Note to Dem candidates -- stay out of the way of this scandal

[grasswire]

I hope Dem strategists are smart enough to shut everyone up for a couple of days while traitorgate explodes.

The first rule of politics -- get out of the way when your opponent is in trouble. Just let it happen, and only say "tsk tsk this is terrible, national security is so important after 9-11" when asked for comment.

Why? Because otherwise YOU become the story and steal the headlines from the investigation. The story becomes "candidate for POTUS Governor Dean piled on today, politicizing the White House's trouble..."

Shut you mouf, candidates! At least for a few days!

[WilliamPitt]

1. Candidates? Maybe.

But I want Schumer out there flogging this.

[Champion Jack]

4. He's doing a pretty good job

on C-Span2

[grasswire]

16. absolutely....Schumer is okay

But if ANY whiff of politicizing is noticed, the RNC will be pushing it as evidence of a witch hunt.

Lots of tsk tsking is good. Daschle is good at that. The shiv can be inserted by simply saying "This investigation is critical for national security -- it's unfortunate that we must go into the White House to fight the war on terror, but things changed after 9-11."

[msmcghee]

18. Why is it that . .

DU'ers consistently come up with better sound bites than the dem pols on TV?

"This investigation is critical for national security -- it's unfortunate that we must go into the White House to fight the war on terror, but things changed after 9-11."

Good one Grasswire. .:yourock:

They should have a full time person here at DU . . just listening and picking up some good stuff.

[caledesi]

26. Great line GW!

[liberalnurse]

23. He took the post position.

I think the dems have selected their front man. Schumer is taking this all the way home.

There are still a few Blessings.

[Homer12]

2. I agree fully.

[Tatiana]

3. Actually

They should ALL be advocating for a special prosecutor and drumming home the theme that Bush did NOT restore honor and integrity to the WH.

[markus]

6. Yes, but later

The might suggest it would be "prudent" for the WH to agree to a SP. Many won't because they don't want to be on record supporting the use of the SP, when the rethugs try to loose one on them after they're elected.

[Padraig18]

5. Yep!

Never step in front of a perfectly good train wreck! :evilgrin:

[ewagner]

7. heheh

Nice call!

[Padraig18]

10. *grin*

That's an OLD Chicago political 'rule of thumb'. :P

[MoonAndSun]

8. I think that both Kerry and Dean and also Clark put out statements

yesterday, but I am not 100% positive. I'll look for some links.

[robbedvoter]

11. Clark asked for independent investigation for credibility sake

(here and abroad).

[MoonAndSun]

15. Links for candidates' statements on Wilson affair:

Kerry: <http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=50287>


Dean: <http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=434800> which has a link to Dean's blog statement on Wilson affair.


I am still looking for others.

[stevedeshazer]

9. If this goes far enough

Edwards will have to be invloved, he's on the Senate Committee for the Judiciary.

I want them kicking chairs over and breaking down doors.

[janekat]

12. Yep - lets not "overplay" our hands

for a change.

[Mz Pip]

13. I agree

There are plenty of Senators and Congresspersons out there who can hammer away at this. I think all of the candidates have come out in support of an investigation.

The candidates will have plenty of time to speak out more if this story takes off. If it doesn't and the candidates start piling on, it will just be spun as petty partisanship.

I still have my doubts that it will take off. THere have been too many times when I thought "This is it! This will bring BushCo down."

MzPip
:dem:

[blm]

14. Exactly. ALL of them should do just that.

They put out their original statements and now should BACK OFF!

Don't DARE try to make politics the story. This is JUSTICE and TREASON, not political pointmaking. That only helps Bush.

[grasswire]

17. Dems have stepped on a story more than once

Daschle has done it, and Gephardt IIRC.

Just let them cook. Some hand wringing and "It's very sad" stuff is good.

[blm]

20. I'm in complete agreement.

I've been making the exact same point since Saturday, grasswire. Thanks to bringing it to GD for the wider audience.

[diplomats]

19. I hadn't thought about that, but it might be a good idea

for the candidates to say no more for awhile. Yesterday, the DOJ hadn't responded yet. Now they've launched a full criminal investigation, so everything's changed.

[HFishbine]

21. Fox and Friends

(Don't ask why I was watching.)

Wilson was on this morning and male doofus #2 tried to politicize the issue by asking Wilson if he's made any contributions to dem candidates. Here's how it went (paraphrasing):

Doofus #2: Have you contributed to any democratic presidential campaigns?

Wilson: Yes.

Doofus #2: John Kerry, right?

Wilson: Yes

Doofus #2: One thousand dollars, right?

Wilson: Actually, it was two thosand dollars.

Doofus #2: Okay (blank stare into the camera as they cut to commercial)

Wilson handled this beautifully. Doofus #2 thought he was going to trap Wilson or at least make him squirm. Instead, the questions simply re-enforced Wilson's henesty and integrity. Backfired on Doofus #2!!!

Right-wingers would love to politicize this issue. It should indeed remain an issue of law and order.

[Brian Sweat]

22. I think the candidates could get away with clever backhanded

stabs at this as long as they are oh so subtle about it. It could be really effective if done right. The trick is to maintain plausable deniability.

[Terwilliger]

24. That's right Dems, stay out of the way...let the media kill the story...

while you folks sit on your hands

[Padraig18]

25. "Never step in front of a perfectly good train wreck!"

There will be plenty of time for principled outrage; for now, let the thing blow up all on its own.

[Rose Siding]

28. Political leaders leading?

If they all just sit quietly, I'm sure everything will be just fine. The system will take care of EVERYTHING, right? It's worked so far, hasn't it?

Luckily, several of them have prodded the story.

[rucky]

27. I Disagree

Can we depend on the media to carry through with this story the way it should be covered?

With a new focus on the candidates, Democrats can finally get some airtime.

If the media continues to distort the facts about this case, then it is the obligation of anybody who can get the attention of a camera to set the record straight.

Campaign-wise, people want to see Democrats on the attack already. You don't not do the right thing because it may be spun against you. Everything every candidate says has the potental to be spun against them - and the spinmeisters are counting on this tactic so we'll shut the hell up.

Why do you think Yellowcake scandal faded away, and Whitewater didn't?

This is an opening, and I say Attack.

[grasswire]

29. we're already seeing the results...

....today CNN leads the traitorgate story with the words "Dems smell blood."

The politicization of the story provides cover for the WH.

It's a long-standing principle of strategy to shut up and let the story rip.

Feed it when necessary, with some new revelations or comment (such as Durbin's POLYGRAPH question today).

But get out of the way. Politics 101.

[blm]

30. More bad news...MSNBC just had Dean embed on

and he said that Dean was going to go even further with this than any other Dem because that's how he built his reputation.

AAARGGGHHH!

Someone tell Dean that Wilson supports Kerry. Maybe that will make him ease up a little.

[rucky]

31. Go Howard!

Let's see how many rules he can break... it'll be a good test for the dogma of "politics 101".

[blm]

32. Even when it helps the Republicans?

They are nailed and the only way out of this for them is to call it political jousting and for every media story on this to be spun as a political game. Congress and the intel community have a big enough story here with plenty of facts and angles. Political campaigns should steer clear, because they CHANGE the story.

[alcuno]

33. Don't throw in a life preserver when they are taking on water.

I agree. They don't have to shut up but should discuss the gravity of the situation and the need for * to get to the bottom of this.