TPM Cafe: Rove + Gulf Coast reconstruction + Dems + 2006 Elections

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

It's a Setup!

By Mark Schmitt

Sep 17, 2005 -- 12:07:32 PM EST

While we're all ranting -- appropriately -- about Bush's Gulf Coast Wage Cut, the single-source contracts, the refusal to make fiscal choices, and the prospects of even more cronyism with Karl Rove in charge of the reconstruction effort, let's not lose sight of the real reason Rove is the right man for the job.

Ask yourself, what do you think Rove is thinking about right now? My guess: The 2006 election, and specifically, how they can set up a situation in which Democrats vote against or seem to oppose some sort of Gulf Coast reconstruction package.

Based on the barrage of totally outrageous things we've seen so far, including not just the Davis-Bacon and Service Act suspensions, but also the move to create a backdoor school voucher system, I suspect they're planning a replay of the Department of Homeland Security setup, where their insistence on exempting the department from ordinary civil service rules, and Democrats' predictable unwillingness to go along with that, basically gave them the 2002 congressional elections by letting them portray Dems like Max Cleland as putting union interests above national security.

(It ought to be perfectly clear that, among other things, that move meant that the question of the proper structure of the Department was an afterthought to the game. And the people of the Gulf Coast are paying the price.) I doubt that the vision dancing through Rove's head right now is of a thriving, rebuilt New Orleans, full of life and hope. He's probably imagining an ad with dark music, pictures of ruined houses, and a narrator saying, "Bill Nelson and Ted Kennedy put the liberal union bosses ahead of rebuilding the Gulf Coast..."



http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/9/17/12732/4260

[KoKo]

1. That's probably the scenario.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had some savy Dems who could see this.

But, we don't. And, that's what it is. :-(

[Gloria]

2. Yup, that's the setup and it looks like we may be led like

lambs to the slaughter. Just too much nicey nice. Landrieu with the "bipartisanship" song yesterday with Frist and Reid. No real organized attempt to warn people of what's coming down...Dorgin trying to talk about Halliburton contracts during his little Senate panel off somewhere in the bowels of the Capitol, while today, Blanco thanks Bush.

Ridiculous.

[Pryderi]

3. It's unfortunate that Dems are so limp and wimpy

Down and dirty campaigning is what wins elections. We're never going to win another if we don't get don't steel our spine and get in the slime.

[TayTay]

4. AHm, there are problems with this setup

The repeal of the Davis-Bacon act affects the people who hae been voting for them. The Repubs have the upper income folks. They have a huge percentage of white voters and own the white male vote. The action that will decrease wages in an economically depressed area will depress wages for these people in the middle who have been tricked into thinking that Rethugs care about them and their values. It is not a vote getter.

Remember, Florida voted for Bush AND voted to raise the minumum wage. That disconnect can be exploited, especially when it is so blatant.

The script for 2006 on the Rethug side has already been written and Katrina can be used to bolster that. The Rethugs are going with the straight xenophobia campaign against 'illegal immigrants' and the libruls who coddle them and get them free government goodies. But the effort to pay below the prevailing wage can be an enticement to employ workers who are not documented and are illegals. This can cut both ways. Dems need to speak up and talk about this. Kennedy had co-sponsored a bill with McCain to try and head off some of the damage a campaign based on fear of illegal immigrants might bring, but that is still under development. (And won't have a prayer of passage in this Congress if the Rethugs think it might derail their campaign to extend the all fear all the time campaign to fear of 'them.' It's an interesting campaign idea as it combines the worst parts of populism with the continuing Rethug theme of making voters afraid so they will refuse to make changes.)

[loudsue]

5. Once again: Without election MACHINE reform, there will be, in 2006

and 2008, a REPEAT of what we have been through in the past 3 elections.

GO TO YOUR STATE & COUNTY GOVERNMENTS! DEMAND THAT WE DO AWAY WITH BLACK BOXES TO COUNT OUR VOTES!!

Until THAT problem is dealt with, we are just farting in the wind about "elections" in this country....and boosh, rove, and the whole republican machine KNOW THIS! Why don't the well-educated DUers?

:kick:

[Why Syzygy]

7. This is what I've been saying

It is not about "votes" any more.
Those are stolen, lost, chadded, not counted, disenfranchised, ad infinitum.

Until we get the vote back, the vote doesn't matter.

[OneBlueSky]

6. Max Cleland didn't lose because he . . .

"put union interests above national security" . . . he lost because they stole the damned election from him . . .

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

8. Yes, but it all hinges upon what Rove's message is...

...and how successful he is in delivering it.

He's got an impressive roster of advertising / marketing / P.R. scum who SPECIALIZE in chopping up the GOP agenda into soft-focus 30-seconds spots that speak directly to Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Lunchpail of Middle America.

Success lies in ANTICIPATING the message (which TPM Cafe has done), PREPARING FOR IT, and hitting back with a STRONGER MESSAGE.

So far, we haven't done a great job on the last two. That can change.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. That and Saxby Chambliss ran the dirtiest campaign I've ever seen

[emulatorloo]

9. Kicking because this is the most important thread I have seen on DU

this weekend.

[HardWorkingDem]

10. Stupidity of the American voter...

What really gets me is how stupid the American voter has become. Let's reduce this to its basic level - Bush has put this man in charge of this relief effort while thumbing his nose at the American people. He then claims how "loyal" he is to his people and the American people see that as a virtue and something to be admired, and do not see that this scumbag is trully a turd blossom.

This just shows how stupid the American voter has become - they believe what they are told by someone, rather than what they see with their eyes.

Every time when I hear a politician speak of the intelligence of the American voter, I want to puke.

[jillan]

11. I can't believe (or should I say - I believe it) that Rove got a blank

check to rebuild NOLA. You know dam well that he is going to be making so much money on this. And he will be dishing out the bucks to their base. He's in NOLA to buy votes, and make money. Nobody was even asked how they felt about Rove being in charge.

Why else would they put him there?? Surely not because he is a compassionate and caring person.

[emulatorloo]

12. kicking again - send info to Dean and all yr Dem Senators and Reps

This is exactly how Rove works. . .another "Democrat Trap" in the making.