Over THE SCRAPBOOK's fax machine last Tuesday came the latest press release from the Republican National Committee. No, check that -- it was a press release the RNC hoped THE SCRAPBOOK would soon receive from any number of interchangeable "Republican activists" around the country. It was a "sample press release," you see, designed to be filled out by all those sheep in the GOP flock who can't be expected to come up with such stuff on their own. And it started like this:
(YOUR NAME HERE) today joined Republican activists nationwide marking the 107th straight month of economic growth, the longest economic expansion in American history, which (YOUR NAME HERE) noted "began under a Republican President, George Bush, and continued under the low-tax, balanced budget, free-trade policies of the Republican Congress."
If the RNC gets its way, YOUR NAME HERE will soon prove himself a very clever and witty fellow, indeed. For YOUR NAME HERE's forthcoming press release also contains a whole bunch of facts YOUR NAME HERE will have "noted" and "recalled"; news stories and documents he will have "cited"; eloquent words he will have "said"; and even a joke he will have dreamed up about Hillary Clinton and the Chicago Cubs.
The news organizations that receive YOUR NAME HERE's very, very personal statement on the economy will no doubt be deeply impressed. Either that, or those news organizations, having already received last Tuesday's tip from the RNC that YOUR NAME HERE can't so much as tie his shoes without a script from Washington, will write off YOUR NAME HERE as an idiot.
Maybe that's the plan: "the new honesty," or something. THE SCRAPBOOK can't decide.