual. Yes, the Tea Party is growing in unpopularity with Chuck, and he hopes, his fellow travelers, Democrats, too. Chuck is a prevaricator first, and foremost. Chuck is not believable. Never has been, never will be.
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