HEADS UP: McConnell, Rand Paul Caught Talking Strategy On Hot Mic

[WilliamPitt]

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 01:56 PM - Edit history (1)

[randome]

1. A summary for those of us at work?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[grantcart]

6. "they haven't poll tested 'we will not negotiate'" Paul

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 12:16 PM - Edit history (1)

WPSD-TV caught Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) talked strategy around the government shutdown.

Paul: "Do you have a second?"

McConnell: "I'm all wired up here, um."

Paul: "I just did CNN and I just go over and over again 'We're willing to compromise. 'We're willing to negotiate.' I think... I don't think they poll tested we won't negotiate. I think it's awful for them to say that over and over again."

McConnell: "Yeah, I do too and I, and I just came back from that two hour meeting with them and that, and that was basically the same view privately as it was publically."

Paul: "I think if we keep saying 'We wanted to defund it. We fought for that and that we're willing to compromise on this', I think they can't, we're gonna, I think... well I know we don't want to be here, but we're gonna win this I think."

[Lugnut]

23. Mc Connell is right.

The GOP expected the Dems to cave like they always do. Now that the Dems are standing pat the GOP is flummoxed. That ruined everything.

[MaeScott]

7. shorter version; They think they can win if they keep saying they are willing to

.."compromise" (hahahah) and the dems keep saying "non-negotiable, put government back in business"


Good luck with that.

[sendero]

27. Republican "compromise"..

.... ok, we'll cut off both your legs.

NO.

Ok, let's compromise, we'll just cut off one of your legs.

NO.

Ok, well then we'll just cut off your arm.

FUCK NO.

Waaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh you won't COMPROMISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Turborama]

38. LOL, excellent analogy!

[DirkGently]

41. Ha! Exactly. Well done. n/t

[Fantastic Anarchist]

43. More Like:

We'll cut off one of your legs.

No.

Okay, we'll cut off two of your legs.

Um, no.

Look, we're looking to compromise. We'll cut off both of your legs and one arm.

Um, do you know what "compromise" means?

Yes, of course I do. It means we get everything we want. So, both legs and two arms, sound about right?

Um, good luck with that during your "poll testing", asshole.

[NuclearDem]

45. I'm calling to negotiate a double date, you and me, Kif and Amy.

I'd rather die.

Then let the negotiations begin! I propose we go out on 10 dates.

How bout zero?

9.

Zero.

8.

Zero.

6?

...

5 and that's my final offer! 4.

1.

2!

One half.

I'll take it! We'll meet you for part of dinner and the first half of a movie.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

55. perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[C_U_L8R]

2. Ha ! Truly delusional.

These Republican clowns just aren't very smart at this strategery thing, are they?

[meadowlark5]

3. I read the transcript and I really don't understand what they were talking about

Seemed like a lot of "you knows" and pauses. What am I missing that is so important in that conversation

[Coyotl]

9. Rather simple really, posturing and saying whatever instead of focusing on the problem

Winning is everything, lying about willingness to negotiate to "WIN this" and focusing on the media spin instead of solving the problem. They are completely intransient while trying to project otherwise.

[meadowlark5]

13. Oh. I guess I'm so used to them talking bullshit

Nothing in that open mic surprised me. The only thing that I focused on was the "we're going to win this thing, I think". Because that's all it is - like that one dipshit bagger that said, "we will not be disrespected. We will get something out of this even if we don't know what that is." (paraphrasing).

That statement reminds me of the street gangs that will kill someone if they feel they're being "dissed". Too bad they never learned you earn respect, you don't just get respect because you think you deserve it. Idiots.

[Coyotl]

14. Rand Paul is say basically, "I just lied and lied to CNN."

To paraphrase, "If we just lie and say over and over again that we are now willing to negotiate, even though you and I know we are not and have not and will not, we will win the media war and then we will win the battle."

[meadowlark5]

16. Rand Paul sucks.

I don't particularly care for his dad, but he had more integrity than this slimy hack.

[Whisp]

47. Fuck Rand Paul and his daddy. n/t

[Bobbie Jo]

21. That's how they roll....

GOP Playbook, page 101....

Never deviate from the bullshit talking point.

[avebury]

32. Rand Paul is saying that the Republicans are going

to win because the Democrats did not test poll the position of not compromising.

Now, personally, I think that it is the Repubicans that are not compromising and they went into this thing without even a concept of a game plan.

[liberal N proud]

4. What was that gibberish?

[Orsino]

53. Debating the brand of turd polish to buy. n/t

[NotThisTime]

5. Rand Paul saying now they worked to defund it but now that they are here them saying they're willing

to compromise they will win this thing, the Dem's didn't poll test "we're not compromising", not too big a shocker for the R's

[gopiscrap]

8. Ha Ha motherfuckers

[rdharma]

10. Yup! I believe they were "accidentally" overheard.

Riiiiight!

Folks, that little exchange was planned.

"Mitch, confidentially just between you and me and the live mic............."

[lamp_shade]

12. Yup. That was my first thought too. McConnell said "I'm wired up". Duh.

[IdaBriggs]

11. Hysterical! and hopefully DELUSIONAL. Paul: "I think we'll win it."

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 12:41 PM - Edit history (1)

As best I can do transcript wise --

PAUL: Do you have a second?

MCCONNEL: I'm all wired up here.

PAUL: I just didn't see an end. (note: others are saying that sentence is "I just did CNN.") I just go over and over again, we're willing to compromise, we're willing to negotiate. I think -- I don't think they've poll tested "we won't negotiate." I think its awful for them to say that over and over again.

MCCONNEL: Yeah, I do to. And I just came back from that two hour meeting with him and that was -- that was basically the same view privately as it was publicly.

PAUL: I think if we keep saying "we wanted to defund it, we fought for that, but now we're willing to compromise on this" I think they can't -- we're going to win -- I think -- I know we don't want to be here, but we're going to win this, I think.

I hope I get poll tested: "We won't negotiate" is my 100% top pick as a winning strategy for the White House and Democrats everywhere!!!

Poor Republicans - not used to Democratic spines!

[JustAnotherGen]

22. We Won't Negotiate on Obamacares

Is my pick!

[PD Turk]

15. can anybody translate this?

Sorry, I don't speak Turtle or Dipshit

[wandy]

33. Two high school kids plotting to blow up a frog with an M80. nt

[lame54]

17. they were clearly talking to us - Hot Mike my ass

[backscatter712]

30. Yeah, I think you're right. This looks awfully contrived. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Trying to look rational I see.

[Botany]

19. McConnell is so bitter that he will not even say "The President" or "President Obama"

"I just came back from a 2 hour meeting with HIM."

[roamer65]

20. That's because they don't like a black man in the White House.

They're racists.

[freshwest]

24. 'HIM' just like 'THAT MAN' but they hate him more. Because they are old, he's young and the future.

[hedgehog]

25. Really odd - I went back to the site that posted this - and they're

accusing Rand Paul of being a traitor to the cause! They think he's too soft on Obama!

[hedgehog]

26. "They (the Obama administration) are saying the same thing in private as in public..."

that must be a real shocker for the Republicans - people who mean what they say!

[backscatter712]

28. Obama has only to add two words to make our framing complete:

"We don't negotiate with terrorists."

[Blue Owl]

29. The Turtle & Toupee

n/t

[Shrike47]

31. I think they both knew the mike was on and they were speaking for TV.

Sounds like tonight's news shows. Right length to be the story of the day.

[muriel_volestrangler]

34. McConnell even says "I'm all wired up here" at the start

Yeah, that was the message they wanted to get out.

[Coyotl]

35. TPM: McConnell, Rand Paul Caught On Hot Mic Talking Shutdown Strategy (VIDEO)

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mcconnell-rand-paul-recorded-while-talking-shutdown-strategy-video

Catherine Thompson – October 3, 2013, 11:20 AM EDT10205

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) were caught on a hot mic Wednesday night while discussing their party's messaging on the government shutdown.

Paul ran into McConnell, who was wired for an interview, in front of a camera after wrapping his own interview with CNN, according to Western Kentucky news station WPSD.

"I just did CNN and I just go over and over again 'We're willing to compromise, we're willing to negotiate.' I think -- I don't think they poll tested 'we won't negotiate.' I think it's awful for them to say that over and over again," Paul said of the Obama administration's stance on the shutdown.

"Yeah, I do too, and I just came back from that two hour meeting with them, and that was basically the same view privately as it was publicly," McConnell said.

.........

[Coyotl]

36. K&R

[alcibiades_mystery]

37. Every time Obama says "We will not negotiate," he draws massive cheers

These fucking guys are living in Lala Land.

And does Rand Paul really think he's smarter than Obama on polling and messaging?

G'luck with that, buddy.

[Peacetrain]

39. Mama didn't raise no fools..that one was planned

Not going to work you two.. you have already jumped into the quagmire and you are up to your neck in it, and nothing we can do to help you if we wanted to.

This is what you get for not being careful of the company you keep

[Fantastic Anarchist]

40. Busted, Disgusted, and Can't Be Trusted

Let the commercials fly come 2014! Wooohooo!

Hey, Rand, you're pants are down, and I still can't see your penis, you fucking clueless bastard!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

42. Stupid Fucks

[kentuck]

44. (Whisper) "We're gonna win this.."

Not!

[Boom Sound 416]

46. Wow, just wow

Incidentally, it's "hot mic"

[WilliamPitt]

49. Derp.

Thanks, fixed.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

48. Rs & Ts think this is about "optics" & poll-testing. Public knows this is about shutdown.

When Paul speculates about Democrats not poll-testing a key phrase, it shows that the Republicans did poll-test their key phrase.

They think that they can kidnap the economy and the government and win this on a poll-tested phrase, win this on perceptions and the facts be damned.

However many times it may have worked on lesser issues, it is definitely not working on this one.

The American public knows that a shutdown of the federal government is not a 'slimdown' or any other weasel words; It's a shutdown and they don't like it. Further, many of the Republican supporters are saying they like the shutdown even though they really don't and are already or soon will be inconvenienced or worse.

[landolfi]

52. Yes, especially when the Teabaggers start applying for gun permits! n/t

[Crewleader]

50. Two Weasels

And caught on camera too!


Good find William!

[Blue Meany]

51. Doesn't "compromise" work against them with their base, who are

looking for the (abusive) father-figure disciplinarian type? Anyway, they can't pull that off, because it just doesn't sound right coming out of their mouths. But the Dems need to remind the refs that they have already compromised on the budget extension by giving the Republicans exactly what they asked for. What have Republicans compromised on?

[Javaman]

54. here's a transcript...

McConnell: what do you think of my turkey neck?

Rand Paul: sexy, like my hair.

[Jim Lane]

56. My fear is that Rand Paul may be right about the public perception.

We know that it's BS to say that the Republicans are willing to negotiate and Democrats aren't. What's going on is that the Republicans have made outrageous demands and indicated a willingness to agree to a "compromise" in which they get only some of their outrageous demands.

Of course, Senate Democrats have demands, too -- things they'd like but can't get through the other chamber, like background checks. So one form of negotiation would be Senate passage of a CR that includes background checks. Then the compromise is obvious: Each chamber drops the policy changes, leaving issues of health care and gun control to be addressed later. The clean CR is the compromise.

What concerns me is that this analysis is too complicated for a significant slice of the electorate, even leaving out the Fox-watchers (who are probably a lost cause anyway). The reason the Republicans are making outrageous demands is that it's a time-honored negotiating tactic -- in widespread use, before any of today's Teahadists were born, because it often works. It plays to the human tendency to find a solution in the middle. Moving one end waaaaaaay out to the side moves the middle.

What's very important here is how this whole fiasco plays with the public. I worry about the blame game. Maybe the Senate should have passed a CR with background checks and/or a 10% surtax on income over $1,000,000. Then Reid could cheerfully negotiate with Boehner and "compromise" on a clean CR. If Boehner wouldn't agree, at least he wouldn't be able to paint himself as the only one willing to negotiate.