Friday Talking Points [77] -- There's Always Next Week...
[ Posted Friday, May 15th, 2009 – 17:44 UTC ]
I have to start by saying that in all honesty, President Obama and the Democrats didn't have a great week.
FridayTalkingPoints Article Archive
Friday Talking Points [76] -- Countering The Luntz Playbook On Health Care
[ Posted Friday, May 8th, 2009 – 17:04 UTC ]
Frank Luntz is one of those Republicans that is both respected and feared by Democrats. And rightly so. Because Luntz is a master at the business of teaching Republicans how to speak. He gets paid a bundle of money for doing this sort of thing, unlike amateurs such as myself on the web. [Note to Democratic Party: I will cheerfully accept bundles of money for writing this column, just to let you know....]
Friday Talking Points [75] -- Monster Raving Loony Party
[ Posted Friday, May 1st, 2009 – 17:46 UTC ]
OK, with that out of the way, we must (sadly) turn our eyes to the Republican Party. Because they appear to be losing all touch with reality, so it's best to keep an eye on them at this point. For starters, they are calling a special Republican National Committee meeting in the next month to vote on (as if they could) forcing their opposition to change their name to what is variously described as the "Socialist Democratic Party" or the "Democratic Socialist Party" (as well as variations where they intentionally leave out the "-ic" just to twist the knife).
Friday Talking Points [74] -- Pirates And Torture
[ Posted Friday, April 17th, 2009 – 16:57 UTC ]
What a strange set of sentences that is to begin an article about the twenty-first century world we live in. But pirates are attacking ships with regularity off the coast of Somalia. This has been going on for years, but Americans just realized it is happening (because an American ship was just attacked). And, while the two are not connected (and I am not advocating for their connection, sorry for the slightly-misleading headline), people are finally talking about torture after President Obama released the Bush torture memos to the public. We'll get to the Bush torture memos in a bit, but I'd like to begin with a proposed solution to the pirate problem first.
Friday Talking Points [73] -- "Good Grief!" Friday
[ Posted Friday, April 10th, 2009 – 16:38 UTC ]
A bumpersticker seen in more liberal areas of the country reads: "Jesus save me from your followers." Now, that may not be a very "Christian" way to open a column which falls on the Christian Good Friday, but I was reminded of it by yet another episode of Catholic leaders denouncing liberal politicians. To these leaders, I have to say, isn't there something about beams and dust motes and eyes which you could be more productively teaching about? Or perhaps that one about throwing the first stone?
Friday Talking Points [72] -- The Unfairness Doctrine
[ Posted Friday, April 3rd, 2009 – 16:33 UTC ]
Because (are you sitting down), Krauthammer's big bugaboo, his big boogeyman spectre designed to send us all screaming out into the night... is "fairness." America being "fair" is such an awful, frightening, downright terrifying future for our country, that all good citizens should rise up against it. To the barricades! To fight for Unfairness For All!
Friday Talking Points [71] -- Historically Speaking (From A TelePrompTer)
[ Posted Friday, March 27th, 2009 – 17:15 UTC ]
"After 27 days, the best House Republicans could come up with is a 19-page pamphlet that does not include a single real budget proposal or estimate. There are more numbers in my last sentence than there are in the entire House GOP 'budget.' "
Friday Talking Points [70] -- Ride The Populist Wave!
[ Posted Friday, March 20th, 2009 – 17:17 UTC ]
The question that remains is whether Obama will continue to do so (perhaps even moving in a more populist direction than he outlined last night), or whether he will back off if he faces opposition in Congress (by "centrists" in his own party, even) to his call to populism. If public opinion backs Obama in such a showdown, this will only serve to strengthen his position politically. And weaken the entrenched Washington position (whether Democratic or Republican).
Friday Talking Points [69] -- It's All Too Much (For Republicans To Take)
[ Posted Friday, March 13th, 2009 – 16:38 UTC ]
In today's main event we will discuss the idiocy of the most recent Republican talking point -- "Obama's trying to do too much, too fast" (which is weak, to be sure, but then they had to kind of scramble after their last talking point "Obama is killing the stock market" became inoperative due to a rally). But before we get to that, we have some housecleaning to do. Call it "old business" -- a few new developments in things that I've commented on previously.
Friday Talking Points [68] -- Obamacare Pre-Emptive Strike, And An Anti-Rush Slogan Contest
[ Posted Friday, March 6th, 2009 – 18:08 UTC ]
The Democratic National Committee is running a contest for a slogan (10 words or less) to plaster on a billboard in Rush Limbaugh's hometown. The winner will also receive a T-shirt with their winning slogan on it. Submit your suggestions over at the DNC's site.