It’s only a model

September 21, 2005

Roll Call had an interesting piece today on congressional Dems, reflecting on their biggest political success of the year, and deciding it needs duplicating.

Congressional Democratic leaders are in serious talks with labor unions and other activists about replicating the model used to fight President Bush’s Social Security proposal, using an “inside-outside” approach on a handful of issues to put Republicans on the defensive through Election Day 2006.

Senate Democrats are holding a special caucus today that aides and Senators say will begin the process of establishing several internal campaign-style message operations, mirrored on how Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and a top aide have led the battle against Bush’s Social Security overhaul.

At the same time, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders have been meeting with labor officials about creating a permanent status and funding stream for Americans United to Protect Social Security, the interest group that has served as the central outside opponent to the president’s Social Security plan.

To be sure, Dems did just about everything right on this one. Bush told them what pitch was coming and Dems hit it out of the park — party discipline, consistent message, grassroots outreach, coordination with allies, the works. There was equal emphasis on DC politics and state/local pressure, and everything Bush tried, failed.

It’s a model that should be duplicated, I just hope everyone realizes this was a unique controversy. Dems, in this case, were blessed by a hopelessly ridiculous opponent with a ludicrous agenda. This wasn’t just Bush overreaching; this was Bush going after one of the most successful domestic policy programs in American history — which people actually like.

By all means, duplicate the model, especially the permanent campaign-style message operations, which Dems have always needed more of. But, keep in mind, it won’t be this easy next time around.

I thought the best tactic was letting Bush speak about it. Every time he had a ‘town hall’ about Social Security, support for his ‘plan’ descreased.

  • “Dems, in this case, were blessed by a hopelessly ridiculous opponent with a ludicrous agenda”

    Well at least this doesn’t change. I’ve read recently that those Democratswho supported going to war, can’t challenge the War in Iraq. I disagree. There is an opportunity here to accomplish many things with one argument.

    1. Support for the war was based on evidence and intel provided by Republicans.
    2. Evidence and intel were fixed. WMD is a phrase not reality. There was a stovepipe operation in the Pentagon which bypassed everybody and went straight to Feith and Cheney. THEY LIED!!!
    3. This generation of Republican office seekers and holders does not possess the intellect or courage to do what is necessary to correct a losing strategy. Nor are they willing to do the heavy lifting when it comes to real National Security. All is Rhetoric, Corruption and Cronyism.
    4. If a Democratic President had screwed things up this badly, he/she would already have been impeached. The Democratic Party would not have permitted such a fuckup to run for a second term, for the good of the country.

    This is an honest argument, and it’s not that hard to make.

  • I don’t think it’s so much the model. I think it’s
    a matter of spine, of courage, of committment,
    to stand up against the entire Bush agenda
    and to offer an alternative. The American
    people have been screaming for a change
    in direction for a long time now, as Bush
    poll numbers have dropped to his core
    support level, but still the Democrats won’t
    stand up against him, and won’t offer a
    vision of a new order that once again serves
    the people, instead of the super rich and
    special interests.

    In my mind, the red badge of courage is
    Iraq. Until the Democrats have enough
    guts to expose the lies and just plain
    bullshit that got us into that mess, and
    admit their mistakes for being so meekly
    complicit, they’re still the same little old yellow
    engine that won’t.

  • Come on now…we don’t want to discourage them just as they start to get their act together, do we?

  • I think hark is absolutely right– the war is the test. And bcinaz has the perfect logic flow for the Dems to use. Every so often the Dems do something right, stand up for principle. The American people are literally dying for them to do that. But then, inevitably, they slide back into “go along” and timidity which inadvertently legitimizes this disastrous government. Dear Leader is a chump and a chimp and nobody has ever really gotten hurt calling him out for it. Quite the contrary. The Dems just can’t or won’t sustain the effort and the corporate press sure isn’t going to do it. Bush should, at the least, be impeached for lying us into war–unfortunately there’s no charge for arrogance and incompetence as well.

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