MSNBC: Democrats test debt xenophobia as 2006 issue

[mountebank]

WASHINGTON - Democratic candidates have begun to test market a new theme: America is losing control of its economic destiny due to excessive government borrowing from foreigners.

“The shocking thing is that of the debt we went out and borrowed last year, almost all of it was borrowed from foreign sources,” said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., at a recent Senate Budget Committee hearing. “And the two biggest sources that we're borrowing from are banks in Japan and China. This is just simply not a good position for us, from a defense posture, to be in.”

Nelson is running for re-election next year.

“Foreign governments and individuals are footing the bill for our wasteful spending, and the more of our debt they own, the less control we have,” Sen. Evan Bayh, D- Indiana, a likely 2008 presidential contender, said two weeks ago.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7294906/

MSNBC just changed the title of this piece from what appears in the subject heading to "Dems sound alarm over foreign bond holdings" in the front-page link. I was going to complain about how the MSM always portrays Dem issues as being "just about politics" while Republicans are always given the benefit on the doubt on their so-called "convictions." But it seems someone beat me to it and complained to MSNBC.

[rockymountaindem]

1. I've been saying this to my conservative friends for some time.

I don't know why the Dems didn't use this during the campaign. It's one issue whose time has definately come.

[Nite Owl]

2. This is a good issue

It isn't xenophobic, it's reality. This one could fly with liberals and cons alike.

[mountebank]

7. I can imagine some really nice TV ads.....

The dollar sinking, the Euro surging in a nice animated line graph. In a large-scale map of the U.S. little parcels of red state America blink off as they are sold overseas. Small town America main street: signs changing from English to other languages. Citizens run to complain to town constable; he swivels around in a wingback chair and is ... gasp ... a foreigner!

[Orangepeel]

3. I'm glad they changed the title, but who the hell wrote the first one?

calling concern about foreign ownership of debt "xenophobia" is outrageous.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

4. Right-it's not "xenophobia"

It's common sense.

[Lone Pawn]

5. There's a difference between pitching it to Jimbo Q. Freeper as

"We're in Debt." and pitching it as "We're in debt to the Chinese, the Japanese, the Saudi Arabians and all sorts of other foreigners."

[rockymountaindem]

6. That's spelled "furriner".

Get it right, moran.

[Lone Pawn]

8. U LIBRUL ELIETIST! NO WOUNDER YOU ALL R LOSRS!

[KittyWampus]

9. Americans Know Saudis Own A Fair Bit Of Our Independance... F9/11

took care of that.

Thanks Mike! :hi:

[Kolesar]

10. Like one-seventh, I recall

That fraction just boggles my mind.

[Yavin4]

11. Sorry, That Issue Won't Work

The Murkan people need something simple that they can understand. If say the national debt wanted to get married to another man, then they'd rise up against it.

Seriously, national debt is a losing issue because it takes more than 12 seconds to explain it. You need 3 second catch phrases, "Culture of Life", "No New Taxes", "Hate us for our freedom", and "Sanctity of Marriage".

[indypaul]

13. How about "Birth Tax"??? n/t

[Lone Pawn]

17. "Pawning America"

"Selling America to China"

[DuaneBidoux]

18. Unfortunately you're probably right

How about:

"Foreigners Own Republicans."

[w4rma]

12. If they changed the title they changed it back to the "about politics" one

Democrats test debt xenophobia as 2006 issue
Candidates sound alarm over foreign holdings of Treasury bonds

Then they have as a caption (no Democrat), Bush with the Japanese Prime Minister.

On edit, ahh you said that the link to this article was the "not about politics" headline, while the article's headline is still the "about politics" version.

[XemaSab]

14. Debt xenophobia = questioning why

we're over a barrel with a bunch of shady looking dudes approaching our unguarded collective backside.

Yay! 1000! Woo!

[GetTheRightVote]

15. Well it is about time Sen. Nelson come out with some truth on the deficit

Now this is a Senator I can behind here in Florida.

:kick:

[JerseygirlCT]

16. Why is it logical and legitimate concern

when voiced by the Republicans, but with us, it's Xenophobia?

I'm glad they changed the header -- that was uncalled for!