As Right Jabs Continue, White House Debates a Counterpunching Strategy

The Washington Post ^ | September 16, 2009 | Anne Kornblut

[Senator Goldwater]

Facing a near-daily barrage of attacks from conservative opponents, White House officials are engaged in an internal debate over how hard to hit back, even as they have grown increasingly aggressive in countering allegations they deem to be absurd.

After brushing aside criticism during the presidential campaign that they tried to keep candidate Barack Obama too far above the fray -- and with memories of the abundance of media coverage during the Clinton years -- administration officials are accelerating their efforts to anticipate and respond to the most sharp-edged charges.

The White House officials are eager to avoid the perception that the president is directly engaging critics who appear to speak only for a vocal minority, and part of their strategy involves pushing material to liberal and progressive media outlets to steer the coverage in their direction, senior advisers said.

When critics lashed out at President Obama for scheduling a speech to public school students this month, accusing him of wanting to indoctrinate children to his politics, his advisers quickly scrubbed his planned comments for potentially problematic wording. They then reached out to progressive Web sites such as the Huffington Post, liberal bloggers and Democratic pundits to make their case to a friendly audience.

The controversy escalated, but by the time it was over, White House advisers thought they had emerged with the upper hand. The speech, they said, was the most-viewed live video on any government Web site in history, and they were pleased with the media coverage of the event.

[Senator Goldwater]

Obama has developed a familiar response to new allegations, rolling his eyes in disbelief

He's getting more than eyes rolled.

[sbMKE]

Back into Obama’s decision making loop - this guy and his administration aren’t very quick on their feet are they?

Must be all the hard work in keeping their stories straight.

[snowrip]

Obama publicly rejected the charge that he is maintaining an "enemies list," raising the issue to dismiss it at a town hall meeting.

Uh, except for the Facebook data mining... and the millions of email addresses the White House was caught with... Oh, and the WH request for its followers to turn in its political enemies.

[LeonardFMason]

Blame RACISM. It’s the latest craze! Everyone’s doing it!

[Bernard Marx]

I had to mash the link to prove to myself this wasn’t satire. Talk about the WaPo being in the tank! Suppression and demonization of dissent has now reached the surreal level.

[Paladin2]

"but the broader war is about the fate of this presidency"

Uh, no, it's NOT about him. It's about the country and also targets 'rats Pelosi and Reid, et. al.

[God luvs America]

this strategy worked out well for them in August- remember the commie axelrod telling the rat wingers before the august break to “hit back twice as hard”???

bring it rat-wingers....bring it....

[American Constitutionalist]

" Back into Obama’s decision making loop - this guy and his administration aren’t very quick on their feet are they?

" Must be all the hard work in keeping their stories straight."

[xeno]

[American Constitutionalist]

" Blame RACISM. It’s the latest craze! Everyone’s doing it! "

Glenn Beck was just talking about yelling racism.
Yelling " RACISM " now is tantamount to as yelling " FIRE " in a crowed theater " ...

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

The White House officials are eager to avoid the perception that the president is directly engaging critics who appear to speak only for a vocal minority, and part of their strategy involves pushing material to liberal and progressive media outlets to steer the coverage in their direction, senior advisers said.

Through their willful blindness, they are setting themselves up for an epic failure.

And also note the Sarah Palin references in the article. They admit that she has done bigtime damage to oBama's plans.

[browardchad]

When critics lashed out at President Obama for scheduling a speech to public school students this month, accusing him of wanting to indoctrinate children to his politics, his advisers quickly scrubbed his planned comments for potentially problematic wording.

There's that word again.

[Senator Goldwater]

And also note the Sarah Palin references in the article. They admit that she has done bigtime damage to oBama's plans.

Yeah, that's how I took it. She's all up in their grille.

When the history of this debacle is written, it'll be Sarah who gave it the tipping point.

[Lazamataz]

[schu]

The main problem with Bam are the lies. He misrepresented who he is and what he stands for, Americans do not like to be lied to. HealthCare is a great example, he makes a speech that has no relation to what is in the bills and wonders why people dismiss his statements as absurd.

He is in big trouble, he better be careful as he is sliding into irrelevancy. Pretty soon most people will just tune him out because it is the same old blather.

Maybe he just does not see it. Hard to believe.

schu

[MrB]

The charge of racism must now be met with dismissive ridicule.

Call the race card player a “racer” and continue with your line of reasoning.

[Kickass Conservative]

Could you imagine if Obamaturf had to deal with the hateful Main Stream Media that President Bush did? He would be in the corner crying.

Poor little Bambi must have been the last one picked in Gym Class like his soul mate Van Jones.

[American Constitutionalist]

Glen Beck said, that if they yell " RACISM " ,,, ask them where is the evidence ?
We need to say back to them, PROVE IT, other wise, shut up !!

[kcvl]

Meet White House stenographer, Anne Kornblut, of the Washington Post.

Kornblut was raised in McLean, Virginia, the daughter of Jane Kornblut and the late Arthur T. Kornblut, a lawyer with a practice in Washington, D.C. Her sister Emily is a human rights educator.