Fineman: Republicans see Pelosi as the piñata of politics in 2006

[dajoki]

Nancy Pelosi and the GOP's piñata strategy
Are voters too afraid to switch parties?

By Howard Fineman
MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13561823/

Updated: 6:09 p.m. ET Sept 13, 2006

WASHINGTON - The Republican message for this fall’s election season turns Franklin Roosevelt’s famous statement on its head: fear is good, or at least it’s a strategy. They want the electorate to be afraid, very afraid — of the terrorists, of course, but also of an elegantly dressed woman from San Francisco.

Democratic operatives have been warning Rep. Nancy Pelosi for months that she needs to prepare for what Karl Rove and the GOP have in store: an all out, coast-to-coast assault.

As the Democratic leader in line to be speaker if her party wins control of the House, Republicans see Pelosi as the piñata of politics in 2006.

Six years into the Bush presidency, GOP operatives in essence are conceding the obvious: voters are angry about Iraq, the economy, immigration and incompetence.

<<snip>>

Rather than spend a lot of time and money defending their record to voters such as Albino, the Rovepublicans will try to scare him into sticking with them — or at least staying away from the polls altogether. The way to do that, they have decided, is to scare him silly about what the Democrats would do with control of Congress.

[CarlVK]

1. Pelosi is really not much help.

I don't know why she gets such accolades on DU, she is queasy on impeachment or even censure against Warchimp.

Over all, not much use in our current dilemma. I'd prefer more Conyers', Murthas and Boxers to any more Pelosis.

[Lexingtonian]

6. Oh, just wait until she's Speaker

'Weak' is not a word you're going to hear to describe her. That gal is a lot harder and more acute than you think. Tough talk is cheap.

[CarlVK]

7. I'll believe it when I see it.

So far she has feigned back when given the opportunity to take Bush's crimes right to his face.

[Lexingtonian]

11. So what?

When you're Minority Leader you can't back up such words with actions, which is the measure of a leader. For second and third tier House Democrats, as I said, talk is cheap. If Pelosi is Speaker and compelling evidence comes to light that makes impeachment possible, do you have some sort of bizarre delusions she wouldn't follow up on them???

Actually, I think you merely confuse cheap or brave rhetorical excesses with action. I think you're being too easy to please.

[ShortnFiery]

16. Pelosi has grown on me ...

Awe, what a shame the Republicans are AFRAID of "a girl" and her Nancy Boys!

This cracks me up in a goof-ball way.

Can't you see fellow democrats, it's the same "one trick pony" - DIVIDE AND CONQUER.

We can kick Pelosi's a** verbally and criticize but NOT jerk-offs like Fineman seemingly shilling for the RNC. :grr:

Go Nancy Pelosi, I love ya fellow democratic broad!

Go forth to kick butt in your own classy way without me undermining your authority. :yourock: :hi:

[ACK]

10. Impeachment.. Impeachment ..Impeachment...

I get so damn tired of hearing about impeachment here on this board.

We have lost a ton of state legislatures.

We are not drawing the lines for re-districting.

We have as of yet no house of congress where we are even a slight majority.

They have the state legislatures, the have the re-districting, the are assigning the judges and have all 3 branches of federal government under their thumb.


But somehow Pelosi is going to wave the magic fucking fairy wand and get a real discussion on impeachment?

Even if someone brings up impeachment you would get about half the Dems running to the hills and hiding until its all over.

This is extreme but here you go to help some people understand right now where we are because some people seem to be confused. I have said it before but Bush could walk into the Senate and put a bullet in Hillary Clinton's head and no one not a damn soul ever could touch him. You freaking think about that. He has the courts, the Senate and the House. All he has to do is a song and dance about her being a traitor throw up some fabricated evidence and voila ... there you go buddy. He is untouchable.

We would all do better by fighting our asses off to take back the Congress and organizing locally to take back our states and stop acting like we are the majority party. We are NOT.

[9119495]

13. I hear ya, but there are certain realities of politics at work now.

The republicans got a double (triple?) victory with the Clinton impeachment scandal. They impeached him, thereby discrediting a popular leader and impugning his party. They also made the spectacle of impeachment so dirty that Americans would be unwilling to try it again for decades. bastards!

I think Pelosi has played this issue smartly and I don't think Conyers or Murtha would do it if they were Speaker or Minority leader... regardless of what they say as party big shots in the house.

[tularetom]

2. All the Dems have to do is pose her next to Hastert

and ask who the voters would trust, as a list of pub/bush fuckups crawls across the bottom of the screen.

[dajoki]

3. Yes...

but we should be using their mug shots. Well maybe someday.

[joemurphy]

4. Like we shouldn't have to worry about

Hastert, Frist, Sensenbrenner, Roberts, Thomas, Specter, and Hatch?

Fuck the Republicans.

[gumby]

5. Pelosi is the rhetorical piñata.

The talking heads all said the Murikan public doesn't even know who Pelosi is and cited polls to prove it.

What they're talking about is the stories posted here about how the Repubs are spending millions on opposition research on every Democratic candidate.

Howard The Duck coined the word "Rovepublicans"

Now, THAT'S NEWS!

[snowbear]

8. Yeah... like Hastert the Bastard is a real prize...

[HuffleClaw]

9. of course they'd choose a WOMAN to attack

idiots.

[SCDem]

12. This is true in my state

We have a great Democratic incumbant Congressman in South Carolina's 5th District who is running against some yahoo with more money and conservative ideologies than political or life experience and in their first debate the yahoo said Nancy Pelosi so much that you almost forgot who he was running against.

[hatrack]

14. Yeah, and what % of American voters even know who she is?

20%? 15%? 10%

The Pukes keep forgetting that most Americans don't know and (if they did) couldn't care less about Pelosi. Call me crazy, but I can't see Joe Blow talking with his buddies about the House Minority Leader and how her existence persuaded him to vote Republican.

[Supersedeas]

15. Fineman is doing his best to get the Pubby message out