Frank Luntz’s New Talking Point: “Checkbook Tax”

By GottaLaff

I have a talking point for Frank Luntz: Shut up. I doubt he'll include that one in his memos, though. He's too busy making up new misleading catch phrases that will be picked up by candidates which will then be picked up by punditiots which will then be picked up by news dee jays.

And that's how Frank's shiny new talking points become part of the political lexicon:

Since when have corporations ever paid taxes, fees or penalties? Employees end up paying in the form of lower salaries and benefits. Customers end up paying in the form of higher costs.

And in this case, every account holder will be forced to pay higher fees on their checking account and savings account. That’s you, my friendly reader. Can you say “checkbook tax”? I can, and I think lots of candidates will be saying it come November.

What was once the ever-popular “taxpayer-funded bailouts,” which is dead wrong, will now be "checkbook tax":

[H]e’s replaced it with the new claim that taxpayers will still pick up the tab when big institutions pass on costs in the form of a “checkbook tax.”

Watch for it on a Tee Vee Machine near you!

John McCain says he's the Not Maverick vs. Hypocri-VIDEOS

By GottaLaff

Stumpy McWrongMesssage used the word "maverick" when she campaigned on behalf of her old palsy walsy John Sidney McCain in Mesa, Arizona. But now her bff is essentially calling her a liar, because he now says he's not mavericky at all!

Newsweek reports that Sen. John McCain has explicitly repudiated one of the most carefully crafted and maintained images in politics, product of many years' work by, above all, Mark Salter [...]

[H]e now denies he ever was one. "I never considered myself a maverick" ...

To quote J Sid, "Heah??"



And ooooopsie daisy! At 6:26 or so, Stumpy contradicts the very candidate she claims to support. I guess J Sid forgot to fill her in on his new talking points. Then again, since when has she not been clueless:



Maybe Stumpy was just being plucky. She's so roguey mavericky that way.

H/t: Lensman23

Reconciliation bill makes key improvements + who to watch

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

Greg Sargent always has a great way of concisely recapping events:

Everyone is wondering whether any single bloc of House Dems — the Hispanic caucus, the progressives, the moderates — will be willing to sink the bill. Dems had come to fear that the Hispanic caucus might end up doing just that. But Gutierrez and ULAC seem to put that possibility to rest — and that this constituency is close to locked down.

* The Speaker’s office is circulating talking points among surrogates, telling them how to explain how the reconciliation fix has improved the bill. Check them out right here for a preview of what you’ll be hearing in the days ahead.

I screen grabbed a portion of the talking points above.

Meantime, CBS has their own list of Democrats they say we should watch. Generally, it includes the obvious suspects:

Vulnerable Democrats

Anti-abortion Democrats (as in guess who)

Blue Dogs

Congressional Hispanic Caucus members

Retirees

And... Republican Rep. Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao

Here's who I watch: The GOP going bonkers trying to smear and scare, because they know that health care reform will happen. And when it does, or at least after awhile, the Dems will get kudos, President Obama will have himself a major victory, and the Rushpublics will look like the mean old negative whiners that they are.

VIDEO-- Harry Potter: The Sequel- Democratic health care debate talking point

By GottaLaff



I've heard a number of Dems use this one. Hey, if it works, go for it. Maybe some of the magic will rub off on them.

Poof! A robust public option!

Obama Plans Media Blitz

I dunno, but I'm thinking that a bunch of articulate Democrats laden down with concise talking points wouldn't hurt either. It's been pretty Republican heavy on the cablers here the past few days. Via Taegan-

President Obama will give sit-down interviews with all the major networks today, according to Hollywood Reporter.

"Obama will talk separately with the anchors of ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News Channel at the Oval Office on Tuesday. The networks will air their interviews over the course of the afternoon and the early evening."

Obama is expected to make the case for his economic stimulus package.

Memo lists Bush talking points sanitizing the past eight years

By GottaLaff

I opened up what's left of my L.A. Times (thank you Sam Zell), and surprise! I got to read all about Bush's effort to convince us all what a success the past eight years have been:

A two-page memo that has been sent to Cabinet members and other high-ranking officials offers a guide for discussing Bush's eight-year tenure during their public speeches. [...]

The document presents the Bush record as an unalloyed success.

It mentions none of the episodes that detractors say have marred his presidency: the collapse of the housing market and major financial services companies, the flawed intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war, the federal response to Hurricane Katrina or the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

Get your pencil and paper out, kiddies! It's note-taking time!

• In a section on the economy, speakers are invited to say that Bush cut taxes after 2001, setting the stage for years of job growth. [...] Bush "responded with bold measures to prevent an economic meltdown."
• "Above all, George W. Bush promised to uphold the honor and the dignity of his office. And through all the challenges and trials of his time in office, that is a charge that our president has kept."
• "He promised to raise standards and accountability in public schools -- and delivered the No Child Left Behind Act," the talking points read.
• Bush "kept the American people safe" after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
• He curbed AIDS in Africa

I hadn't realized what an accomplished, benevolent, humble man Bush is. All that somehow went right by me.

I know it'll be tough, but I fervently hope President-elect Obama can live up to his predecessor's standards.

GOP talking points on Ted Stevens

By GottaLaff

Via Jed:

From the Anchorage Daily News, here are some of the talking points about Ted Stevens given to Alaska delegates at the GOP convention:

On Stevens being electable:

-- Ted Stevens is our guy.

-- He is the only person, except Governor Palin, who can beat Mark Begich in November.

-- As long as he does not receive jail time he is legally capable of serving.

Of course. Anyone who is anyone is following those very same talking points:

Sarah first looked at [my wife] said hello, and I shook her hand. I asked, "Are supporting Ted Stevens this year?" She replied, "He's under indictment you know...his trial is in September." I replied, "But are you voting for him?" She walked away without answering.

I knew it all sounded too familiar.