Pelosi to launch PR blitz to beat ’08 media frenzy

[babylonsister]

Pelosi to launch PR blitz to beat ’08 media frenzy
By Jonathan E. Kaplan
October 23, 2007

Nearly one year after recapturing control of Congress, House Democratic leaders will embark on a publicity blitz starting in November to combat a dismal 25 percent approval rating.

Democratic leadership aides huddled with rank-and-file chiefs of staff, legislative directors and press secretaries on Monday to persuade them to do more to promote a positive message. Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster, and Mike McCurry, one of President Bill Clinton’s former press secretaries, also were on hand to press for a concerted effort.

In a “Dear Colleague” letter sent last week to lawmakers, the six senior House Democratic leaders noted that bipartisan majorities have passed lobbying and ethics reforms, an increase in the minimum wage, a massive increase in student aid, legislation to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations and other initiatives that President Bush has signed into law.

Democratic leaders want the rank and file to do more to publicize those details, because they are concerned that the public is unaware of those accomplishments and that it will become more difficult to hype their message as the presidential race further dominates the news.

Those leaders expect their members to hold more press conferences and town hall meetings, send out more franked mail and develop better online strategies. Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is expected to keep tabs on which Democrats are doing their part to play up their record, leadership aides said.

“We’re concerned obviously that the accomplishments of both the House and Senate are overshadowed by failure to change direction in Iraq,” said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). “We’re hoping in the next three or four months to make it clear what has been done and make it clear we are upset that more has not been accomplished because of the president’s refusal to change direction.”

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-to-launch-pr-blitz-to-beat-08-media-frenzy-2007-10-23.html

[annabanana]

1. Uh Nancy. .

1) You should have been doing this from the moment you walked in the door.
2) Announcing PR blitzes is counterproductive.

[acmavm]

2. Damn, my boss is wondering what I was laughing about.

(Don't have anything to do right now)

<snip>

“We’re concerned obviously that the accomplishments of both the House and Senate are overshadowed by failure to change direction in Iraq,” said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). “We’re hoping in the next three or four months to make it clear what has been done and make it clear we are upset that more has not been accomplished because of the president’s refusal to change direction.”

<snip>

Yeah Steny old boy, rolling over and giving him everything he asks for MIGHT have a bit to do with it.

These people think we're stupid and don't understand their complicity.

[Javaman]

23. yeah because you know moron* is king and all and it's only up to

fucking congress to approve the fucking funds for his* bullshit, but you know, nancy knows that right??? right????

:banghead:

[acmavm]

27. OOPS! I think I misunderstood your answer, at least I hope I

did?

[shadowknows69]

3. Hey USA we're going to slap some lipstick on this pig

instead of actually listening to you. Will you love us if we make lots of shiny tv commercials for you to watch?

[bdamomma]

4. listen Nancy, we know what kind of state this country is in,

very bad in my estimation, and nothing will change my mind, impeachment would or holding this pResident accountable for his crimes.

[Trajan]

5. Their lack of SPINE ....

is their problem ..... It isnt a matter of media exposure of their paltry successes, but their cowardly fear to stand up and be counted as Liberals ......

Chicken shits .....

[ThomWV]

6. I don't want her fucking "PR", I want effective leadership, including IMPEACHMENT

[Toots]

7. Perception becomes reality

Give the perception of accomplishment even though everyone knows it ain't even close to the truth. Both Republicans and Democrats know that Congress has been made Bush*'s play thing.. He laughs at their bluster because he knows they will do his bidding. Everyone in America knows they will do Bush*'s bidding and that certainly was not what they were sent there to do. Everyone in America also knows they will not hold criminals accountable. Accountability is "Off the Table"

[atreides1]

8. I see their priorities are screwed up.

It's evident that Madame Speaker and her cohorts don't get it! All the lobbying and ethics reforms, minimum wage and student aid increases, and 9/11 Commission recommendations, are not the Trillion Dollar Gorilla in the room, the war in Iraq is.

The majority of Americans want a change in direction in the war, and every time the congress blames Bush for his refusal to change direction, and then rubber stamps his money requests, they show that they lack not only courage to make the hard decisions, but the inability to do the whole job not just a part of it.

Personally I don't relish the thought of my phone conversations being listened to, but the democratic leadership in congress, once again wearing their favorite shade of chicken shit yellow, are willing to compromise on our civil liberties so they don't get branded as being "weak on terror"!

By attempting to surrender my rights, I'd say they were weak on the Constitution, which plays right into the terror crowd. If the terrorist can show that everything about the good old USA is nothing more then hype, they win.

Patriot Act
Patriot Act II
Abu Ghraib
Guantanamo
Military Commissions Act
Protect America Act

Terrorist-6
USA-0


Maybe they should direct their time and effort to putting impeachment on the table and maybe even using it as a "bully pulpit" to convince BushCo that there are consequences for his actions.

[Ganja Ninja]

9. Is this before or after she rubber stamps another $46 billion for

Bush's war?

[bdamomma]

22. sickening isn't it? he will use that money for Iran

or will it go missing like this story from Raw Story

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/washington/23contractor.html?ei=5065&en=923c1b39875a8484&ex=1193803200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

[Solly Mack]

10. Hmmm

Accentuate the positive of this

"...legislation to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations ..." (a move presumably to make America safe)

to deflect from the negative of this?

"... overshadowed by failure to change direction in Iraq" (when America's bullshit GWOT has made America(and the world) less safe - to include Iraq)


Maybe it's just me...

but...

isn't that kind of like bragging about locking the front door against intruders while leaving the windows and back-door wide open?

[riona]

11. Well, I feel better now

Knowing they are "concerned" and "upset" about Iraq makes me warm and fuzzy all over. For sure their approval rating will skyrocket with this brilliant PR campaign.

[shadowknows69]

12. Somehow I doubt the families of the dead

are much comforted by this. Real people and real blood is what has been sacrificed for your lack of strength Nancy. Sleep well.

[madfloridian]

13. Isn't McCurry leading the drive against Net Neutrality?

I think so, but would have to look it up. A lot at MyDD about it a few months ago.

[KittyWampus]

15. McCurry gets PAID to do his job. And he's one of the very best. Hiring him is one thing the Dems

did right.

[madfloridian]

16. So it no longer matters what people stand for?

Gotcha.

Winning is all that matters.

[madfloridian]

17. Here you go...some links on his anti-net neutrality work.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-green/mike-mccurry-hurting-t_b_20216.html

http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/05/1020223

[hatrack]

14. Super! A "PR Blitz"!

Just what the doctor ordered!

:eyes:

[Baby Snooks]

19. Someone needs to "blitz" her

She and Reid, and Hoyer, are not acting in the best interests of the country and no "pr blitz" is going to change the reality. Nor will it divert attention from the reality which is what she hopes to do.

She, and they, can change the direction. Shut the damn government down if need be.

Bring our troops home and send the corporate crooks who are destroying our economy to prison and send Bush and Cheney and everyone else off to Nuremberg. And please, no flaming, but send Bill Clinton and Madeline Albright off to Nuremberg as well. The deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children were worth it? Drop dead and may you rot in hell Madeline Albright.

Every time I see a picture of Bill Clinton and George HW Bush together I can only see those 500,000 Iraqi children. What I also see when I look at Hillary Clinton.

We need a new speaker. Yesterday. Someone with the balls to stand up for the American people. And, in a way, for the Iraqi people.

All Nancy Pelosi can do is sit in Bush's lap. Waiting for her doggie treat. Apparently Reid and Hoyer like the doggie treats as well.

[Javaman]

24. like the old saying goes...

"when in doubt, dazzel them will bullshit".

[Junkdrawer]

18. I know...I know...on a signal, they can all light a cigarette and call them "Freedom Torches"...

If you don't get the reference, watch Episode 2 of this history of PR....

Happiness Machines - Century of the Self, Episode 1 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kp24ZeHtv4

Happiness Machines - Century of the Self, Episode 2 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsZ8UkkVAdM

[endarkenment]

20. A pile on from our DU disloyalists!

I can't resist. Always a slave to peer pressure. Nancy, you wouldn't need a PR blitz if you had accomplished ANYTHING that the people who voted you into power thought they were voting for.

[scorpiogirl]

21. Hey, Nancy!

How about instead of trying to make it LOOK as if you're doing something you just actually do it instead? How's that for an idea? Jesus!

[Javaman]

25. nothing like a fresh coat of paint or a new roll of wall paper to

make everything look shiny and new, huh?

she may play speaker of the house on TV but in real life she's...frankly, I haven't a clue.

[Forkboy]

26. I'm honestly starting to believe that this is the depth of our "leadership's" thinking.

Sad.