Monday, July 20, 2009

DeMint vs Obama

Most Americans haven't heard of SC Sen. Jim DeMint. Barack Obama wants that to change.

Last week, DeMint went the Full DeMint on Obama, arguing that if Republicans can stop the President's health care plan, it will "break" him. (There's something about Waterloo in there, too).

This health care issue is D-Day for freedom in America. If we lose this, we’ll probably have half of our economy in some way controlled by the federal government.... if we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.

Now Jake Tapper says the White House is ready to coordinate an attack on DeMint's attack, and Ben Smith has the opening salvo from Obama, who begins by quoting the SC Senator.

“If we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him,” the president quoted DeMint as saying. “Think about that. This isn’t about me. This isn’t about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking American families, breaking America’s businesses and breaking America’s economy. We can’t afford the politics of delay and defeat."

How effective a messenger will DeMint be? Probably more effective than Mark Sanford, and less effective than Lindsey Graham. And yes, can you imagine what would have happened if South Carolina's Kate Dawson had been elected RNC chair?

South Carolina, the new Sahara.