Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Warren responds to preposterous Rovery

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Let’s remember that this attack was classic Karl Rove: Take the alleged strength of your opponent, and turn it completely on its head. Doesn’t matter if there’s not a shred of truth to the attack whatsoever; in fact, it’s a bait for the media to start a “some say this/some say that” type conversation. Doubtless you’ll start to see this, particularly from the Herald.

Classic Swiftboating. And this response is pretty good. I like how she names names: It’s Karl. We know him, and we know what he does.

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  1. Kudos to Charlie for highlighting what I like best about this spot: Elizabeth Warren names names and names what Karl Rove, the GOP, and Wall Street do.

    • the wonk in me was like, but she didn’t address the point in the Rove ad that she had a GOOD role in the post-TARP crap – namely, accountability after the fact and getting our money back!

      Then I thought, getting into the weeds is only good if everyone is as interested in this race as I am…

      So, moral of the story is, I should not be a campaign media adviser. 😉

      • We couldn’t get all this in the response video, but here are some facts that help further debunk the Crossorads ad:

        1. Elizabeth was an outspoken critic of a no-strings attached bailout (TARP) for Wall Street.
        Elizabeth was asked to serve on the Congressional Oversight Panel and was charged with helping to hold the government and the banks accountable for how TARP money was distributed and spent. She consistently criticized the Bush administration (and later the Obama administration) for failing to hold the banks accountable and failing to put safeguards in place to ensure that the banks used the funds to loosen up the credit market—instead of on big bonuses for top executives.

        2. Rove’s ad has been widely criticized for being dishonest and inaccurate.
        The attack ad has been called “full of absurd distortions,” (Brian McGrory, The Boston Globe, 12/9/11); “one of the most disingenuous and inaccurate ads of the 2012 cycle,” (Ari Berman, The Nation, 12/8/11); that “twists Elizabeth Warren’s role as a Congressionally-appointed watchdog,” (ABC News)

        3. Elizabeth was named one of the “new sheriffs of Wall Street” by Time Magazine and was named Bostonian of the Year by the Boston Globe for bringing “a sense of sanity to the economic crisis.”
        “It seemed as if the banks and other firms got a $700 billion bonanza and the American taxpayer got the shaft. But along came this straight-shooting Harvard professor to oversee the bailout, someone who pledged to look out for the middle class and brought a sense of sanity to the economic crisis. For this we give her our top honors this year.” (The Boston Globe 12/20/09)

    • speaking to people they know. This might be the best way to get enough people knowing just how completely opposite to truth this charge is.

      One thing that is very good is that every account refers to this as something done by Karl Rove. The fact that he, at this point, is completely associated with lying and smearing helps – and the fact that Warren’s role is well documented and exactly what she says it is helps – if people get that out.

      Although not needed, here is a 2009 article that shows that Warren was fighting hard against the way TARP was done. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2458457&mesg_id=2458457

      The 2009 article is from ABC News, which did not have a liberal bias.

  2. I wish she had pointed out the changing rationale of Karl’s attacks – first, she was the godmother of Occupy, now she’s in Wall Street’s pocket, both can’t possibly be true! But in the mind of a Republican, many things are possible…

  3. Republicans are becoming masters of playing both sides.

    Eliabeth Warrren = an elitist hick, charming radical anti-Wall St., friend of the big banks. Whew.

    If Obama is CHANGE, the Republicans are opting to be CHANGLINGS, stubbornly trying to pass off an obvious imposter as Elizabeth Warren.

  4. These national people don’t understand Massachusetts very well. We’re a small state. We’re relatively smart. And messages travel relatively quickly and thoroughly here. We aren’t South Carolina.

    It’s not going to be hard to demonize Karl Rove (he’s as close to the Father of Lies as you get in politics) and tie him to the national Republicans. And he was Bush’s right-hand man.

  5. I think perhaps the term ‘fair shake’ is more relevant than we know, and if mainstream voters don’t feel it resonating, that candidate will be crushed come November, if not before.

  6. We are all missing the boat (perhaps the swift boat). The attack ads from Karl Rove are successful. They are forcing Elizabeth Warren to spend money defending herself, while Scott Brown is not spending a single nickel.

    Karl Rove is very smart, and he is playing a war of attrition against Elizabeth. Rove will force Warren to spend her funds on defense every month, while Brown continues to increase his cash. Rove is betting that Elizabeth’s supporters will eventually stop digging into their pockets every time he airs an attack ad. When that occurs, Scott Brown is the winner!

      • This ad is not on TV. We are relying on our grassroots supporters to send it out to friends and family and help spread the word.

    • by being the reasonable guy who is not locked in a dirty fight over Warren’s reputation.

      Or at least by playing one on TV.

      These ads may or may not work but they are not stupid.

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