Bluestem Prairie: news about Tim Walz (MN-1)

Agitated? Irritable? Hostile?: WaPo's Milbank on Election Anxiety Disorder

The passive construction "was discovered" doesn't let on about the blog where this connection was first posted, but whatever.

Agitated? Irritable? Hostile? Aggressive? Impulsive? Restless?, Dana Milbank's piece about the House's reaction to the connection between NRCC's "Change You Deserve" and Wyeth's Effexor, is pretty doggone funny.

A hoot, as we say on the prairies. The slideshow is highly entertaining, too.

Milbank writes about episodes triggered by the news:

House Republicans may be heading off a cliff in November, but give them credit for perseverance. Even after the new slogan they floated -- "The Change You Deserve" -- was discovered to be trademarked ad copy for the antidepressant drug Effexor, GOP leaders decided to go with the rollout anyway.

"The Republican agenda, 'The Change You Deserve,' is directed at America's families," Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tex.) announced at a televised news conference with House Republican leaders yesterday morning. "And you may be a little surprised at this agenda."

Why, yes, we are. And Democrats are manic over the medicinal mantra.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) called reporters into his office. "Democrats, not drugs, is what the American people need," he said. He flashed the Effexor side effects on a large flat-screen television. "Nausea, up to 58 percent," Hoyer said. "Actually it's higher than that for Republicans."

"Are depression symptoms keeping you from where you want to be?" Effexor's maker, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, asks in its promotions. "Not feeling as good as you used to?"

For House Republicans, the diagnosis is obvious: They are suffering from Election Anxiety Disorder. Tuesday night, they lost the third special election in a row to Democrats in heavily Republican congressional districts. Eighty-two percent of Americans say the country is on the wrong track, and they're largely holding President Bush and his party responsible. This week, panicked House Republicans defied Bush and voted with Democrats to pass a farm bill and to divert oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Reports are also coming in about other public outbursts in Minnesota, though the primary cause of that behavior is most likely found here. The DFL offered a second opinion  more in line with Milbank's diagnosis. The Post's columnist concludes:

But Election Anxiety Disorder is a serious ailment, and only about two dozen Republican members had the courage to show up for the rollout. Fortunately for the rest of the GOP caucus, the change they deserve is within reach: The recommended starting dosage of Effexor is 75 milligrams a day.

As we noted earlier, Democrats aren't the only ones to notice Election Anxiety Disorder in the NRCC. America's leading authority on stupid Michelle Malkin felt embarrassment, while Rush Limbaugh finally met a drug he'd never heard of.  Now that's breaking news.

 

The change they deserve: it's the NRCC's story and they're sticking to it

Yesterday's story about the drug-laced past of the NRCC's new slogan "The Change You Deserve" campaign spread virally across the nation.

But to judge from news accounts, the waves of laughter sweeping the country aren't going get the House Republicans down. Nope. According to CQ Politics' House GOP   New Motto: "Change You Deserve":

. . .Under that banner, House Republicans plan to offer a series of ideas for health care, the economy, energy and security.

GOP leaders developed the platform over the past year, using focus groups to test its appeal and, more recently, consulting with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to be sure it didn’t stray too far from McCain’s presidential proposals.

With both Democratic contenders for the presidency stressing messages of change, Boehner, R-Ohio, has challenged his members to help get the public to view the GOP as a vehicle for new ideas.

But Boehner spokesman Michael Steel admitted it is a work in progress. “It’s a goal that we can be viewed as agents of change,’’ he said.

We're curious that the committee wasn't aware of the trademark Wyeth holds on the slogan for its anti-depressant Effexor™, a drugs used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults. And does Rep. John Kline know that Steel is echoing the "change agent" theme his last opponent used in Minnesota's Second?

And we're surprised to learn that all those ads and jabs linking House Democrats in special elections to Obama and Pelosi were just expensive placekeepers, until the real, focus-group tested message was rolled out in May, months after the word "change" became the signature for Brand Obama.

And in Republican Slogan Borrowed From Antidepressant, Carl Hulse's post at the New York Times blog, The Crypt, a House Republican spokester said cross-marketing poses no problem. It's their story and they're sticking to it:

Republicans said they had no hesitation about sticking with the slogan as they prepared to roll out their new policy agenda. And The “Change You Deserve” is just one variation on the theme.

“Republicans are committed to delivering the change American families really deserve,” said a House Republican spokesman, saying the cross-marketing was not a problem.

  And really, given the problems besetting House Republicans recently, don’t they deserve a break today?

Well, we're loving it.

Update: We're loving it even more as we look at the definition of "cross-marketing."  We find explanations like this one from Wikipedia:

A marketing co-operation or marketing cooperation is a partnership of at least two companies on the value chain level of marketing with the objective to tap the full potential of a market by bundling specific competences or resources. Other terms for marketing co-operation are marketing alliance, marketing partnership, co-marketing, and cross-marketing.

So does Wyeth know it's suddenly the National Republican Congressional Committee's marketing partner? How do the Federal Election Commission's rules specify that this be tallied in its required reports?  Or is this a matter for the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory authority? Do Republicans get discounts on prescriptions? Inquiring minds want to know.

Update: The Nitpicker called our attention to the following observations:

Republicans don't think homeowners deserve help in the housing crisis. They don't think veterans deserve a  G.I. Bill that would actually, you know, cover college. They don't think the American public deserves to be listened to on issues. Hell, they don't even think that mothers deserve Mother's Day more than they deserve to play politics.

So, when it comes down to it, how much change do Republicans probably think you deserve? Not much.

Photo: Depressed elephant at the Portland Zoo.

 

Anxiety disorders: House Republicans swipe marketing slogan

Update #2: Welcome Huffington Post readers. We really, really appreciate the hat tip from HP here at the little blog on the prairie. Thank you! [end update].

Update #3: And welcome to everybody here from Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish and MyDD. [end update]

We knew the National Republican Congressional Committee, its chair Tom Cole, and House minority leader John Boehner were not enjoying Congress like they used to when they had control back in 2006.

And their get-up-and-go had diminished to procedural games and time chewing motions to adjourn. Their gloom was so bad last week, the caucus by and large voted against Motherhood, as the WaPo reported.

Nonetheless, we were alarmed by the slogan for the minority caucus's re-branding campaign, for it directly--though probably inadvertently--addresses the depressed opportunities House Republicans might be feeling of late.

In the New York Times article, House G.O.P. Adopts Change Theme, we learn:

It looks like Republicans will counter the Democratic push for change from the years of the Bush administration with their own pledge to deliver, drum roll please, “the change you deserve.” The first element of the party agenda developed over the past few months by the leadership and select party members will focus on family issues.

“Through our “Change You Deserve” message and through our “American Families Agenda,” House Republicans will continue our efforts to speak directly to an American public looking for leaders who will offer real solutions for the challenges they confront every day,” said the memo prepared for lawmakers.

We think the slogan will only heighten the public's perception that the House Republican caucus needs help. After all, Americans have heard that slogan time and again.

Unfortunately, it wasn't pimped for political discourse, but to market an anti-depressant.

According to Wikipedia, the prescription drug "Venlafaxine is used primarily for the treatment of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults."

The brand name version, Effexor, is sold by Wyeth, which marketed it using the slogan, "The Change You Deserve™."

According to a December 2007 Alternet article, Are You One of Big Pharma's Lab Animals?, the drug company's ad agency came up with this marketing slant:

Wyeth's ad agency serenaded the nation with the message in its "The Change You Deserve™" campaign that, if we were not enjoying things the way we used to do, if we were lacking in what agencies used to call get-up-and-go, it was time to go on the antidepressant Effexor.

"The Change You Deserve™" was trademarked by Wyeth, so we're wondering if that will be a problem for the NRCC, regardless of the unfortunate analogy between its political fortunes and the genuine suffering that  plagues people experiencing depression. Evidence of trademark and the analogy are found in this promotional text sponsored by Wyeth:

The Change You Deserve™

Are these symptoms of depression interfering with your life?

• Not involved with family and friends the way you used to be?
• Low energy, fatigue?
• Not motivated to do the things you once looked forward to doing?
• Not feeling as good as you used to?

If you're experiencing symptoms of depression and you're not where you want to be, talk to your doctor about your treatment options.

Learn more about a treatment option that may help you get back to your life again.

We don't intend to make light of depression or any mental illness, for we've known far too many people who have suffered from them; MN-03 Republican congressman Jim Ramstad can retire with well-earned pride for his work on getting the Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act passed.

Nonetheless, using a well-known shrug drug's advertising slogan for rebranding is unfortunate at best. A Freudian slip? Self-sabotage? Who knows. Somehow, we doubt the slogan for a red pill with "W" on it will help the GOP much in November.

Update: read the full memo here.

Wow! This story--though not a direct link--has made it up to the Daily Show's Indecision blog. Jeepers! What can start with an old heifer nibbling her way through her morning reading.

Republican commenter pushing urban legend at Post Bulletin

Our regular readers know we're awfully fond of finding instances of people using urban legends to support their arguments.

A kind friend  in Rochester alerted us to a recent example in the Rochester Post Bulletin online. "Patriot," a regular pro-Republican commenter, pasted a whopper into the PB comments section last week. His comments supposedly refute yet another letter decrying the GOP endorsed candidate's column proposing drilling our way out of high oil prices.

Here's what Patriot pasted posted at the PB Online:

Remember the election in 2006?

A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.

America voted for change in 2006 and we got it!
Remember it's Congress that makes law not the President. He has to work with what's handed to him.

Claim: The 2008 U.S. economic downturn resulted from the Democratic control of Congress in 2007.

One of the commenters decided to fact check Patriot's posterior.  Here's what Thorstein turned up:

Patriot, Apparently you quoted your statistics from an e-mail that has been circulating around the web. FactCheck.org examined the email's claims and found them either false or inaccurate. In short, BS. See http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_electing_a_democratic_congress_in_2006.htm

According to its "About" page, FactCheck.org is:

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

And what does FactCheck.org say about the email? Check it out:

Did electing a Democratic Congress in 2006 really lead to increased unemployment, higher gas prices and more home foreclosures?

I received this [Patriot's pasted text] by e-mail and I’ve also seen it posted as a comment on a lot of blogs and news sites. Is there any truth to it?

No, and most of the figures in a widely-circulated e-mail are made up. In fact, the entire premise of the e-mail is a logical fallacy.

Like most of the chain e-mails making the rounds, this one is inaccurate. Some claims are outright false while others are grossly out of context. Overall, the e-mail commits the logical fallacy known as post hoc ergo propter hoc (or after the fact, therefore because of the fact).

Read the rest at FactCheck.org.

FactCheck.org isn't the only online truth squad calling foul on this one. Let's see if the blither has hit snopes.com.

 

Filling in a blank in Strib article about GOP accounting woes

There's a new story in the Strib, State GOP has its own bookkeeping woes. The headline speaks for itself. We found this passage of interest:

A left-leaning blogger tried to ask Carey about the party’s FEC reports at a news conference the GOP called last week to highlight Franken’s problems. Carey dismissed him, saying the press briefing “is something for our credentialed media here.”

Carey did not respond this week to Star Tribune requests for an interview about the FEC filings.

“Just like any political entity, the Republican Party of Minnesota continues to work with the FEC to make certain our filings are in compliance,” party spokesman Mark Drake said in an e-mail Tuesday.

The Star Tribune just can't seem to bring itself to name the blogger and the blog where he posts (basic stuff), so here's goes.  Two Putt Tommy's post is found at Minnesota Blue: A "Hypocrite Of The Week" Nominee:  republiCon Ron.  Check it out for yourself.

We now return to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Star Tribune to correct mistake in reporting Walz service record

We just heard from a very gracious Emily Johns about how the Star Tribune will be running a correction for its unintentional error in identifying Congressman Walz as an Iraq War veteran. Others who contacted the Star Tribune asking for a correction have received a similar message.

We thank Johns for taking the time to contact us about the issue and appreciate the editors taking the time to fix the problem.

Contacted by phone, Chris Schmitter Schmitters (sorry!) campaign manager for Tim Walz, noted that he had emailed the Star Tribune and asked for a correction as well.   The paper had agreed to do so.

We'll be updating our original post with this information and hope that other bloggers who have written about the gaffe will do the same. Fair is fair.

The highest ranking enlisted man to ever serve in Congress, Tim Walz retired with the rank of Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard. He served in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the military campaign in Afghanistan.

It's all good.

Just plain irritating sloppiness, part #2: Strib gets Tim Walz's military service wrong

Update: Monday morning 4/5/2008

We just heard from a very gracious Emily Johns about how the Star Tribune will be running a correction for its unintentional error in identifying Congressman Walz as an Iraq War veteran. Others who contacted the Star Tribune asking for a correction have received a similar message.

We thank Johns for taking the time to contact us about the issue and appreciate the editors taking the time to fix the problem.

Contacted by phone, Chris Schmitters, campaign manager for Tim Walz, noted that he had emailed the Star Tribune and asked for a correction as well.   The paper had agreed to do so.

We hope that other bloggers who have written about the gaffe will  note the correction. Fair is fair.

The highest ranking enlisted man to ever serve in Congress, Tim Walz retired with the rank of Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard. He served in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the military campaign in Afghanistan.

It's all good. [end Monday update]

Update: 3:22 p.m. We've been hearing from a lot of friends that they've contacted the Strib's corrections email address, and yet the error of fact remains in the story. This inaction stands in stark contrast to the way MinnPost handled its earlier mistaken identification of Walz as an Iraq War vet. Kudos to the Minnpost for changing its post as soon as the editors knew.

That diligence on the part of MinnPost speaks for itself. As for the Strib? Who knows--maybe it's short handed this lovely day, or maybe it's just coasting on getting the "essense" right, the new standard introduced here by the defender of another recent media gaffe. [end update]

We have to wonder sometimes if some members of  the metro media care one wit about accuracy and the consequences of their inaccuracy.

In Emily John's Star Tribune article about the DFL's endorsement of Steve Sarvi to run against incumbent John Kline, we spot this passage:

Sarvi is now the third Iraq veteran running for Congress in Minnesota as a Democrat this fall: The other two are Ashwin Madia, the endorsed DFL candidate in the Third District, and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, who represents the state's First District.

Congressman Walz was stationed with his National Guard unit in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, otherwise know as the war in Afghanistan.

We scolded MinnPost for making the same mistake earlier this year, and explained then why accuracy in reporting service records matter in Just plain irritating sloppiness: Grow's DFL Iraq War vets column in MinnPost.

Sure enough, a Walz hater chimes in about the congressman's record:

Tim Walz is NOT an Iraqi War Veteran                     

Tim Walz has never served in Iraq and also NEVER served in Afghanistan. He spent his war on terrorism tour serving coffee in Vincenza, Italy. The Star Tribune continues to write this lie and has done so on almost every occasion, and of course Mr. Walz, the good weekend warrior that he is, never bothers to correct it. Once again, Tim Walz is not a war veteran of any kind and is not even authorized to belong to the VFW because he has never served in a combat zone. Just ask him.smithjamese

That "never bothers to correct it" is simply false. But the GOP can certainly thank the Strib and other media outlets for not being able to get simple facts right and creating an opportunity for a little smearing.

When Walz is asked about his service, he's straight forward. Take this passage from a City Pages interview from the summer of 2006:

CP: You are a member of the Minnesota National Guard. How long was your active service?

Walz: I did two stints where I was full-time. I did it in 1989 and then again in 1992. Then in '03 and '04 I did 10 months with Operation Enduring Freedom, where, by luck of the draw, I served in Italy. It was originally Turkey or Iraq and then they changed it to Enduring Freedom and I said, "That's Afghanistan." But they said, "You guys are going to do the supply lines between Turkey and England." We provided total base security and the training for soldiers coming in.

We hope the Strib will correct its mistake as quickly as the editors at the Minnpost did.  It's to their credit that the error was corrected as quickly as it was at Minnpost. Everybody makes mistakes--but sadly, not all media venues correct them. Some perpetuate them--and assist in sliming.

But you have to wonder: is calling National Guard members "weekend warriors" really a sound way to win a battle?  It's an insult to those who serve in the Guard. Walz went where he was deployed--and whether that service means watching the American-Mexican border, battling floods, keeping the peace in Kosovo, supporting operations in Italy, driving trucks in Kuwait, or combat in Iraq and Afghanistan--it's all honorable.

My own father, who had been in the Army just after the Korean War, served in the National Guard in the 1970s, and he took those "weekend warrior" barbs as an insult. They are.

Those who use the incompetence of the Strib or any other media to report basic facts accurately as the basis for smears are quite simply pathetic.   

In the meantime, please contact the Star Tribune corrections email and politely request that the article be corrected.  Politely explain why it's important that the paper get this right.

We just heard from a very gracious Emily Johns about how the Star Tribune will be running a correction for its unintentional error in identifying Congressman Walz as an Iraq War veteran. Others who contacted the Star Tribune asking for a correction have received a similar message.

We thank Johns for taking the time to contact us about the issue and appreciate the editors taking the time to fix the problem.

Contacted by phone, Chris Schmitters, campaign manager for Tim Walz, noted that he had emailed the Star Tribune and asked for a correction as well.   The paper had agreed to do so.

We hope that other bloggers who have written about the gaffe will  note the correction. Fair is fair.

The highest ranking enlisted man to ever serve in Congress, Tim Walz retired with the rank of Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard. He served in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the military campaign in Afghanistan.

It's all good. [end Monday update]

MNBlue looks at coverage of the Senate rumors

Over at MnBlue, Grace Kelly examines media coverage of Senate rumors in Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Leads, Franken Talks Franken Woes.  Upon reading the Schlutz Report highlights at the Minnesota Monitor, Kelly contacted Schlutz:

Tom Bakk running for DFL senate? So now I am curious, where is this coming from, so I found David Schultz on the web.

David is a nationally-recognized expert on political ethics, money and politics, political participation, and eminent domain law and has been a frequent commentator.
(David Schultz's e-folio page)

 Being a commentator, he leaves contact info including phone numbers so I called him. To be fair, I totally described who I was. I asked if he did the commentary above, he said yes. I asked if you remember the source of Ciresi, Walz and Bakk as suggested senate candidates. He said he couldn't remember the source. Hmmmmm.

But he did mention a source in passing about Walz--MPR--and as Kelly notes, we "straighten[ed] out the Tim Walz world."

But hey, details and facts and due diligence. We gather that readers should trust every word; after all, Schlutz is an expert.

Schultz Report distorts Senate rumors

We have to wonder when we read passages like this in the post The Schultz Report: Some Minnesota Dems said to be eyeing primary run against Franken:

"Tim Walz is sort of the new darling of the Democrats. Normally people wouldn't think a freshman would try to move from the House to the Senate. But the rumors about him running or being interested in running or being pushed to run were strong enough that he had to go on Minnesota Public Radio to deny that he was going to run for the Senate."

Here's the entire text of MPR's Polinaut post, Walz not considering U.S. Senate run,  published within minutes of  a 10 a.m. conference call's conclusion:

DFL Rep. Tim Walz held a conference call this morning. MPR's Sea Stachura says he is not considering a run for the U.S. Senate. His name popped up after Democrat Al Franken said he owed $70,000 in taxes to 17 states.

Poor David Schultz probably wasn't a party to that call, and doesn't seem capable of listening to the radio, googling for more information, or contacting MPR or the Walz press staff in an act of basic due diligence. He simply has invented the circumstances of the conference call.

Unlike Schlutz, we were a part of the media call. Nearly all of the discussion was about the Farm Bill. At one point, MPR's Stachura asked about the Senate bid rumors (a legitimate question), and Walz explained he wasn't interested; in fact, he was focused on representing the First and on getting re-elected so he could continue to serve the people of the First. The conference call is mentioned here in the Political Party blog at the Post Bulletin and we  blogged about it as well in Walz to reporters: Positive on Farm Bill, negative to 2008 Senate bid.

Here's the report on the Farm Bill that Stachura filed based on the conference call with the press: Rep. Tim Walz says farm bill vote could come next week.

Perhaps the Minnesota Monitor can produce a tape of an MPR broadcast in which Walz is declaring he's not running and evidence that Walz went on MPR specifically to quash the rumors. Funny, but we can't seem to locate any, while the conference call we participated in was a weekly, regularly scheduled press call.

If Schultz's commentary is based on the answer to Stachura's press call question, the post at MinMon should be corrected. It's third-hand interpretation, with no documentation--and an inaccurate account. 

The Schultz Report may be the new darling at the Minnesota Monitor, but Dave Schlutz's account of Walz's response and the circumstances that generated it has no particular relationship with reality.

 

"Message therapist": cost containment for spin doctoring?

We certainly got an earful about rising medical costs at the health care summit in Owatonna on Monday, and with the downturn in the economy, we're reading a lot about cost saving measures in other industries as well.

Thus, when we spotted the phrase Message therapist in a Mankato Free Press headline, we did a double take, thinking that a "message therapist" might be the low-cost alternative for pricey spin doctoring in political frame and opp shops, roughly corresponding to the use of nurse practitioners and physician's assistants in medical centers and quick clinics.

Certainly, given that the cost of campaigning in the First has risen beyond inflation, there might be candidates who need to seek lower cost options for their messaging.  We would not be so cruel to suggest that any candidate's communication strategy is in need of clinical intervention.

Clicking on the headline, alas, revealed just a sordid tale of criminal behavior by a more conventional sort of therapist. The headline contains a simple typo.  We now resume our regularly scheduled blogging.