Dems adopting aggressive posture in fight over government spending

[babylonsister]

Dems adopting aggressive posture in fight over government spending
By Greg Sargent


Don't look now, but there are increasing signs that Democrats are adopting a surprisingly aggressive and unapologetic posture in the looming political battle with Republicans over government spending. Rather than running from the issue -- which has obvious perils for Dems, given that Republicans are trying to tar them as Big Government liberals -- they are treating this as an argument that can be turned to their advantage, if it's framed in the right way.

The latest sign of this is the new DCCC radio ad that is targeting multiple House Republicans in targeted districts. The ad attacks Republicans for supporting plans to "cut education" and "cut science and technology research," defending the latter as the way "we get the new products that create new jobs."

Crucially, the ad cites specific programs that Republicans would target, and frames the cuts as threats to job creation, an effort to cast Dems as defenders of popular programs and to undercut the GOP case that government spending is inevitably a "job killer."

snip//

A Democratic strategist familiar with ongoing discussions says Dems have been encouraged by recent polling on these questions. While polls undoubtedly show that the public supports reducing government spending in general, Gallup recently found that sizable majorities oppose cuts to education, funding for the arts and sciences, Social Security and Medicare.

more...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/dems_adopting_aggressive_postu.html

[Clio the Leo]

1. ka-POW!!!! Kick! nt

[golfguru]

2. Yap, I can see 60 seats gain from my house :-)

in 2012.

[annabanana]

3. happy kick!

[Safetykitten]

4. The comedy/tragedy of our party. So too little, so too late.