| Maybe this is some kind of weird rightwing judo. (Michigan Democrat Mark) Schauer and his wife, Christine, are used to illustrate a section suggesting Republicans "personalize the impact" of the legislation by claiming it will effect specific small business owners. In his research, ""The most popular images of small business owners both projected optimism with signs saying 'grand opening' or 'open.'" The image above, which appears on page 14 of the memo, appears to be taken from Scheuer's campaign website, which celebrated the opening of his wife's store in a July, 2008 posting headed, "Mark Schauer: Small Business Owner." The Battle Creek, Mich. shop, according to the item, is a kind of upscale consignment store.
So, Frank Luntz wants to use Mark Schauer as a small businessman to defeat reforms that Mark Schauer the Congressman supports, and -- unless I'm somehow missing something rather significant -- ultimately to use this to inflame the anger of people over the bank bailouts to defeat Mark Schauer, who voted against supporting the bailout. While we're on the topic, since we now have Frank Luntz's memo on how to kill Wall Street reforms, shouldn't we expect that when some Republican Congressperson takes a page out of it that journalists and reporters covering the story point out that the Republican in question isn't actually saying something that he or she thought up on their own? |
