AFSCME: “Doing All The Sh*t Work You Take For Granted”
On the heels of President Obama’s lackluster amateur night performance at the Apollo, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) unveiled a massive advertising blitz attacking Congressional Republicans’ solidarity in the face of increasing pressure to cave on the President’s pork-laden ‘stimulus’ package.
We’re enduring “an economic crisis,” says the ad’s female voice over. “And Republican leaders are playing politics instead of doing what’s right. Call the Republican leadership; tell them ‘NO’ is not an option.”
Prominently featured in AFSCME’s rather weak, poorly-timed ad, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) responded. Kind of.
When inquiring minds Greg Sargeant and Glenn Thrush requested comment from Cantor’s press office, Cantor Press Secretary Brad Dayspring said, “You could post THIS as my response.” The ‘this’ in question linked to an expletive-laced, goombah narrated spoof of a 1970’s pro-AFSCME ad:
Liberal bloggers and the unions, suffice it to say, were not pleased. The three largest labor unions – AFL-CIO, AFSCME, and AUC – all issued token statements of disapproval, demanding a swift apology from Cantor’s office. Adopting the anti-Italian defamation response, Crooks and Liars blogger John Amato audaciously claimed Cantor had proven “himself a fraud on every level at the expense of every Italian American and hard working family member of this country.”
Not so fast.
Dayspring, whose professionalism earned him a reputation as one of the most polished communicators on the Hill, later sent a statement of regret and retraction to Sargeant.
“I would like to apologize for a joke that was in no way an official response from Congressman Cantor, but instead an inappropriate email. I apologize to AFSCME for my inappropriate email containing an old video. Let me be clear, we know people are hurting in these trying times and House Republicans completely agree that we must pass an economic recovery bill that preserves, protects and create jobs for Americans facing these economic challenges.”
It is abundantly clear that Dayspring’s decision to send the spoof in his official capacity in an official request for comment was an imprudent decision, particularly given the source of the request. I would like to defend Dayspring, I really would. I know how easy it is to send a seemingly innocuous story (or YouTube video) to a reporter or blogger with whom you’ve built a good working relationship, irrespective of their political ideology, but this is indefensible.
Had Dayspring sent the clip to only Sargeant or only Thrush, perhaps I may have been able to write it off as an honest mistake. That wasn’t the case here. The fact that Dayspring sent this to multiple reporters suggests this was, in fact, the response he wanted to offer. It was a poorly calculated decision, but a calculated decision nonetheless.
Brad, when the hammer comes down – and I suspect it will – there will be plenty of communications jobs at my old stomping grounds, courtesy of Chairman Michael Steele.
DC and bloggers are the only ones talking about this. Any press is good press in that case.
I say – let him keep his job. I love the video.
Ali — I love the video, too. In fact, I nearly wet myself when the narrator remarked, we’re “makin’ sure your kids don’t drink piss from the f*cking water fountains.”
But the fact remains: This was a highly inappropriate response, especially when it originated in the Minority Whip’s Press Office.
I thought the video was fucking brilliant. Fucking brilliant.
It was a JOKE, which Dayspring explicitly underlined to Sargeant upon its transmission. These wussie Dems need to first grow a pair, and second, get a sense of humor — STAT.
I do agree with you, James, however, that it was a not so good idea for Brad to forward this in his official capacity when members of the press were looking for serious responses to serious questions.
Obviously Dayspring acted totally unprofessionally, but what cracks me up is how lefty bloggers are grasping at straws in the absence of something more controversial to caw about. What, there are no politicians to portray in blackface this week? They’re really going to try to take the highroad about profanity?
The fucken union that works for me!!