Ed. Note: To be read with apologies to The Screwtape Letters.
Here are your talking points (TPs) for the coming one to two weeks.
TP 1 — First, let’s be sure to beat the drum that Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty was wrong, that he is is a dangerous homophobe and white supremacist. The only reason that A&E has agreed to return him to the show is so that some meaningful dialogue will take place which ensures that everyone understands this. A&E’s statement is clear on this point:
“After discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson Family. We will also use this moment to launch a national public service campaign promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people.”
And here is a later report which should help you to reinforce the idea that A&E did not really cave in but rather, Phil and his kin have been forced to recognize the error of their ways and are willing to make the same compromises of their principles that Chik-fil-A and major corporations have :
A&E TO LGBT GROUP: ‘DUCK DYNASTY’ FAMILY ‘OPEN’ TO DIALOGUE WITH GAYS, BLACKS
TP 2 — The NY Times is showing us the way to restore Our Dear Leader’s credibility. Read and insure that you can properly make subtle references to the Republicans, Fox News, and any conservative voices regarding their attempts to mislead the American people. Bumper stickers will soon be available from the Obama administration website which should effectively destroy the credibility of those entities: “It was the video, stupid!” Assign reporters to work as blog trolls to continually write Issa and Limbaugh to “get off Barack’s and Hillary’s back'”!
Reference this article at the NY Times
Do not reference this article, this article or especially this article .
TP 3 — Obama’s agenda must not be derailed by talk of grounds for his impeachment. Everyone knows that the Tea Party and talk radio can be blamed for such wild and crazy ideas. Everyone also knows that the Republican Party is strangely confident that if they go along with us Democrats in 2014, they’ll win everything in sight in November. Please, do everything you can to further this notion. This is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal…that and Karl Rove, Reince Priebus and that whole Establishment GOP/Chamber of Commerce complex.
Backgrounder: DNC sends email defending Obama from impeachment possibility
The email, subject line “Impeachment,” was sent to Obama for America supporters, imploring them to contribute to the DNC’s 2014 efforts. “What do these people all have in common?,” the email asked, featuring quotes from Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Rep. Kerry Bentivolio of Michigan, and Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas discussing the possibility of impeaching Obama for one of his numerous instances of presidential misconduct.
TP 4 — Now, this one is important. While the L A Times story reports on the UPS problems, you should also note the Target debacle with the hacked credit cards. The opportunity here is obvious. Look at the problems so-called free enterprises have. The Republicans claim that private business is so good and the president’s people made a hash of Obamacare implementation. Hit this one hard in the next several weeks!
Backgrounder: Will UPS Christmas botch make Obamacare critics shut up? …and let’s not forget Target’s problems
In a just world, all the people who have piled on to the federal government for blowing the launch of healthcare.gov would take a look at the UPS Christmas Day screwup and swallow hard. But it´s not a just world, so the lesson of how the nation´s leading parcel delivery service got blindsided by an excess of Internet traffic surely will be ignored. Alec MacGillis of The New Republic reminds us of all the finger-wagging by private sector triumphalists to the effect that, unlike the government´s health insurance enrollment system, commercial websites and services wouldn´t have been brought down by a….
Never mind the billions spent, the cronyism employed, the years available to develope the sign-up system And absolutely do not mention that UPS caught up the next business day!
TP 5 — Last talking point — Praise be, Pope Francis has done it again. We aren’t saying the Pope shares our entire world view but he is a useful idiot prelate. Happily for us, he makes statements which are at worst ambiguous enough to use as effective talking points in selling big government progressivism. This latest one is precious, coming just in time to be fully exploited in the effort to pass an amnesty … er, “comprehensive immigration bill.” Good Catholics like Paul Ryan can use it to pressure GOP House members and Nancy can use it to reinforce what a devout Catholic she is. We should all give thanks for Pope Francis…the best friend we can have. He gives us juicy things to quote and we can kill the rest of the story as we wish.
Backgrounder: Pope Highlights Drama of Migrants And Refugees
Pope Francis highlighted the plight of refugees and migrants in his traditional Angelus prayer, as Catholics celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family on the first Sunday after Christmas.
Using the Holy Family as a comparison, Francis told faithful gathered on the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square that upon fleeing Egypt, Joseph, Mary and Jesus “experienced the dramatic condition of refugees, marked by fear, uncertainty and difficulties”.
Today “millions of families face this same sad reality,” said the pontiff, adding that refugees and migrants do not always “find a true welcome, respect, and appreciation for the value that they bring”.
He also expressed regret at the way the world treats its elderly people, saying older generations were sometimes like “hidden exiles” treated “like burdens”.
Francis, a more moderate pontiff than his predecessor Benedict XVI, has appeared keen for the Church to forge a better relationship with the modern family.
He has called an extraordinary Synod of Bishops in October next year to address among other issues the problem of divorcees remarrying.
A few simple words go a long way in ensuring a happy family, the pope told the crowd: “May I?, thank you and sorry”, which he made followers in the Square repeat.
The Feast of the Holy Family is celebrated the last Sunday of December.
DLH
