Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Lou and the 'Strategist'

So I'm watching Lou Dobbs in the wee hours this morning (last night's show) and he's got that twit John Fund on, along with Michael Goodwin of the Daily News and Hank Sheinkopf a "Democratic political consultant and strategist". Lou stretches Fund's sphincter (not that I'm a big fan of Lou Dobbs, but I love it when he gets pissed) in this exchange:

...

DOBBS: A limit, and speaking of limits, debt limits. We are watching the national debt rise. The federal debt limit has just -- we're going to hit it this week. And at the same time, the treasury secretary says, John Fund -- John Snow says, "We don't want to have anything attached to this debt limit," like as the Democrats are calling for, "some reduction in federal spending."

The chairman, the new chairman the Federal Reserve on this very day says "Yes, we need to deal with the budget deficit."

FUND: We have a lot of federal spending because we have a broken budget process that's 30-years-old and out of date. The only time we have ever had substantive budget reform, Lou, is attached to a debt- ceiling bill. Perfect example in the 1980s. This is a tremendous lost opportunity if we just raise the debt and don't do something about the underlying disaster that is our federal spending machine.

DOBBS: Well you can talk about process but nonetheless, pro force, a very good economy, pro force bipartisan action. Bill Clinton was able and give the devil his due whether you're Republican or Democrat, he was able to create surpluses for three years with this process. This is about decisions that are being made by leadership both in the Congress and the White House that says the hell with the consequences.

FUND: Just remember...

DOBBS: You're a conservative.

FUND: ... those three years of surpluses, over half of that was the Internet bubble, which was a one-time.

DOBBS: Oh please.

...


And it goes on from there, Fund sputtering Rethug talking points every time Lou gives him the evil eye. Now, you'd think the Dem 'strategist', Scheinkopf, would take the opportunity to lay out a Dem plan to bring the deficit into line and reduce the hemorraging of money from the Treasury. You'd expect that, wouldn't you? If it were me, I'd grab Fund by the tie and slap some sense into him (or shit out of him; whatever works) but more civilized folks would say 'look, we quit throwing money at Halliburton and Iraq, roll back some of the Chimp's tax cuts for the wealthy, we might work our way out of this mess in a generation'. I mean, Lou even softened the Repuke up for ya. Jump on his ass, right? But no. This is the Dem 'strategy':

...

SHEINKOPF: We live in a land of sound bites. They've got to wake up. Every time they open their mouths, they make it easier for Democrats. Democrats just need to stand there, smile, let them keep doing what they are doing. [all my ems in quotes]

...


And you wonder why we lose. Some strategy, idiots.

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