The Democratic National Committee released a new web video on Monday, hammering congressional Republicans for minimizing the economic dangers posed by sequestration.
The ad, titled “#GOPSequester: 98 Percent of What They Wanted,” juxtaposes video of Republicans minimizing the effects of the $85 billion budget cuts with local news reports detailing their potential impact on everyday Americans. The ad concludes with a smirking House Speaker John Boehner delivering the title line: “I got 98 percent of what I wanted; I’m pretty happy.”
The video, which is the first message from the Democratic Party since the sequester cuts began taking effect on Friday, reveals the party’s message for the upcoming budget battle. Clearly, Democrats hope to brand the Republican Party as unwilling or unable to relate to the challenges faced by working families, who will be hit hardest by the cuts. Recent polling suggests that the public is open to the Democratic message; a USA Today/Pew survey taken a week before sequestration began found that 76 percent agree with President Obama that the deficit should be reduced through a combination of spending cuts and new revenue, while only 19 percent agree with the GOP position that no new tax revenues are acceptable.
