by Rebecca Cole
Inside the Beltway this weekend, while Congress grappled with partisan politics in the reconciliation of House and Senate versions of President Barack Obama's stimulus package, thousands of his "Organizing for America" team met in much friendlier surroundings.
More than 3,587 "house meetings" were held in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Democratic National Committee's "economic recovery hotline" received 5,265 stories and videos in the last 24 hours alone, according to Politico, who first reported the results.
On Friday, Obama released a video urging his 13-million strong e-mail subscribers to come together to discuss how the economic crisis is affecting them and to share the results with the administration.
DNC chairman and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine also released a video with talking points about the stimulus plan and ideas to facilitate discussion.
"It's not enough for an economic recovery plan just to be debated in the halls of Congress," Kaine says in the video. "It has to be understood by Americans how this plan will directly benefit them and their community. It's up to each of us to make sure that our friends and neighbors know that help is on the way and to share the basic facts about this plan."
The house meetings don't appear to merely be a one-weekend event. A quick search of Obama's Organizing for America's Web-site shows that meetings to discuss the stimulus are slated to continue around the country. In Aurora, Colo., a meeting at the local Starbucks over the weekend served as a kickoff for two additional meetings to be held the next two Saturday evenings in February.
In Elkhart, Ind., where Obama today touted his economic stimulus plan and answered questions on everything from job losses to health care and renewable energy, four meetings are scheduled between now and Saturday.
And in Fort Myers, Fla., where Obama plans to travel Tuesday, five meetings are slated for the upcoming week -- some already listed at "maximum capacity."
With Obama's approval rating remaining strong -- 67 percent of Americans agree with the way he is shepherding passage of the stimulus package, according to a Gallup poll released today -- reaching out to his base to urge them into grassroots' action may be a smart end-run around the partisan bickering on Capital Hill.
Congress is faring far worse, with Democrats receiving much lower marks at 48 percent and Republicans even lower, 31 percent, for their handling of the legislation.
Comments
Now the Dems need to put back in some of the more hideous cuts the Repubs made and strip some of the useless tax cuts out while allowing some to stand in the name of bipartisanship. Then ram it through (in the most diplomatic way possible, of course) over the howl of the Repub obstructionists and get on with it.
An aside: I have to wonder how the corporate media feels right about now. Seriously, it must be like debate night over and over again for them when the instant polls kept telling them they were getting it wrong by parroting the Repubs "message". Most of them looked completely bewildered as if the public had viciously and without provocation turned on them. If I were them I'd do a bit of soul searching and consider giving the Repubs the relevancy they deserve in the face of public opinion - namely, very little.
Having the Greedy Oil Party run idiots like Steele out front and center has helped the cause of keeping the Repubs down for the count in public opinion. It does seem like the more air time they get, the worse things get for them. Now that in itself is change I can believe in.
Posted by: Hulk Smash! | February 9, 2009 2:41 PM
If this isn't an example of Axelrod's "'astroturfing" strategy, I don't know what is.
Interesting that Obama sent out to his email database invitations to send in economic stories and wa-la, Obama's economic hotline recieves 5,000 entries in the last 24 hours.
Does anyone else feel like you are being manipulated and lied to?
Posted by: Pedro | February 9, 2009 3:27 PM
The headline reads that "Jobs, stimulus spur living room debate."
Excuse me for asking, but doesn't a debate require 2 (TWO) sides?
Since this effort is a DNC sponsored event featuring DNC Chair Tim Kaine, where's the "debate"? Where's the other side?
At that, the difference between DNC events, and the Swamp, is one of name, not substance. Both are Dem Party organs--the one officially, the other by choice.
Posted by: Inconvenient Truths | February 9, 2009 3:35 PM
Yes, I agree with you pedro.....oh crap, I was having a flashback to last year. Sorry for the confusion. Tin Foil Hats....don't leave home without them.
Posted by: Xcellentform | February 9, 2009 3:45 PM
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Interesting that Obama sent out to his email database invitations to send in economic stories and wa-la, Obama's economic hotline recieves 5,000 entries in the last 24 hours.Does anyone else feel like you are being manipulated and lied to?
Posted by: Pedro | February 9, 2009 3:27 PM
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It seems the more the Obstructionist Republicans (that would be you, Bruce) are against the Stimulus and push for more tax cuts for the rich, the more it just exposes how clueless they (that would be you, Bruce) really are toward the average American.
What message does it send their constituency when their Republican Representative or Senator is promoting tax cuts for the very rich people who already have enough money, so much so that they don't need another tax cut, while the people on Main Street are losing their jobs, houses and health care?
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http://s367.photobucket.com/albums/oo113/amk123amk/?action=view¤t=7B81007604-16b5-4583-ad73-6a6fd8d1d.jpg
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Posted by: Juan Hernando | February 9, 2009 3:56 PM