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Donkey Watch
Too many words
BY DAVID S. BERNSTEIN

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2004, NEW YORK -- On the way into Wednesday's Democratic National Committee daily-rebuttal press conference, media members received a document headed "Democrats' One Word Response to Cheney: Halliburton." That's a great word for the Democrats -- for evidence, check out Dick Cheney's biography page on the official Republican convention Web site, where that one word is mysteriously absent. Unfortunately, there were many, many more words. Six pages of them in this "One Word Response" document. An hour of them at the podium. (They were down to seven on stage today, five with prepared remarks.)

Fortunately the folks making their ads are a little more succinct. A video they debuted showed video clips (tinged a spooky blue) of Cheney praising Halliburton, interspersed with stark-lettered questions about that relationship. Nice.

The speakers this morning could have been effective too, if they had kept it short and sweet. Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey claimed that Halliburton stock -- of which Cheney still holds options -- has risen from $8 a share pre-war to $29 today, first quarter 2004 revenues up 80 percent over the previous year. "The last four years have been a land of opportunity for his employer, Halliburton," Lautenberg said. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer reminded us that George W. Bush's first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvey Pitt, promised bankers that "You will see a kinder and gentler SEC." Congressman Robert Menendez, riffed on Arnold Schwarzenegger's dismissal last night of nay-saying "economic girlie-men." Telling people who are out of work, who are losing benefits, who have no health insurance, and who are otherwise struggling 'Don't be an economic girlie-man,' "Well, that's not really compassionate or good economic policy," Menendez said.

Good stuff, but lost in the endless verbiage. There's so much they want to complain about, the Democrats can't stay focused. This is yet one more disadvantage they have against the disciplined GOP leadership.

 


Issue Date: September 1, 2004
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