Saturday, March 18, 2006
Is this the long awaited plan????
In almost every issue in the Reid memo, Democratic lawmakers are called upon to criticize the president for not spending enough federal dollars.
The plan urges the lawmakers to:
• "Hold a town hall meeting with state officials and a local National Guard unit at their armory to discuss the security impact of long deployments. ... Ask National Guard members to offer input on how security and disaster response at home is compromised by long deployments."
• "Hold a town hall meeting with troops at a local military installation. ... When selecting a location at the military installation for the event, make sure to select a space that allows easy press access and clearly conveys the message in the shot. Planes, vehicles, equipment and signage in the background enhance the pictures coming out of your event."
• "Work with [veterans] organizations ... to find recently returned Iraq and Afghanistan veterans willing to discuss the mental effects they or their fellow veterans have experienced."
• "Tour a factory in your state that manufactures military equipment like Humvees or body armor and hold a press availability afterwards with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans on the importance of protective equipment."
• "Visit the home of a military family that has purchased body armor on their own for a family member serving in Iraq or Afghanistan and hold an open press 'conversion' on the issue. ... Ask the family if they would be willing to hold the open press conversation/town hall meeting in their yard, on their front porch or in their home."
For the most part this is just typical of the way Democrats think the military should be used. Always a prop for their crass political opportunism and in violation of military regulations to boot. But the kicker is the note to make sure to stress that not enough Federal dollars are being spent. Out of control Republican spending was the one thing the Democrats had going for them. How the hell did Rove convince the donkeys that this was a good idea?
**UPDATE** 3/20 Reid document via Drudge.
