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Dems Launch New Robocalls Against House Republicans
The national Democrats are keeping up an offensive against Republicans over the stimulus bill, with the DCCC announcing a new round of robocalls against freshman House Republicans who voted against the bill.
It was easy, of course, to pick out the House Republicans who oppose the bill: They all do.
The robocalls are targeting seven freshman: Bill Cassidy (LA), John Fleming (LA), Brett Guthrie (KY), Leonard Lance (NJ), Christopher Lee (NY), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO), and Tom Rooney (FL).
The text of one of the calls is available after the jump.
Hello, I'm calling on behalf of the DCCC with an important message about the economy.
Did you know Congressman Tom Rooney voted against economic recovery that would immediately create and save nearly 330,000 Florida jobs?
Times are tough, tell Congressman Rooney to put families before politics.
Check out www.dccc.org to learn more.
Paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, 202-741-1350, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Hahahahahaha. Time for blood! :D
February 9, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oooohhh, really good move. NOT! Robocalls have been proven completely ineffective because most people hang up immediately. Sometimes they even create a backlash against the party making the calls.
February 9, 2009 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
All true, but I expect the purpose of these calls is not to sway voters. It's almost two years until the next election. I believe the purpose is to turn up the heat on potentially vulnerable Republican congressmen in advance of the final vote. Appeal to their sense of self-preservation. For that purpose, it might work well enough to sway a few votes in the House.
February 9, 2009 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's a two-fer.
It may roll some votes, but it also lays the base for a meme that can be developed over the course of 2 (or 6) years.
February 9, 2009 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, during an election season, when people are being regularly bombarded with material.
It's all a matter of saturation points.
Obviously, TV ads are better, but this is a cost effective way of disseminating a meme.
February 9, 2009 7:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hate to disagree with you, but most people have to hate robocalls. I hate getting phonecalls at home for solicitation, ads or whatever. You get this ringing phone when you are in the middle of dinner or bathing your kids or whatever and you run to pick up the phone and it's a stupid recorded message? It totally pisses me off. Life is too short and hectic to be bombarded with bs phonecalls when you have a limited amount of free time. I really don't know why they do them. How many people actually sit there and listen to a stupid pre-recorded call? I just don't see it. I think they do more harm than good.
February 9, 2009 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
let's not forget our good buddies the 11 blue dogs in the house!
February 9, 2009 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've spent much of the last week bemoaning the feckless Democrats in Congress...so credit where credit is due: good for the DCCC for doing this.
Being proactive rather than reactive is not only healthier for you, it's healthier for the party.
February 9, 2009 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, FINALLY!!!
February 9, 2009 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Off topic, since we still can't reply to Josh's front page posts... ;)
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/02/surreal_--_and_must-see.php
Can you post the vid for this, Josh? This reads just mind numbing, and I have to imagine it's even worse on Video.
John
February 9, 2009 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
On one level it's surreal, and on another it's sobering to see how desperate they are for some advice on how to weather the storm.
February 9, 2009 6:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Off topic ...
The Washington Post has this article - GOP Sees Positives In Negative Stand - where his stupid repug says the following ...
I think we just found an Al Quida sleeper cell working inside the halls of Congress.
February 9, 2009 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's been around for almost a week now, and it's about time it started getting some attention. Imagine had a Democrat made the same statement. ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Democrats ARE terrorists!!!!
I'm not advocating ridiculous overblown news coverage of something, but once in awhile, it'd be nice if Republicans got a taste of their own medicine.
BTW, I absolutely love how the Post diminishes the actions of the Taliban by referring to the "disruptive tactics". Like its some sort of noisy group of bridge players who refuse to leave the stage when asked politely.
February 9, 2009 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Noisy group of bridge players, very funny.
This is basically the tactic coming down from the republican leadership. They are banking on failure. They believe that if they get on board and it is a success, they will get slaughtered in 2010. Also, if they oppose and it is a success, they will get slaughtered in 2010. Therefore, in typical "country first" republican philosophy, they are banking on opposing and hoping for failure so they can say I told you so. I truly hope that they get slaughtered in 2010. Obama is winning the pr war based on polling, so he is hopefully setting the stage to crush them like a bug in 2010.
February 9, 2009 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I still find it hard to believe the repugs haven't the slightest clue what's going on and what may happen if they insist on dragging their feet. If the stimulus fails simply because they purposefully held money back just to make Obama look bad, what they will inherit in the 2010 mid-term election will be a financial armageddon of their own making - there won't be much of a country left to govern.
February 9, 2009 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remember this is a group that thinks "24" is reality. They really have no clue about many things, including governing.
February 9, 2009 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nelson-Collins Amendment passes. Final vote tomorrow.
February 9, 2009 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting headlines on Huffington Post saying a huge majority are in favor of Obama's stimulus package, the disapproval rating of the repugs are staggering high and the local news coverage is at odds with the national press. Is this a perfect political storm forming?
February 9, 2009 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Brilliant move, picking off the young ones. This is what happens when a good poker player becomes president. These seats will hopefully be in play for 2010 (3 from blue states, 1 from purple MO)
February 9, 2009 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
In a way Iraq vote affected the 2006/08 elections. I think Stimulus vote could have a similar effect for the next election cycles in 2010/12.
Depending on the state of the economy 2/4 years from now, the vote for or against the stimulus bill can write or write-off careers in congress.
February 9, 2009 7:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is totally what the republicans are banking on. They have gone all in on this. Either it is the death of the party or they pull a rabbit out of a hat. It's a shame that the american people are subject to this gambling by the republican party.
February 9, 2009 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed.
But I firmly believe economy will-at least mildly- recover by the end of 2010 and make good strides in the right direction by 2012.
Watching RNC chair Steele "defend" on ABC holds a clean mirror. They don't have a effin clue. They don't have a philosophical or even ideological reason to oppose the bill, other than the fact that the fate of the GOP hinges on failure of the stimulus package.
By the way, only thing surprising about Steele is he's black. Other than that, even his remote fiber screams like a extreme wingnut, the only remaining constituency for the republicans.
February 9, 2009 8:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope that you are right. Our economy has been going downhill for almost 30 years. We have major structural problems and those problems hit the wall in the last two years. I don't see how we can easily come out of this based on those problems. However, as long as obama is honest and straightforward, he won't get the blame for this incredible cluster-f*ck.
Yep, I really don't get the republicans. Jonze pointed this out, so I don't want to take credit for this. What they should do is play ball for at least two years, if not six years, and shoot for 2016. That would be the way to play it to survive as a party. They are not playing it that way and want to go the way of the whigs at this point. It really is amazing how similar the situation is to the demise of the whig party. We really need a credible opposition party, not a racist rump party that is dying off. The situation is too dire.
Finally, I can't stand steele. He is a fraud and a buffoon. Talk about playing the race card. He is doing it in reverse. He's playing the race card for self aggrandizement at the expense of the american people regardless of race. I really want to see the fool go down.
February 9, 2009 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink