Communications

As President Obama brings his road show to Virginia later today, I wanted to draw your attention to a few headlines from across Virginia.  With his polling in the dumps not only in Virginia, but also across our nation, it is no surprise that Democrats are running scared when Barack Obama comes to town. 

Some Dems Won't Join Obama In Swing Through VA

Don't look for Democrats in fiercely contested Virginia legislative elections to join President Barack Obama as he brings his campaign-style American Jobs Act bus tour to three cities there.  For that matter, don't expect Tim Kaine, the former Democratic National Committee chairman and Virginia's governor two years ago, to join his old ally either. (Bob Lews, “Some Dems won't join Obama in swing through Va.,” Associated Press, 10/18/11)

Virginia Reveals Challenges Ahead For Obama

Ward Armstrong, the top Democrat in the House of Delegates, is one of several incumbents up for re-election in the state’s off-year elections three weeks ... more

SHOT:  Obama Approval Rating In Blue New Jersey At Record Low

A new Quinnipiac University poll released early Thursday shows that President Obama's approval rating in the reliably-blue state of New Jersey is at a record-low, and voters are split on reelecting Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., complicating Democrats' efforts to retain control of the chamber. (Steven Shepard, “Obama, Menendez Remain Vulnerable in N.J.,” National Journal, 10/13/11)

CHASER:  Hey, At Least You Aren’t Snooki, The Situation, And The Rest Of The Jersey Shore Crew

“Garden State voters agree overwhelmingly with Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to slam the door on ‘Snooki,' ‘The Situation’ and the rest of the ‘Jersey Shore’ crew,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.  Nearly 70 percent of voters think the show is bad for the state, while 71 percent agree with Christie’s decision to block the tax credit, the poll shows. (Jarrett Renshaw, “N.J. voters back veto of 'Jersey ... more

From Obama campaigning around his Jobs Bill to donors sitting on his Jobs Council, President Obama would like Americans to think they are about creating jobs for them but in reality it seems it’s all about saving his own. Even Gene Sperling is a little defensive when asked about the Campaigner-In-Chief using jobs as a political stunt.

Campaigning On The Jobs Bill…

Politico’s Glenn Thrush: “In a major rhetorical escalation, President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign manager is accusing Senate Republicans of trying to keep unemployment high to benefit the GOP’s political fortunes. Jim Messina, in an email blast to Obama supporters, urged Democrats to flood Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s phone line ahead of tonight’s procedural vote on the president’s $447 billion jobs bill. …Asked for comment, McConnell spokesman Don Stewart retorted: ‘Wait, I thought this wasn’t about politics. The White House even said so. And I believed them. I’m so naïve; I feel so used.’”

Campaigning By ... more

Memorandum

To:              Interested Parties
From:         Sean Spicer, RNC Communications Director
Date:          October 11, 2011
RE:             It’s the Democrats Who Stand in the Way of Stimulus 2.0

Friday’s jobs report is yet another reminder of how badly the President has failed to lead on the economy.  But instead of taking the chance to get serious about pro-growth policies, the President will travel to the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Florida this week to campaign for his re-election.

The President knows he can’t run on his own record—his record of high unemployment, record deficits, and unaccountability.   So instead he wants to blame someone else. 

He’s pointing fingers at Congressional Republicans, saying they are blocking his Stimulus 2.0.  But he’s ignoring the truth: Congressional Democrats are not on board with his “American Jobs Act.”  If he wants to blame Congress, he should blame his own party.

So, for the President’s benefit, here are a few facts ... more

In your standard Friday afternoon news dump, new revelations indicate that the Obama Administration, in particular former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, haven’t been entirely candid regarding their involvement with Solyndra.  The following should make for interesting conversation during Emanuel’s appearance on Meet The Press this Sunday.

Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel Said He Knew Nothing Of Solyndra

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff, told WLS earlier this month he also knew nothing about the loan to Solyndra”. (David Jackson, “Top Obama Aides Say They Knew Nothing Of Solyndra,” USA Today, 9/23/11)

Obama And Rahm Emanuel Pushed To Spotlight Energy Company

“White House staff discussed in emails that either President Obama or his former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel were eager to help spotlight a solar company in early 2009, despite numerous internal warnings that the company could be financially unstable, according to new ... more

Good afternoon, just minutes after Senator Harry Reid blocked a REPUBLICAN motion to vote on Obama’s jobs bill in the Senate, Team Obama blasted an email entitled “they won’t even vote on it,” showing yet again that Obama is more interested in scoring political points and campaigning for his job than he is in creating jobs for the rest of the country.

@SamYoungman: bad timing for an email from Messina reading "They won't even vote on it."

From: Jim Messina, BarackObama.com <info@barackobama.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 3:02 PM
Subject: They won't even vote on it

West Virginia Governor’s Race Not Looking Good…Because Of Obama…

Obama Drags Down Democrat In West Virginia Governor’s Race. From WaPo: “President Obama’s unpopularity is threatening Democrats’ hold on the governor’s mansion in West Virginia. Sources close to Tuesday’s special election for the remaining year on now-Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) term as governor say the race continues to move in favor of Republican nominee Bill Maloney, who appears to be winning over the many undecided voters in the state. The race is now looking more and more like a toss-up, though Democrats remain confident they will pull it out in the end. Regardless of where operatives come down on the final results, both agree that the reason for its narrowing is simple: Obama.” http://wapo.st/oBUcR2

Obama’s 2008 Besties Won’t Be By His Side In Missouri…

McCaskill Won't Be In Missouri For Obama Visit. From The Hill: “McCaskill, a fiscally conservative Democrat who took her seat from a Republican in 2006 by a ... more

Excerpts from the Washington Post:

 “A Silicon Valley investor and senior administration officials warned the White House to reconsider having President Obama visit a solar start-up company because of its mounting financial problems, saying he might be embarrassed later.

“A number of us are concerned that the president is visiting Solyndra,” California investor and Obama fundraiser Steve Westly wrote to Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett in May 2010. “Many of us believe the company’s cost structure will make it difficult for them to survive long term. ... I just want to help protect the president from anything that could result in negative or unfair press.” …

"Last year, there were others besides Westly who raised alarms about Obama visiting Solyndra, according to the e-mails released Monday.

“Officials at the Office of Management and Budget fretted, too.

“One OMB official wrote to a White House staffer: ‘I am increasingly worried that this visit could prove embarrassing to the ... more

Solyndra Could Be Obama’s Icarus Moment
Albuquerque Journal
Michael Coleman
September 25, 2011
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2011/09/25/politics/solyndra-could-be-obamas-icarus-moment.html#ixzz1Z415AjXr 

“Just when it appeared things couldn’t get much worse for President Obama, the Solyndra scandal reared its ugly head this month. 

“The California-based solar panel manufacturer filed for bankruptcy after pocketing a $528 million loan from the Department of Energy. Not only are taxpayers on the hook for the half-billion dollars, but it appears the Obama administration pressured the Office of Management and Budget to speed its loan review so Vice President Joe Biden could trumpet the company at a 2010 press event. 

“The White House clearly wanted to use Solyndra as a poster child for the clean-energy jobs the president promised as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package. Instead, it looks like Solyndra will become congressional Republicans’ poster child for wasteful government ... more

Today President Obama arrives in Ohio to champion his Stimulus 2.0.

The focus of an undoubtedly campaign-style speech will be Brent Spence Bridge, a "functionally obsolete" structure that he claims he can repair if only Congress will "pass this bill now."

But the President should really fact-check his speeches.

The truth is, there are already plans well under way to rebuild Brent Spence Bridge.  That's rebuild -- not repair.  There's even a whole website explaining the project.  Public hearings are set to begin in a few months, but bureaucratic and environmental hurdles mean that construction can't start until 2015.  In other words, this is no shovel-ready project.  It cannot begin for another four years.  The unemployed really can't wait till 2015 for their stimulus-funded jobs.

And if it were shovel-ready, why wasn't it a part of the first stimulus?  The bridge was already "obsolete" then.  Was it not worthy of any of the $825 billion of Stimulus 1?

So why does the President ... more