Pelosi calls on Democrats to 'own' August message

The Hill ^ | 7/13/2006 | Editorial

[bruinbirdman]

For the second time in two days, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has encouraged her colleagues to do more to help win the House in November, this time asking them to hold events over the August recess to trumpet their "New Direction for America" platform.

"Democrats have a strong and unified national message. As part of our national strategy, Democrats must own the message during August," she wrote Wednesday to all House Democrats.

She asked her colleagues to hold press conferences or town-hall meetings Saturday, Aug. 5, in particular.

Although she did not say such participation was compulsory, she was unmistakably direct.

"If that date is not possible because of family obligations, please schedule an alternative date in August for your local New Direction event," she wrote and instructed members to inform her office of their event dates by July 21.

The six-pronged "New Direction" agenda proposes providing affordable healthcare, lowering gas prices, raising the minimum wage, lowering the cost of college, preventing Social Security privatization and restoring fiscal responsibility.

The missive comes close on the heels of a letter Tuesday informing members that attendance at the next three weekly House Democratic caucus meetings would be mandatory. That directive swelled attendance at Wednesday's meeting to 152, or nearly 75 percent of the caucus, burying the previous attendance record of 102.

Both letters are part of House Democratic leaders' effort to combat apathy among the rank and file, the result, some say, of 12 years in the doldrums, lacking the power and privileges of the majority party.

[Pikachu_Dad]

Did she remind them to wear white underwear to make it easier and quicker to surrender?

[goldstategop]

Like they're unified in Connecticut and they're still trying to figure out what the "New Directions" represent. ROFL!

(The Palestinian terrorist regime is the crisis and Israel's fist is the answer.)

[MNJohnnie]

The Democrat Party. For people who prefer slogans to solutions.

[CBart95]

Utterly preposterous.

The less we say the better. They have really done themselves in...all hatred...no agenda...no platform...one embarrassment after another...a sure impression that no matter how badly our GOP manages things,they will do it even worse.

[iowamark]

Attendance at House Democratic caucus meetings will be mandatory or "heads will roll".

[Question Liberal Authority]

The six-pronged "New Direction" agenda

If your plan has six prongs, it's not a "new direction". It's "scattering like roaches when the light is turned on".

[Question Liberal Authority]

attendance at the next three weekly House Democratic caucus meetings would be mandatory. That directive swelled attendance at Wednesday's meeting to 152, or nearly 75 percent of the caucus

Your mandatory meeting of your own caucus attracts 75 percent attendance, and you think you can execute an effective War On Terror?

[aynrandfreak]

August is when everyone goes on vacation. In 04, the big story was the Swift Boat Vets, in '05 it was Cindy Sheehan (before Katrina). They are planning "August suprises" to try to control the summer news cycles. I wonder if the GOP has anything planned?