This was the dumbest, forced error by Obama and the Democrats yet and for very obvious reasons, not the least of which is that Democrats are enjoying the Chamber’s largesse as well. Then there’s the obvious, which Glenn Greenwald lays out:
But what makes it so infuriating to watch Gibbs make this argument is that Gibbs himself — back in 2003 and 2004 — was heavily involved in exactly the same kind of anonymous-funded negative campaign the Chamber is running now, when the brand-new advocacy group for which he was the spokesman invoked the same excuses as the Chamber is invoking now to conceal its donors. As Chris Moody recalls, when Howard Dean was the 2004 Democratic front-runner, a new group abruptly popped up — calling itself “Americans for Jobs, Health Care and Progressive Values” — and, shortly before the Iowa primary, began running an extremely ugly anti-Dean TV ad campaign, featuring images of Osama bin Laden, along with ominous claims that Howard Dean would fail to Keep Us Safe, that he could not “compete with George Bush on foreign policy.”
Now, I wasn’t a Deaniac, but I knew of Gibbs’s group, as well as the obscene Osama ad his group ran. The White House was forced to respond to the charge after the Daily Caller and others picked up the story, saying Gibbs’s group did have to disclose the funds because it was a 527 forced to do so under the tax code. Others on the right bring up Obama’s own funding in 2008. The Wire calls this what it is, a can of worms, which I believe was stupid to open.
I’d just like to mention that Obama’s team has always been hypocritical. Like the notion Obama would usher in a “different kind of politics.” Having been deep in the trenches during 2008 all I can say is that team Obama operated in the old Lee Atwater style of dirty politics as well as anyone. Calling others out while navigating the same way is how they have always operated. It’s just no one cared before.
The other problem is that the Democratic Party has a lot of corporate Dems that the Chamber of Commerce is happy to support, which won’t come as a surprise to any of you. From ABC’s “Ten Democrats Getting Chamber of Commerce’s Help, and Happy to Have It”:
In some corners of Democratic politics the uproar coming from senior party officials about how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is paying for its massive 2010 election advertising campaign is falling on deaf ears.
That’s because the Chamber, which has already spent millions on ads boosting Republican Congressional candidates across the country, has also thrown its support behind 10 business-friendly Democrats. In districts from Utah to Virginia, the Chamber has gone on the air with television ads for these candidates and they don’t seem to be complaining.
If you’re going to make a charge like what Obama and the Dems did against the Chamber of Commerce you better make sure it doesn’t blow back on you. Instead of being a closing argument it’s turned into a walk in the weeds.
That caterwauling you hear is Karl Rove laughing his ass off. He doesn’t care that his ads have been found to be “barely true” and “seriously misleading.” Truth has nothing to do with it, never has with Karl Rove.
Rove probably couldn’t be happier if he’d managed to infiltrate the Dems’ campaign operations.
The chaos you’ve been talking about for quite some time now just keeps on growing.
It’s an election for the books, Joyce.
Yep, and I’ll bet a lot of books will be written about it. Probably out in time for holiday shopping.
Obama and his insiders are in way over their heads. It’s the old “Peter Principle”,they have been elevated to a level where they are incompetent to be in charge. All the insider books that are starting to perculate out now from Woodard’s, Obama’s Wars”, to Michael Hirsh’s, “Capitol Offense”, show him to be indecisive.His advisors present him with a set of alternatives and he hems and haws for months.
Like Taylor has said many times,when you have no core ideology, you have nothing to inform your decision making.
Experience helps to avoid getting in over your head.
Hi all,Lov ya Taylor!I’ve Looked forward to reading you daily since the 2008 primary.Watching the O’Donnell Coons debate on CNN,wow she’s a total Republican tool….
Taylor posted:
***I’d just like to mention that Obama’s team has always been hypocritical. Like the notion Obama would usher in a “different kind of politics.” Having been deep in the trenches during 2008 all I can say is that team Obama operated in the old Lee Atwater style of dirty politics as well as anyone. Calling others out while navigating the same way is how they have always operated. It’s just no one cared before.
The other problem is that the Democratic Party has a lot of corporate Dems that the Chamber of Commerce is happy to support, which won’t come as a surprise to any of you.***
Well said Taylor!!! Corporate Dems runneth amok, including the head honcho, Obama. The DC Dems wouldn’t have to bitch or expose the RWers if they had just passed the DISCLOSE Act as Obama promised in his SOTU address last January. *sigh*
I early voted, today. I said I was not going to vote, but I have never not voted. So I held my nose and voted for the Democrats running in my district. Indiana is returning to a RED RWer state having gone purple in 2008. For Senator, I had to vote for the Blue Dog, Brad Ellsworth for Senate over the GOP’s DC Lobbyist Dan Coates. And for my Congressman, I voted for Baron Hill over the GOP’s nasty Todd Young.
The Democratic party in Indiana really is non-functioning as my state Rep, Democrat Peggy Welch is nothing more than a DINO. She has voted for ALL of Mitch Daniel’s horrible budget policies and she is a Christian RWer to boot, having introduced legislation into the State House chamber to bring back public prayer. Egads. Our schools are closing thanks to her voting. Many teachers out of jobs, so in this case, I voted for her challenger, Steve Hogan. He might be a Republican but at least he is not hiding behind our party! Sick of these DINOs.
I am so angry I could shout!
Obama is going to “fast appeal” the Federal judge’s ruling to end DADT and kicking service members out for being gay? WTF?
Again he is a liar, so is Robert Gates, SECDEF:
***Allowing gays to serve openly “is an action that requires careful preparation and a lot of training,” Gates said. “It has enormous consequences for our troops.”
I agreed with this mentality OVER a year ago. It doesn’t take this long to make change and I speak as a veteran of the Navy. Come on! Gates should have never been kept on as SECDEF, Obama and him are stonewalling this repeal of DADT from ever coming into effect.
What consequences to our troops? Are they telling us our military is now full of bigots thanks to Bush? God knows Bush fast tracked all the Christian RWer officers to brass. Perhaps, Obama has done the same. Grrrr!!!
Gates and Obama also say this is a question for Congress. HELLO!!! This January, it will be a Republican majority who will certainly stop this repeal.
I want Obama and Biden, impeached and removed. Lying bastards!!!
For this administration especially the President to give attention to Karl Rove is wrong in so many ways. It elevates Karl Rove and people will give more money !! Ronc99, I have been ticked off at this administration for awhile including a good number of democrats.
Ron,
Where did you here the hear the Obama administration is going to appeal the judges ruling on DADT????/
Tony, I have two links:
1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/13/AR2010101306588.html
2) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gays_in_military
Again, I hate Obama!!!