Chairman Smith, Tear Down That YouTube: Corker Calls For The TNGOP To Swallow Their “Pride”
Posted on May 19, 2008 at 5:50 pmIn the last few minutes, I received a stronger version of a statement released by Senator Bob Corker’s office in reaction to the Tennessee Republican Party’s efforts in welcoming Michelle Obama to Nashville. In the updated version, Todd Womack conveys that a request has been made by Corker’s office to take down the YouTube:
“After the Republican National Committee damaged our campaign with their infamous ‘Call Me’ ad - which we immediately denounced - we have strongly encouraged the national party and state parties to absolutely refrain from getting involved in negative personal campaigning, and we have asked the state party to remove their You Tube ad from their Web site. Republicans will be in much better shape if we spend our time focused on issues like reducing federal spending, lowering the cost of health care and creating a coherent energy policy.”
Senator Lamar Alexander has also rebuked TNGOP for their guerrilla video tactics.
The YouTube video in question, entitled “Proud”, features snippets of former Republican legislative candidates, GOP General Assembly staffers and gun show proprietors talking about why they are proud of America interspersed with clips from a Michelle Obama speech in which she declared that “for the first time” she was proud of this country based on its embrace of her husband’s candidacy.
As of this posting, the video still appears on the TNGOP’s YouTube channel.
SEE ALSO: Bill Hobbs, communications director for the TNGOP, cites the liberal media to back his claim that candidate spouses are fair game.
Comments
43 Responses to “Chairman Smith, Tear Down That YouTube: Corker Calls For The TNGOP To Swallow Their “Pride””
[…] II: The Corker statement has been updated with a request for the removal of the […]
Corker/Obama the crybaby ticket!
So I guess Hobbs is calling Corker an “Arrogant, insufferable elitist.”?
On his “personal” blog, Mr. Hobbs replies to critics of the Tennessee Republican Party. To me, that makes his “personal” blog an official mouthpiece of the Tennessee Republican Party.
On another note, Corker and Alexander are pathetic. Everyone knows that they endorse these smear tactics. Publicly, they beat their breast and wail. Privately, they wink and nod, thinking these tactics will get them votes.
After all, what are the Republicans going to run on: skyrocketing gas prices? Run-away federal debt? The quagmire in Iraq?
These aren’t smear tactics, Ms Obama opened her mouth and anyone has a right to comment/question her.
The Democrats have had control of congress for awhile now, why is there still a debt, why are their skyrocketing gas prices, why aren’t we out of Iraq?
Mrs. Obama isn’t just another spouse, she is in the position to be a Symbol of the US, the First Lady, and appointed position [check the history books], her actions SHOULD be looked at closely, just like Bill Clinton’s and his antics. [yes I typed antics]
Hey Senators, wake up! You guys are in the minority now because Webb played youtube like a drum.
If Obama sends his wife out as his surrogate, she’s fair game. Are you willing to give her a pass on anything she says now for the rest of the election? I guarantee you Cindy McCain won’t be getting any freebies. Do you see John saying, ‘leave my wife’ alone about her taxes?
If you can’t get a clue, go buy one.
Corker is not someone who has spent his entire adult life in Washington DC. He only sounds like it.
Wow, another out of state GOP org I want to send $$ to. (I’m in NY and there’s no point here.) First NC, now TN.
These Republicans who don’t want any negative campaigning ought to LEAVE politics. They likely also believe in fighting our foreign enemies with laws and courts, just like the Dems.
And the national GOP wonders why it’s in shambles and can’t get our money???
I didn’t vote for Republican TN Senators because I was hoping for someone to hide and speak mildly about our opponents. Granted, by now I should expect nothing more than mild and nearly invisible Republicans as Senator, maybe that’s why I and others aren’t going to vote in November.
Get up off the floor and fight like the outcome is important.
They can take it down but it ain’t going away. Welcome to the internet, Senator.
if we spend our time focused on issues like reducing federal spending, lowering the cost of health care and creating a coherent energy policy.”
Yeah, well, we know that isn’t going to happen with any of the top candidates.
I don’t care what she says, but can’t she do it on radio? She’s butt ugly.
The Tennessee GOP has started its Fall campaign on Obama by attacking his wife Michelle for her “proud of America” remarks. They must figure that it’s easier to attack a candidate’s spouse rather than go for the main contender. It’s discourteous and one that is reminiscent of the 1828 attacks against Andy Jackson’s wife Rachel. The Republicans were soundly defeated in that campaign, partly due to Jackson’s immense popularity and the distasteful attacks against his wife.
It remains to be seen if history will repeat itself, but throughout the nomination process, trying to beat Obama with personal attacks instead of policy arguments has all but failed. GOP Tennesseans may feel they were being patriotic in singling out Michelle Obama for their initial attack ads, but this will only increase Obama’s popularity and make Tennessean Republicans look paltry.
If McCain has any spine, he will condemn these spurious attacks and call to make political spousal abuse off limits for both parties. Politics is an ugly business, but drive-by slurs only makes the perpetrators look even uglier in the eyes of voting citizens.
By “attacks,” Stushie, do you mean, “displaying video of what Mrs. Obama said to a large crowd while on the campaign trail for her husband” ? How again is that not fair game for criticism? Grow up. If the Obamas don’t want Michelle Obama’s comments to be criticized, she should stop staying such stupid things. Nobody’s forcing her out onto the campaign trail. We’re treating her like an adult and an equal and the Ivy League educated woman that she is; she’s as accountable for what she says as any other public figure and if she doesn’t like it she should stay home and take the kids to their $10k a year piano and ballet lessons.
Are the slimeball tactics you approve of in line with, ummm, “pursuing holiness” Laura? Sure they are, if you are a sanctimonious hypocrite.
Slimeball tactics = accurately showing what the woman actually said. If they were dowdified, if they were a lie, I would be out in front criticizing the video. As it is, the video is a truthful and tasteful response. You’re the sanctimonious hypocrites for pretending that it’s an unfair “attack.”
Three simple words for all of you thinking this is ok:
Not.This.Time.
Why not? I’m not being snarky, that’s a serious question. Is Michelle Obama a public figure, or not? I think hitting the campaign trail and making speeches to large crowds that she knows are being recorded by the media and others qualifies her as a public figure. Unlike, say, the Obama children, who just happen to be related to the candidate but have no part whatsoever in the campaign.
So why is it not okay to criticize someone on the merits (i.e. not things like her appearance, accent, etc.) who is actively seeking the spotlight and fighting for her cause? Is it not okay to criticize Bill Clinton or McCain’s wife for what they’ve said and done on the campaign trail?
Root of all evil lies in the love of Republican US Senators for the approval of the MSM.
Newt Gingrich with the Contract with America swept the GOP to majorities in the House and US Senate. He keep his promise of bringing all 10 Contract items to a House vote in the first 100 days. I believe all but Term Limits passed. That was May of 1995. By August it was clear that the Republican controlled US Senate was not going to pass the Contract. From that point, the public approval of Republicans declined.
Good ideas go to the GOP US Senate to die, while bad ideas, bad politics and bloody inertia thrive. Corker’s already been assimilated by the GOP US Senatitis.
I do not know, what we can do about this.
I agree that what she says on the campaign trail is fair game.. but it is NOT fair game to distort what she actually said… the video skips over the part where she says that for the first time in her adult life she is REALLY proud of America. That tells me that she’s proud of America.. but now she is Really Really proud of America. A video that distorts the actual words is smear…..
[…] says Bob Corker’s folks are not kidding around in their irritation with Bill Hobb’s latest project as the TNGOP’s state communications […]
[…] I’m not sure. You see, if the Tennessee GOP disapproved, then they’d get rid of him. Yeah, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker have issued statements condemning his latest drive-by but it hasn’t changed […]
I don’t think it’s wise of the GOP to aggressively go after Mrs. Obama. While not much has yet been made of Sen. McCain and his admitted womanizing and wives, even less has been made of his current wife’s past drug addiction and, more to the point, her looting of the charitable organization she ran to feed her addiction. Messy stuff. Do we really want to open the door to go there?
[…] Senators Corker and Alexander have already rebuked the state party for this video. Will this new revelation about Bob Pope lead those on the […]
Show Me, that’s your interpretation. But that’s not how I or many others took it, especially in light of her pattern of saying things like this. (American is “downright mean,” her ongoing litany of complaints about her student loans, how hard it is to live and get by in this country, etc.)
Oh, and by the way, Show Me, she said it *twice* and it was written; a prepared speech:
‘In the first speech she said, “For the first time I am really proud of my country.” And, in the second speech she said, “For the first time I am proud of my country.”‘
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/02/oops-she-did-it-again-michelle-obamas.html
Ah, it’s the old good cop, bad cop routine again between the TNGOP and its more mainstream elected officials.
[…] both of Tennessee’s Republican Senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, rebuked their state’s GOP for producing and posting a YouTube ad mocking Michelle Obama, wife of the likely Democratic […]
[…] contacted Senator Corker’s office this morning and was told that they would be saying “nothing new” on the subject. TNGOP’s spokesman Bill Hobbs also had no comment on the […]
[…] defense of the actions of the TNGOP continues: After all, the Obama campaign did not find it detestable to criticize […]
[…] rebuke from Senator Bob Corker and words of displeasure from Senator Lamar Alexander, TNGOP Communications Director Bill Hobbs […]
[…] this be a bit of veiled payback, a covert GOP civil war of words, for calling out the TNGOP on the Michelle Obama […]
[…] is a Republican conservative firebrand. The same division that you see play itself out between the TNGOP and our more moderate U.S. Senators is the same dynamic at work […]
[…] remarks earlier this year, John McCain seems to undermine attacks, such as our own Tennessee GOP’s, on Michelle Obama for her comment that for “the first time in her adult life” she was […]
[…] Tennessee GOP is back in the viral video business. In their follow-up to the that Corker-pleaser “Proud”, the TNGOP dispenses with the sensational and goes […]
[…] a video somewhat different from their welcome of Michelle Obama, the TNGOP shows that Cindy McCain is so proud of America she need to travel halfway around the […]
[…] Smith’s position on the board had come under fire recently due to her actions as party chair. Under her watch, at least two communications were released out of her shop at the TNGOP which made national news for their incendiary nature. […]
[…] Smith’s position on the board had come under fire recently due to her actions as party chair. Under her watch, at least two communications were released out of her shop at the TNGOP which made national news for their incendiary nature. […]
[…] The Republican Party of Washington State welcomes Michelle Obama to their state in an almost identical fashion to our State Republican Party. […]
[…] famous quote, “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country,” was roundly denounced by Democrats and Republicans in the state and made national news when Barack Obama denounced the […]
[…] communications shop at the TNGOP, most famous for its inflammatory attacks on Barack Obama, comes to the table today with a new variation on an old school GOP […]