Bush Attacks, Reid Responds

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON, April 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- With President Bush seeking to blame Democrats for his own failures in Congress, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid today released the following statement on comprehensive immigration reform, which was blocked twice last week by Senate Republicans:

"In a week when President Bush was unable to convince House Republicans to pass his budget, was unable to convince Senate Republicans to pass immigration reform, and was caught misleading the American people about national security matters yet again, it's no surprise that he would take a page from the Karl Rove playbook and blame Democrats to distract from his own troubles. The fact is, President Bush and Senator Frist are flat out wrong about what happened to the immigration bill. Democrats are committed to comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform. That's why we voted twice last week in favor of it. It was President Bush and Republicans in Congress who lacked the backbone to stand up to the extreme right-wing of their party, filibustered reform twice in two days, and put partisan politics ahead of border security and immigration reform."

Ta-Da

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

1. And the mainstream media jumped right on the story...take a look:

The "Big 3"...CNN, MSNBC and Fox all have front-page headlines supporting Bush's demonization of Reid. I salute the fact that Reid made this statement, but I hope that he keeps repeating it...a little louder each time:

CNN Front Page: "Bush: Democrats' leader sank immigration bill" (http://www.cnn.com/)

MSNBC Front Page: "Bush rips Democrats for stalled immigration reform" (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/)

Fox Front Page: "'Blocking Tactics'...President Bush says Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is at fault for immigration bill being stalled" (http://www.foxnews.com/)

[neverforget]

3. Sometimes the Dems do fight back, but you wouldn't know it

if you listened to the MSM as your examples indicate.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

5. I never limit myself to those three...

...I admit that I check them daily, but I also get my news from Raw Story, Huffington Post, and multiple sources that can be found through Google News.

U.S. Newswire is a good place to see examples of Dems fighting back, as you say, but it angers me when the examples I posted represent the only side of the story the media's interested in telling.

We need to seriously consider a strong and consistent offense in lieu of a defense. We spend much too much time "reacting" and "responding" to Karl Rove's bullshit. I'd like to see HIM jump through a few hoops for a change.

And yeah, we can do that "without sinking to his level." If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one...

:patriot:

[goclark]

6. Let's own the Media through email and the web

Everyone says Bush is an idiot, he is.

Rove ain't.


He puts the village idiot out to say one stupid sentence and they gobble it like Turkey on Thanksgiving.

We can't continue to let them get away with it.


I love what Reid said but he has got to make it SHORT and with a Punch!

It has got to be easy to remember and easy to repeat.

I can't even remember Reid's exact words and that is a shame 'cause I like him.

Who can shorten it to 5 -6 words max?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. Here's the punchline or money shot, as I see it...

"The extreme right-wing of the Republican Party blocked it...TWICE. Democrats voted in favor of it...TWICE."

That's not the five or six words you asked for, but that's the point he was making.

Let's face it...Mr. and Mrs. Middle America...many of the "Johnny Lunchpail" folks across our great nation who get ALL of their news from Fox, MSNBC, CNN...don't KNOW who Karl Rove is, don't CARE who Karl Rove is, and get confused or disinterested when we start talking about the "Karl Rove Playbook."

It makes US feel good to hear Harry Reid get to the heart of it and refer to the "Karl Rove Playbook." But when he talks to US, he's "preaching to the choir." He needs to talk to BUSH VOTERS...the people who have been groomed and charmed and misled by Rove.

"The extreme right-wing of the Republican Party blocked it...TWICE. Democrats voted in favor of it...TWICE."

Follow that with something like "I invite you to inspect the voting records."

Karl Rove DEPENDS on the fact that NO ONE WILL DO THAT. Hold up the HOOP and make the fat boy JUMP through it.

:patriot:

[goclark]

8. Bravo! That's what I'm talking about ~ break it down

I would add.....

Reid: (demonstrating with his finger in front of his noise}

"Pinocchio Bush strikes again!!"

" EXTREME right-wing of Pinocchio's Party blocked it...TWICE. Democrats voted in favor of it...TWICE."


************************* ************************** **************************
Democrats talk with too many words.

Idiot Son zings the one liners.

we are way smarter than they are so why can't we learn it!

[Tigress DEM]

24. Less words are ok. Still, this fits on a 3X5 card and WE shouldn't...

have to dumb down to get the attention of the rest of the US of A.

Maybe not chapter and verse, but it's time that the John Q Voting public gets a crash course in paying attention for at least the space of a few pertinent sentences.


Bush was unable to:

Convince House Republicans to pass his budget
Convince Senate Republicans to pass immigration reform

and was caught misleading the American people about national security matters yet again.

It's no surprise that he would blame Democrats to distract from his own troubles.

Facts -
Bush and Frist are flat out wrong about what happened to the immigration bill.
Democrats are committed to comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform.
(Democrats).. voted twice last week in favor of it.
Bush and Republicans ... lacked the backbone to stand up to the extreme right-wing..
..filibustered reform twice in two days, and put partisan politics ahead of border security and immigration reform.

[goclark]

25. I know that and you know that and DU knows that

but IMO if we don't get some catchy phases, we will be in a swift boat.

People don't have time anymore to listen to Democrats go on and on.

They want instant understanding of the issue.

[sandnsea]

29. Reid has to appeal to BOTH

He has to give some red meat to the "netroots" so they'll know he gets what's going on, PLUS simplify for Johnny Lunchpail, as you call them. So he has to include some reference to Rove to let the firebrand wing know that he knows this is more Republican maneuverings. Otherwise they'll turn on him as being bland and out of touch. Tough line to walk.

[Tigress DEM]

26. CNN Online says "Democrats: GOP all talk, no action on security"

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/08/dems.radio.ap/index.html

Panel's 9/11 report card on Bush contains 'F's, D's and incompletes'

WASHINGTON (AP) -- -- Democrats said Saturday the nation isn't as safe as it should be because the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress "have failed to back up their rhetoric with robust action."

......

[BrklynLiberal]

13. THAT is what the core of the problem has always been. They OWN the media!

It does not matter what the Democrats say. It matters what the Media reports!!!!!!
I remember during the last Presidential election people I KNEW saying "Why doesn't Kerry tell us what he stands for??" The media was not reporting on anything Kerry said.
All you ever heard or read was what Bush said. No one ever covered Kerry/Edwards, so people thought they were not saying anything!
This is disgusting. The media is totally complicit in what the BFEE is doing to this country!

[Tigress DEM]

23. Well time to tell MSM that they are full of crap ... again.

http://www.cnn.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com

http://www.foxnews.com

[Tigress DEM]

27. CNN

CNN has made strides in reporting both sides of the story, but if you're going to have Bush slam Reid, you should also post Reid's response.

I am sick and tired of this administration trying to take the focus off its own mistakes by lying about what goes on on the Senate floor.

You know people DO watch CSpan and we see the floor debates, so we DO know the truth.

It wouldn't hurt you to cover it.

[Tigress DEM]

30. MSNBC

MSNBC needs to give the lies this administration tells LESS coverage and START getting busy posting the truth. Harry Reid spoke the truth and I don't see it anywhere in your coverage.

I am sick and tired of this administration trying to take the focus off its own mistakes by lying about what goes on on the Senate floor.

You know people DO watch CSpan and we see the floor debates, so we DO know the truth. It wouldn't hurt you to cover it.

[Tigress DEM]

33. Faux

Subject: Faux News. What else can we expect?

Don't any of you bozos watch CSpan? Anybody who has been watching the Senate discussions on the Immigration Bill knows who has been bringing cooperation to the floor and who has been stalling. As usual Bush has it backwards.

The extreme right-wing of the Republican Party blocked it...TWICE. Democrats voted in favor of it...TWICE.

FAUX News needs to give the lies this administration tells LESS coverage and START getting busy posting the truth. Harry Reid spoke the truth and I don't see it anywhere in your coverage.

I am sick and tired of this administration trying to take the focus off its own mistakes by lying about what goes on on the Senate floor. You people may not watch CSpan and see the floor debates, but a bigger portion of WE THE PEOPLE are. So WE KNOW the truth.

The only way it would hurt you to cover it is if you have a propoganda agreement with the administration and given your slanted coverage, I could believe it. Yours is honestly the only station I feel sick to my stomach watching because your spin and spew is so repugnant.

[SammyWinstonJack]

28. There's that Damned "Liberal Media" again.

:rofl:

[autorank]

2. You Gave 'em Hell Harry -- Pile on, you're doing great n/t

And start calling him a "liar" again. That was THE best.

Thanks Harry Reid, D, NV, Senate Majority leader -- backbone of the week award
!!!!

Recommended

[goclark]

9. If they would only let Reid have some air time ~ they are

so slick.

[autorank]

15. They can't afford to give him air time. People would really like him.

He's homesupn and a "plain talker." I don't agree with him on some issues but, as a leader, right now, I think he can do a lot of good. He just needs to keep swinging for the fense and he'll connect.

[goclark]

17. I am a big fan

He is smart and cool under pressure.

They take him for weak when he is not.

[norml]

4. Reid pushes back: Bush blames Democrats ``to distract from his own trouble

Reid pushes back: Bush blames Democrats ``to distract from his own troubles.''

This pushback statement from the Reid camp was sent out after President Bush personally blamed Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nv.) for the failure of the Senate to pass a comprehensive immigration bill.

.

REID: BUSH CAN’T HIDE HIS OWN IMMIGRATION FAILURE

snip

“In a week when President Bush was unable to convince House Republicans to pass his budget, was unable to convince Senate Republicans to pass immigration reform, and was caught misleading the American people about national security matters yet again, it's no surprise that he would take a page from the Karl Rove playbook and blame Democrats to distract from his own troubles. The fact is, President Bush and Senator Frist are flat out wrong about what happened to the immigration bill. Democrats are committed to comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform. That's why we voted twice last week in favor of it. It was President Bush and Republicans in Congress who lacked the backbone to stand up to the extreme right-wing of their party, filibustered reform twice in two days, and put partisan politics ahead of border security and immigration reform.”

snip

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2006/04/reid_pushes_back_bush_blames_d.html

[spanone]

10. CNN has Bush* attack with NO MENTION of Reid response.

Shocked I tell you!!!

[spooky3]

11. WaPo's editors dutifully "largely" blame the Dems also

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/07/AR2006040701713.html

[goclark]

12. Not shocked I tell you

Reid needed to say something short and not sweet before it will knock Bush off the headlines.

No more than 12 2nd grade level words.

[Notoverit]

14. Yeah, right. Because Reid makes those headlines - the media bows to him...

Anyone here not clear what the "librul media" does?

[goclark]

16. Bush made the headlines, Reid spoke to US

Don't get me wrong, I am a big Fan of his.

He is just too soft spoken for Joe Average.
He needs to put more zing in his words and shorten those sentences.

Remember how they kept saying Kerry was wishy washy?
Swiftboat Liars?

It stuck. :(

[Disturbed]

18. The RW Corp Media protects the Neo Fascist Regime.

It is their interest to do so. They gain power by backing the Neo Fascists that will not break up the RW Corp. Media Monopoly.

That Immigration Bill sucks and is unworkable. Most Rethugs and Dems are complicit with US Corps.

[goclark]

19. So how do we break it down so that People Understand

That the Rethug Congress must go?

These are major issues that we are facing and ROVE is still in control of the Media.

They call us wishy washy and they change their tune every minute.

We keep believing that they will seek the TRUTH but they only seek POWER.

Between that 36% and DIEBOLD, Reid can come out swinging all he wants to, we need to really sock it to um.

[Justice Is Comin]

31. What happened is Frist asked Reid to allow

amendments by the Republicans. Reid knew what they were up to.

They would gut the bill needing only their majority to pass the amendments instead of the 60 votes. They had planned about 20 amendments.

Then they would take it to the conference committee, mark it up as the bill THEY wanted it to be, bring it out quickly to the floor and pass it, again with their majority.

Reid then asked Frist if he would allow Democrats to be on the conference committee. Frist said no, only Republicans !

Reid said then GO TO HELL!!!

That's what happened.

[Tigress DEM]

35. Sign this blank check... I mean partially completed bill.... we'll fill

the rest in later....

Favorite trick of Cheney's.

[Tigress DEM]

34. RW blocks bill Twice - DEMs approve Twice. Rethugs CAN'T Handle Truth.

...and when they can't handle the truth, they make shit up.



See Bush_Eats_Beef - above (post #7)

"The extreme right-wing of the Republican Party blocked it...TWICE. Democrats voted in favor of it...TWICE."

[Tigress DEM]

38. Whenever *ush points his finger at DEMs - 3 point back to him.

Or as Shakesphere said, "Methinks the man protests too much."

The PEOPLE are in denial, they don't WANT to see the reality of this administration because let's face it, it's close to evil walking. Haven't there been days that you have had to get up from DU and just walk around seeing something besides corruption? Even if it was just a bikeride or a sunset to renew yourself, the human phsyce needs relief from the constant battle. Most common Americans out there are unable to digest this type of information in large doses.

My very best line with those who sincerely believe what they see on the news is "Everyone in America, whether rEpublican, DEM, Indy, whatever party deserves to be told the truth by their government."

Then the discussion goes to "This government lies. Even MSM shows that *ush says one thing and does another -consistently." If that person still thinks their viewpoint is valid, I ask for evidence. "How do you know? If it's just because the pRes says it's so, that isn't enough."

Rove is losing control of the MSM - except FAUX - they are related to the bushits and totally outside reality as we know it.

Even CNN - whose co-founder Reese Schoenfeld once said "It is the media's job to lie for the government during time of war..." < on The Daily Show with John Gibson pre-May 2005 > has begun to change it's tune. We still need to ride the media and keep them accountable, but they are actually letting DEMs on in a timely fashion and letting them finish sentences.

It took a lot of grassroot yelling at the media for being complicit with the propoganda arm of the White House and of people simply abandoning the MSM - hello, there go our profits! Then MSM started weighing their pros and cons.

When Howard Dean started making outrageous freak show statements it seemed to release the blockade preventing DEMs from getting to the MSM. MSM still thinks it can marginalize what we have to say, but they are at least feeling forced to give the appearance of fair and balanced reporting.

[KittyWampus]

21. Shorten his sentences? His statement couldn't be any shorter

or easier to comprehend.

Extreme rightwing voted twice

That's too many words?

That's four words.

Extreme rightwing voted twice.... Democrats voted twice

All together that's SEVEN words.

[Notoverit]

36. It sticks because of the echo chamber. Repetition, No matter how he says

it, our POV will never be properly represented. Time to stop blaming the "style" and find new ways of being heard.

[Marr]

20. A small point- Bush was not caught "misleading", he was caught LYING.

If you want to get any attention, use stronger language. Bush LIED about his involvement in these leaks.

[Rose Siding]

32. Reid has called bush a liar before

Way back-

snip>
Reid originally called Bush a "liar" in 2002 after a speech that Bush gave about storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, saying, " President Bush is a liar. He betrayed Nevada and the betrayed the country."

and later in Rolling Stone, June 2-

Q: You’ve called Bush a loser.

Reid: And a liar.

Q: You’ve apologized for the loser comment.

Reid: But never for the liar, have I.

http://www.factcheck.org/article333.html

It's probably good that he shakes up the lingo some -maybe cut the legs out from under any charges of "that batshit crazy Harry Reid"

[Tigress DEM]

22. Whoo Yah! Go Harry!

Contact Harry Reid

http://reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm


Harry,

I was very impressed to see you take the bull by the horns and snap back at the pRes with the truth of the matter.

Americans (some of us) have known (for a long time) that we have been lied to constantly by this administration. Many have turned to CNN and CSpan, previously thought to be more boring than watching paint dry, but we actually saw REAL debate on the floor of the Senate going on regarding immigration.

Fist time in a long time any of you guys have been able to get any work done.

I've watched this long uphill battle to get enough power for the minority party to be able to speak up in this way and getting the news coverage when you do it.

The deck has been stacked against the common American being able to hear this kind of firm factual response to the coverups and unfair slanting of media coverage.

Keep up the good work.

[mrdmk]

37. To get fifty percent of a solution you need to know what the problem is!

The powers that be want this to be a wedge issue. With an immigration bill going to the president's desk, all of right wings think tanks will have wasted a years worth research and development of propaganda.

Here, here, we are losing, bring me the wedgie issue. Bring me the fools!