Obama-sly like fox

[Babylonsister]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-li...senho.html

Obama invokes specter of Eisenhower
By Greg Sargent


President Obama, unveiling his budget just now, said:

As a start, I called for a freeze on annual domestic spending over the next five years. This freeze would cut the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade, bringing this kind of spending -- domestic, discretionary spending -- to its lowest share of our economy since Dwight Eisenhower was president.

Let me repeat that. Because of this budget, this share of spending will be at its lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was president.

I think there's more to this rhetorical move than meets the eye. It's about painting today's GOP as extreme, by reminding people that there was a time when Republicans had a far more moderate view of the proper role and scale of government than today's crop of GOPers do. After all, under Eisenhower, the federal government launched construction of what Michael Tomasky recently described as the "largest public works project in the country's history," i.e., the interstate highway system.

What's more, Eisenhower famously said it was folly for anyone to deny that the American public envisions a central and robust role in defending ordinary Americans from the vagaries of the economy, and strongly defended Social Security, unemployment and labor laws:

snip//

In the quest to reclaim and redefine the reasonable middle ground and to paint today's Republican vision as radical and extreme in advance of the budget fight, Obama's invocation of Eisenhower was no accident.

[NJMaverick]

It's a good view. Unfortunately the right wing controlled media is painting things as the President didn't cut deep enough while angering his liberal "base" because his cuts were too deep. Framing and spin wars will be critical to the acceptance of the President's reasonable proposals.

[Treestar]

If we lived as the teabaggers want us to, we'd be a backward country. Every little town squabbling amongst its inhabitants, paying no attention to the larger world.

[jaxx]

I liked the article. Eisenhower was a military man, but a common man at one time. The pubs can not laud him in one breath and call his taxing stupid in the next. The President put them between the rock and the hard place....how much below this will they try to cut.

The far left is being shown to have more in common with the right wing in their outrage. You'd think they'd wise up and support the Democratic President, but the lure of a 3rd party is making them reckless.

[Andy823]

What I think is that the president will be able to go after the republicans because in "HIS" plan, he is willing to sacrifice a lot of things that many on the left will not like, while republicans are only willing to sacrifice things that help the poor, and middle class, not the rich or the big corporations!

He can go after them by pointing out what he is willing to do, and what they are NOT willing to do. The things republicans want to cut will not just hurt democrats, but also republican voters, and if they are not willing to go after cuts like the ones to big oil subsidies, or cutting tax breaks for those who ship jobs overseas, it will piss off a whole lot of republicans also!

I really think he knows what he is doing, and republicans are going to have a hard time trying to explain their ideas, even if the media helps them spin it! People, at least most people, are not as stupid as republicans think they are!

[Hekate]

Framing is everything in this crazy media world. Consistent, well-supported, framing, that is. I hope to goodness that all the Dems who open their mouths to the media are on board with the talking points, because Obama has given them gold and they shouldn't squander it.

[Andy823]

(02-14-2011 02:39 PM)Hekate Wrote:  Framing is everything in this crazy media world. Consistent, well-supported, framing, that is. I hope to goodness that all the Dems who open their mouths to the media are on board with the talking points, because Obama has given them gold and they shouldn't squander it.

I agree, if they don't use the talking points they are crazy! They should start now and not let up, even after the elections they need to keep on pointing out what the republicans are doing, and who they are doing it for, and that's NOT the average citizens!

[Cha]

Yes, it's brilliant..the gop in Congress today is all about the next soundbite that gets them the next dollar. Their tiny heads can't go beyond that but maybe the American People can.

[JuniperLea]

Laying it all out like this is brilliant. The GOTP will show themselves to be the greedy fools they are in no time.