more GOP cleverness
[also from The Note]
RNC launches “America Weakly”:
After a Labor Day weekend full of political stories largely focused
on storm clouds gathering over GOP heads this election cycle and
chock full of predictions of a Speaker Pelosi and a Democratic House,
the Republican National Committee is pushing back with a (clever)
fictitious tabloid “newspaper” called “America Weakly” painting a
picture of just what that scenario would look like (at least to
Republicans).
The satirical publication featuring front-page photos of Democratic
bogeymen/women Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, and Howard Dean along
side a headline that reads, “Dems In, Taxes Up, Patriot Act Out” will
be distributed this morning along with an Internet video promoting
the new Web page at www.americaweakly.com. The RNC is also sending
multiple copies of the mock paper to all state parties, talk radio,
conservative allies, and select media. And Ken Mehlman sends out an
email to the RNC email distribution list promoting it. For you
Beltway insiders, copies are being distributed at the two Metro
stations that service the Hill, Captiol South and Union Station.
Note, too, “Impeachment Czar” John Conyers.
This rollout is clearly geared to stoking the Republican base a bit
and perhaps getting some free media pickup. We expect at least one
additional future Web video continuing on this theme.