All of the current polls show the Democratic party has a decided advantage in the way they are perceived to be handling the nations business. The repubs in contrast are held in low esteem in the same polls and are amusing the whole country with their current Rush / Steele circus and circular firing squads. This low morale and state of disarray is the perfect time to for the Dems to think strategically and keep the pressure on.
Its time for the Dems to take a page straight out of Karl Rove's playbook. Attack the Republicans at their strength. Or if the truth be told, at the strength of their talking points. I'm talking about earmarks and fiscal responsibility.
There is a tug of war going on over earmarks in the continueing resolution and Obama's call for fiscal responsibilty. John McCain and Sarah Palin absolutely hammered the Dems in 2008 over the earmark issue and McCain was at it again in the last couple of days. Pelosi and Reid shuld recognize what a golden opportunity they have been given.
All of the earmarks in the current resolution only total about 7 billion and account for only about 2% of the total bill. If the Dems where to take the long term view and pass on the short term gain, they should declare their support for fiscal restraint in this time of crisis. They should pull all of the Dem earmarks and leave the Republicans standing naked in the field alone, daring them to also pull theirs.
Yes, I know that not all earmarks are pork. Most of them address real needs and will employee people in real jobs. And I know that this bill has only about 1/4 of what was contained in the last Repub bill from 2006. But this is about appearances and managing expectations and PR. There will be plenty of time before the next election cycle for politicians to get a little something for the folks back home. And in the mean time, they get bragging rights about being fiscally responsible and quashing those "terrible" earmarks.
Obama gets to deliver on one more campaing promise
On the Senate floor Monday, McCain blasted President Obama for not taking a stronger stance against earmarks in the bill. He noted that Obama, as a candidate last fall, said, "We need earmark reform, and when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure we're not spending money unwisely."
"That's the quote, the promise of the president of the United States made to the American people in a debate with me in Oxford, Miss.," McCain said. "So what is brought to the floor today - 9,000 earmarks. ... So much for change."
He will also get bragging rights about leaning on his party to change the way things are done in Washington.
Congressional Dems gets to stomp on republican talking points, and if we get real lucky, the repubs will go apoplectic in the infighting over either to keep or drop their earmarks.
It could be a Win-Win-Win situation, and continue to keep the rump party off their game and in disarray. Pelosi and Reid need to join Obama and start to see the longer game.