I believe it is time to use Ken Mehlman's term: "Brand W Republicans"

[salin]

its a heck of a lot easier than trying to say... compliant GOp in Congress... enabling GOP in congress.

Much more catchy, when referring to the next enabling, complicit act of rolling over by a congresrep or senator... "Just showing how much of a Brand W republican s/he is".

Short, to the point, wraps up the Bushco fatigue and puts it right on the doorstop of his GOP enablers.

Think of the possibilities:

Leaker-in-Chief? Oh, listen to those Brand W folks defend him? Aren't they cute when they try to spin like that?

Not willing to amend Corporate Master in Chief's Medicare Plan D, regardless of the disasters of the program? Isn't it quaint how loyal the Brand W republicans are... to W?


folks, ridicule works - and right now Bush has runny ridiculee egg all over his face. Time to use the RNC's own little catch phrase to keep highlighting the bonding ties between the Congressional GOP and W.

[IntravenousDemilo]

1. Ridiculee, ridiculah, ridiculee, ridiculaaaaaah! n/m

[Olney Blue]

2. "Brand W Republican"

Very effective.....excellent.

I suppose Ken meant this as a compliment originally?

[salin]

3. actually it was a strategy paper to congressional republicans

telling them, in essence, to knock off the knocking of bush... that like it or not 'we are all now Brand W Republicans'... until the next party figure head emerges in 2008... and that if W drops further in the polls, they ALL drop further in the polls. So no, it wasn't said as a compliment... but as an implicit threat. Almost read like he was more loyal to bush than to the Party of which he is chair.

[Olney Blue]

4. Then your idea is even better- "Brand W Republicans"

Bend over, GOP, and get your Brand W now.

[salin]

5. perfect... the phrase and an image.... LOL

[TheFarseer]

6. I like that

I'm going to use it

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. There are a few "Brand W" Dems out there as well.

Umm... JOE LIEBERMAN comes to mind.

[salin]

8. and, to only a slightly lesser extent, my own sen. Bayh.

But it doesn't have the same effect on Bayh, as it would on Lugar. Locally Lugar is perceived to be intelligent, and independent - esp on issues related to foreign relations; however since the ascension of bush - he might voice dissent, but in the end he uniformly votes for bush. Thus the tag has a greater impact on searing that into the public psyche. Bayh, on the other hand, has voted against bush on different occaisions - so folks wouldn't quite eat it up or stop to think.... ya know - you are right (as happened with me in a recent discussion per Lugar when I challenged the conventional "intelligent/independent" image that has been fostered over the years... easy enough to point out that he voted independently from Reagan, but now votes uniformly with Bush. Thus: Brand W Republican.

Granted he has no opposition in his reelection. Many had hoped this would be the year he would retire ...