the white house's 3 part plan for bush's comeback

basically the white house plan includes leaving america having spent MASSIVE amouts money we don't have. anyone knows that will cause economic disaster, but they don't care since their only job is to fix bush's approval ratings NOW.

the second part is the blame game. instead of fixing what is wrong, the white house simply wants to push the blame onto others, regardless of the fact that people who aren't responsible for the problems CAN'T fix them since they didn't cause them.

and third, make sure the american public forgets. which, unfortunately has worked very well on most of the public :(

"By late last week, Administration aides were describing a three-part comeback plan. The first: Spend freely, and worry about the tab and the consequences later. "Nothing can salve the wounds like money," said an official who helped develop the strategy. "You'll see a much more aggressively engaged President, traveling to the Gulf Coast a lot and sending a lot of people down there."

The second tactic could be summed up as, Don't look back. The White House has sent delegates to meetings in Washington of outside Republican groups who have plans to blame the Democrats and state and local officials. In the meantime, it has no plans to push for a full-scale inquiry like the 9/11 commission, which Bush bitterly opposed until the pressure from Congress and surviving families made resistance futile. Congressional Democrats have said they are unwilling to settle for anything less than an outside panel, but White House officials said they do not intend to give in, and will portray Democrats as politicking if they do not accept a bipartisan panel proposed by Republican congressional leaders. Ken Mehlman, the party's chairman and Bush's campaign manager last year, told TIME that viewers at home will think it's "kind of ghoulish, the extent to which you've got political leaders saying not 'Let's help the people in need' but making snide comments about vacations."

The third move: Develop a new set of goals to announce after Katrina fades. Advisers are proceeding with plans to gin up base-conservative voters for next year's congressional midterm elections with a platform that probably will be focused around tax reform. Because Bush will need a dynamic salesman to make sure that initiative goes better than his Social Security proposal, advisers tell TIME there is once again talk of replacing Treasury Secretary John Snow. There are no plans to delay tax cuts to pay for the New Orleans reconstruction or the Iraq war, and Bush is likely to follow through on his vow to veto anticipated congressional approval of increased federal funding for embryonic-stem-cell research."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...3581-1,00.html

It seems painfully obvious that the American public isn't prepared for large scale manipulation by our government body. We have been to trusting, and to many people don't take the time to research anymore, they accept what they're told as fact. Why? When we live in an economy where people are holding 2-3 jobs to survive. Where people are at work more then they see their kids. Where we barely have enough time to cook our own meals so buy takeout on the trip home because we see a fast food restaurant on every corner.... no wonder.

When Bush took office we had a record low deficit. Today we have a record high deficit. Today we have a record high gas price. Today we have a record high oil price. Our currency value has plummeted. Greenspan has warned us over and over again that we're on an economical path to destruction, the administration doesn't listen, so Greenspan retires. We are now at war and have Americans dying daily for a war of another countries independence after we found out they weren't hiding weapons to destroy us. So we oust Saddam, who Bush Sr. put in office.

We are so spread thin on the military that soldiers in Iraq from the Gulf who have dead wives, children and family, or displaced members, are being denied leave to come home and take care of business, the reason they are being given? "We don't have enough people to cover you"

So we're in Iraq fighting a war for independence now, not WMD, and we don't have the ability for just a few of our own men to come home and tie up loose ends after a natural disaster. Excuse me?

I think it's so funny when Bush gets on TV and says how STRONG Americans are, how we stick together in times of national crisis. It's like watching a wife beater say "You take my punches so well darling." "Here let me put a band aid on that." while his other hand is in the air forming a fist.

There is hope. Bushes approval rating is now at 38% SOURCE

In comparison, President Clinton's lowest approval rating the whole time he was in office was 57% SOURCE

I think we're at a point where no amount of spin can stop people from seeing results. They have to.

People are now demanding results in Iraq

People are demanding results in gas/oil prices

People are demanding results in New Orleans

These are big things that are in the face of the average everyday Americans day after day, there is no ignoring them.

Do you think they can really spin their way out of this?

On a side note:

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Sept. 8-9, 2005. N=1,009 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"As time passes, how do you think history will see George W. Bush as president? Do you think Bush will be seen as an average president, above average, or below average?"


Average Above Average Below Average Unsure
% % % %
9/8-9/05 35 19 42 4
10/9-10/03 40 29 26 5


I don't think they can spin their way out of this. Their bullshit is too obvious now. They will all start turning on eachother at this point :coffee:

Don't underestimate the power of Bush's strongest ally... Fox News. The spin has started and is in full-swing.

During the past week, the party line to deflect blame was "Now isn't the time to play the 'blame game'. We have lives to save." Now the party line is to blame Governor Kathleen Blanco and Mayor Ray Nagin, all the while diminishing the failure of FEMA/DOHS and Bush.

Today on Fox, disgusting slug Brit Hume was even taking pot-shots at Clinton and Congress for cutting funds for levee improvements in the 90's and bashing Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!

Fox's biggest problem right now is getting all of their talent to tow the party line. But the Fox gang will not take this lying down. They will manipulate the truth and repeat the lies until the masses believe everything they say.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Xstr8guy

Don't underestimate the power of Bush's strongest ally... Fox News. The spin has started and is in full-swing.

During the past week, the party line to deflect blame was "Now isn't the time to play the 'blame game'. We have lives to save." Now the party line is to blame Governor Kathleen Blanco and Mayor Ray Nagin, all the while diminishing the failure of FEMA/DOHS and Bush.

Today on Fox, disgusting slug Brit Hume was even taking pot-shots at Clinton and Congress for cutting funds for levee improvements in the 90's and bashing Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!

Fox's biggest problem right now is getting all of their talent to tow the party line. But the Fox gang will not take this lying down. They will manipulate the truth and repeat the lies until the masses believe everything they say.

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Yes as Fox is the only 24 hour American news station here I'm constantly having to research what they say online and time and time again find out how slanted it is!

Regarding Clinton and the levies:

A report from the Best of New Orleans news website
outlines the details.

"...Among emergency specialists, 'mitigation' -- the
measures taken in advance to minimize the damage
caused by natural disasters -- is a crucial part of
the strategy to save lives and cut recovery costs. But
since 2001, key federal disaster mitigation programs,
developed over many years, have been slashed and
tossed aside. FEMA's Project Impact, a model
mitigation program created by the Clinton
administration, has been canceled outright. Federal
funding of post-disaster mitigation efforts designed
to protect people and property from the next disaster
has been cut in half. Communities across the country
must now compete for pre-disaster mitigation dollars."

The Bush administration's move to merge FEMA with
Homeland Security meant that the two had to compete
for funding. Straightforward projects that would have
massively reduced the devastation we are now seeing,
such as raising houses, were cast aside in favor of
anti-terrorism measures. SOURCE

I don't really know who to compare this president to. He was there when 9-11 happened. That's about it. I watched in utter disbelief at his first press conference after the hurricane hit. He talked about gas supply.

What in the world could have made him think that this country would accept that kind of indifference. Finally, i think finally (big sigh) that most americans now see how inept and really odd this man is. How hard could have it been to speak from the heart when he saw all the suffering on the television. He chose to talk about gas and oil. That's just bizarre to me.

Fox is owned by Rupert Murdoch, an australian media magnate... what is the connection I wonder, I mean, why such strong support for Bush?

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Originally Posted by dalimili

Fox is owned by Rupert Murdoch, an australian media magnate... what is the connection I wonder, I mean, why such strong support for Bush?

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Oh you didn't know? It's the Bush administration and his cronies that gave Rupert Mudoch the ok to start his news monopoly, in return they get favorable coverage, and the Australian gets his American news monopoly.

Australia isn't a democracy like America, they run on the parlimentary system here and are under the Queen of England. They have a prime minister that reports to the Queen, not a president :francais:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Xstr8guy

Today on Fox, disgusting slug Brit Hume was even taking pot-shots at Clinton and Congress for cutting funds for levee improvements in the 90's and bashing Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!

Fox's biggest problem right now is getting all of their talent to tow the party line.

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Yes and Juan Williams was sitting right there debating him on his points. What is so horrible about a complete presentaion of differing points of view?
Well they don't have this problem on Chinese Television....

In fact one of the reasons FOX is successful is because their pundits are generally well-spoken and sharp. One of my favorites by the way is Mort Kondrake, who is on Brit Hume's show. I like Mara Liasson and I like Bill Kristol. Compare this to CNN and their guys are all these gripey grouchy gusses - Al Hunt, Shields, Bob Novack.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Squirt

It seems painfully obvious that the American public isn't prepared for large scale manipulation by our government body. We have been to trusting, and to many people don't take the time to research anymore, they accept what they're told as fact. Why?

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Isn't this sweeping generalization a tad on the condesending side?

It is interesting to see how instantly political the entire hurricane event has become. Now I don't know how mismanaged FEMA is. But it will come down to the fact that New Orleans was simply not prepared for getting hit by a category four hurricane.

There is nothing wrong at all with asking Mary Landrieu some tough questions, as she has been a life long New Orleans resident, and her father was mayor [Moon Landrieu... if you've been to N.O. you may have strolled down the "MoonWalk" named after her dad.. and whole canal front area was built up under him] They have had decades to upgrade their 1920s era flood control scheme... you can't just blame something not included in a bill last year.

I guess you can seethe over the cuts in federal money for levees. But I think that levy protection was simply not a priority for anybody... particularly by its congressional delegation, whose responsibility it is to get funding for their state. People on here seem to come to the simple conclusion that one simple change --- namely in the US President --- will fix all these ills.

Well I think that will not change the way the New Orleans Levy Board will operate. People either are or are not going to hold their local officials responsible. It is no secret that Louisiana has had probably one of the most Banana Republic type state governments in the US - their last governor is in prison. Their taxes are quite high and their services suck. Their economy is uncomfortably reliant on oil, tourism and gambling.

It's always been that way. I'm not saying that those things are positive or negative - it just comes with the entire Louisiana "package" (Let the good times roll...) And they weren't prepared. I think optimistically that in the end this is a good chance for the area to clense itself of old ghosts and begin afresh with new opportunities.

Steve

desslock - have you been missing some news?

i found many reports on the internet of Mary Landrieu's ongoing attempts to get the feds to fix the levees. she's been at them for several years now, always being ignored. she was far from the only politician who has been attempting to get help on this issue.

and why would bush not give the army corps of engineers the money they wanted? this isn't a corrupt organization that pads their bills - they are known to be honest and give reliable quotes. that was specifically bush, not congress, that made the decision to give the army corps less than half what they said was needed to protect NO.

lessee - did you already read that the director and second and fourth in command of FEMA had no emergency experience? that was a bush appointment.

i'm sure you're sort of right in the last thing you said - the republicans will use this tragedy to blame the locals and put neocons in their stead.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by desslock

Isn't this sweeping generalization a tad on the condesending side?

It is interesting to see how instantly political the entire hurricane event has become. Now I don't know how mismanaged FEMA is. But it will come down to the fact that New Orleans was simply not prepared for getting hit by a category four hurricane.

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Steve don't you remember that thread last week where I went through the trouble to research all the pre-Katrina news articles and public awareness actions the local government took? All of government has known about the levy situation since 1965. The locals had a plan, they acted it out every year. As you said.. you can buy a "hurricane" drink in New Orleans and everyone tells you it's like a bowl, etc. etc.

This isn't an issue of party lines. This is an issue of government not doing what it was created for. New Orleans has one of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. I'm sure that had something to do with the government not wanting to give them money for the levees. And remember, it's not becase local government, or the Army corp of engineers didn't ASK for the money, and work to put the bills through, etc. They were denied the money.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by desslock

I guess you can seethe over the cuts in federal money for levees. But I think that levy protection was simply not a priority for anybody... particularly by its congressional delegation, whose responsibility it is to get funding for their state. People on here seem to come to the simple conclusion that one simple change --- namely in the US President --- will fix all these ills.

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See above. Local government spent their man hours, money, and used their resources to take care of this issue, as did the Army corp of engineers. It's simply irresponsible for any federal government to see the report the corp put forward, and the multiple warnings, and not step in to take care of this problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by desslock

I think optimistically that in the end this is a good chance for the area to clense itself of old ghosts and begin afresh with new opportunities.

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Common sense dictates that if mother nature want the place under water, that, eventually, it will be there, so let it go. But then again Halliburton and all the other good old boys, wouldn't be getting their billion dollar contracts, and then where would we be? :francais:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by basschick

I found many reports on the internet of Mary Landrieu's ongoing attempts to get the feds to fix the levees. she's been at them for several years now, always being ignored. she was far from the only politician who has been attempting to get help on this issue.

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Okay - so in this day where Congress can appropriate $10 billion for the Big Dig in Boston and find $25 million to eradicate an winged insect that causes Pierce's Disease, threatening California's wine industry.... Louisiana's Senators over all this time couldn't insert some money to protect the city they live in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by basschick

i'm sure you're sort of right in the last thing you said - the republicans will use this tragedy to blame the locals and put neocons in their stead.

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Hmmmmm. The locals did everything they could possibly do. It is because of the cruel Republican money cuts and the croneyism of FEMA that made this entire mess.

That's just all there is to it.

Steve

It just fucking sucks the way things are turning out ... We've got dumb ass people electing crooked politicians ... exactly what the world needs