The running critique of the Occupy Wall Street protests is that they have too many bongo drums and not enough message coherence. But that hasn’t stopped Washington’s elite–Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and President Barack Obama–from all hearing the same, singular message loud and clear.
“Why?” Barack Obama asked Republicans about their opposition to his job creation bill. Then he asked it again. And again. By the time he was done, the President had repeated the question, in different ways, some 15 times.
This was Obama on offense. It was Professor Obama to be more exact, attacking with the Socratic method.
Democrats just can’t get enough of Ronald Reagan these days. He is a role model for President Obama, a liberal policy foil in the tax fight debate and a historical marker for campaign strategists. Reagan even gets applause at Democratic National Committee fundraisers.
People around the country are rallying around a new ill-defined movement, which has for now taken its name from its first act of civil disobedience: Occupy Wall Street. For now, it looks marginal, rag-tag, ill-defined and without focus. But keep an eye on it. To paraphrase Buffalo Springfield, something may be happening here.
When Barack Obama talks about taxes these days, he likes to talk about Warren Buffett’s secretary. “Middle-class families shouldn’t pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires,” Obama announced last month. “Warren Buffett’s secretary shouldn’t pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett.” But if Mitt Romney is able to clinch the Republican nomination fnext spring, Obama will have a better example to talk about.
Ford Motors debuted a smart ad in recent weeks that should win someone a CLIO. That guy sweats red, white and blue. Good stuff, with huge viral potential. Predictably, it has set off a political firestorm, with supportive YouTube videos, “scandal” segments on Fox News and, now, a Congressional investigation. Conservatives are charging that the [...]
Barack Obama is still all about message discipline these days. What was once “Win The Future” is now “Pass The Bill.” And when it comes to deficit reduction, the catch phrase is “Fair Share,” to be repeated at rallies, in formal addresses and in background comments from senior aides. Ain’t nothin’ new, of course, about [...]
Save a pretzel for the gas jets. Something is still right with the world.
Most debates start at 8 p.m., but not on Fox News, where that’s Bill O’Reilly’s time slot. At the moment, Bill is talking about “blooters.” “It is a word. You can find it, if you look it up,” Bill says. “Don’t be a blooter.” The word is apparently Scottish slang, and it means something like, “bumbling idiot.” Which is actually an awesomely ballsy way to set up the sixth Republican debate. Bill rocks.
