Obama's Campaign Manager: "Oh no! Teabaggers!"

Jillian Bandes | August 30, 2010 10:56 AM

That was the subject line of an email from Arshad Hasan, Executive Director
Democracy for America. His email continues:

Remember all the hullabaloo going on this time last year?

Teabaggers were taking over town hall meetings with Senators and Congresspersons across the country. They were angry, they were loud and the media loved them. They were protesting healthcare reform -- and the public option in particular. They said it was a "government takeover."

You know how it all turned out -- some Corporate Democrats caved and the public option was killed.

Well, the Teabaggers are at it again and this time they're going after Social Security.

I'm still amazed that the word "teabagger" is professionally acceptable -- enough to be put in the header email for a major political campaign. Leaving that aside, this email has got to be a reference to Rep. Paul Ryan's entitlement reform plan, which several campaigning Republicans have signed on to in recent days. As our managing editor Kevin Glass points out, those candidates -- Andy Barr, KY-6, Francisco Canseco, TX-23, Martha Roby, AL-2, and Dan Lungren, CA-3 -- should be fast-tracked to leadership. Hasan considers the dramatic reform of American entitlements a liability for November -- I think time will show that it is a great asset.