MESSAGE DISCIPLINE: Pounding his scripted themes on social media, Tim Griffin generally repeats those on Twitter multiple times.

  • MESSAGE DISCIPLINE: Pounding his scripted themes on social media, Tim Griffin generally repeats those on Twitter multiple times.

Funny story in Roll Call. It’s about a Republican political strategy document telling congressmen like Tiny Tim Griffin how to come home on break and run against a broken Congress. The very Congress Griffin and his Republican pals have broken with rigid partisan gridlock and defiance of a popularly elected president’s agenda in every detail.

Advertisement

“Fighting Washington for All Americans” is how the Republican Planning Conference bodaciously labels guidance for those fighting America with such policies as pillaging the Environmental Protection Administration and trashing public broadcasting. Suggestions for the GOP members of Congress:

* Send an op-ed to the local paper. Check. Tiny Tim has already been printed in the DOG, contemporaneous with a largely empty piece of legislation ostensibly crafted to help Mayflower oil spill victims, should Exxon ever fork any money over.

Advertisement

* Talk about the IRS “scandal,” even though it has pretty well proved not to be scandalous. Tiny Tim has been particularly vigorous on this subject.

* Seek out diverse groups for meetups. Like Latinos, women, black people. Good luck building anything but angry crowds of these voter segments, given the harm Republicans are doing to them. I’d like to see Tiny Tim explain to a group of young working women (not hand-selected and prepared with planted questions, as the strategy suggests) why the fight against contraception and women’s medical autonomy is good for them.

Advertisement

Other recommended “issue tours” include:

* an Energy Production Facility Tour — “wear a hard hat”
* Gas and Groceries Tour — “wear clothes in which you feel comfortable doing ‘hands-on’ work”
* Higher Education Tour — don’t forget to wear the school’s colors or team gear
* Hospital or Health Care Facility Tour — “utilize the new ‘Vine’ app” and “capture snippets of the tour for a 6-second video that encapsulates the experience”
* Main Street Tour #4Jobs — don’t “overstay” your welcome
* Red Tape Tour and Roundtable — “confirm the status of regulations at each local business and make sure they are discussing regulations that have actually been implemented, not ones that ‘they have heard of’”
* Senior Center Tour — be sure to identify the best time to visit with “built-in crowds”
* The memo also suggests plenty of media time, including a “#CutWaste Drive Time Radio Tour,” an editorial board meeting and an “Obamacare Media Tour.”

And there’s also the “Emergency Town Hall: Stopping Government Abuse.”

But whatever you do, just don’t remind voters you are part of that government.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is having fun with the document, too, and circulating these excerpts urging congressmen like Griffin to be sure to meet with like-minded people. And to wear average-guy clothing when he does photo op stints like bagging groceries or pumping gas.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article The Party of No: Is it a winning strategy? Next article And speaking of the Party of No