DNC Member: White House 'Couldn't Sell Cocaine To Charlie Sheen'

DNC Committeeman Robert Zimmerman recently dropped a biting tabloid news story into his criticism of Democrats' recent electoral failures, saying for the second time in the past few weeks that the White House communications effort was so poor that it "couldn't sell cocaine to Charlie Sheen."

The pop reference came as Zimmerman discussed his beliefs that the White House had utterly failed to broadcast the successes of Democratic legislation in the first two years of Obama's presidency.

While the CNN hosts moderating the discussion between Zimmerman and others appeared to try to brush aside the Democratic strategist's sensational observation during its second iteration, he elaborated on his statement the first time he gave it, saying that the White House would need to work on making itself a more effective two-way channel for communications in the future.

"I think part of this administration going forward is to listen more to the American people's priorities and focus on jobs," Zimmerman said.

The president himself noted as much in a recent interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," albeit without the direct metaphorical comparison to a movie star's drug-fueled bender in New York City.

"What I didn't effectively, I think, drive home, because we were in such a rush to get this stuff done, is that we were taking these steps not because of some theory that we wanted to expand government," Obama said on "60 Minutes" Sunday. "It was because we had an emergency situation and we wanted to make sure the economy didn't go off a cliff."

Comments

[kyrose777]

04:15 PM on 12/13/2010

oh, how could they bring Sheen into this mess!!? He's working so hard on himself. Yes, sue them Charlie.

[WonderingNThinking]

03:09 AM on 11/10/2010

Can Sheen sue them for slander?

[DenverGator]

02:59 AM on 11/10/2010

I just keep wondering if someone stood up and unapologetically stated load and clear we must regulate banks; we must pass a carbon tax; we must have a public option; we must not cut taxes for the rich; we will be out of Afghanistan by EOY 2012; we will make banks give relief on mortgages; we will not backslide from being a 100% secular country; we will grant gays equal rights in and out of the armed services; we will start spending money on green infrastructure and education and we won't beg across the isle, if that person couldn't do way better in elections than the fudging waffling examples we have in office now.

[kyrose777]

04:11 PM on 12/13/2010

Oh, you dreamer you! No one we elected to office is going to do this. What would happen to their power, glory, frame, and ambitions? They could not go on without the drug of drama and power. My friend, how could you suggest such things?:) or :( it seems.

[ErinMalibu1]

08:20 PM on 11/09/2010

Wow, this poor man. Doesn't anyone know how much WORSE most men are than Charlie Sheen?! Give him a break. Sorry Charlie, guess this is what you get for fulfilling your dreams as an actor...like come ON, look at this.... http://bit.ly/aG0ehk

[Masonx]

03:59 PM on 11/09/2010

Since when did the average American, or the consensus of average Americans show any kind of performance based record or ability at being able to equate trained expertise in economics, trade negotiation, military strategy, health care management, etc. with political leadership. Democracy is supposed to limit itself to the popularity contest we call politics - not problem solving. When you get sick, or when your car doesn't run, or your computer completely locks up - you don't get all of your friends (who have little or no formal training in any of the respective problem solution areas) together and try to get a consensus on what they the think problem is with the items mentioned - much less vote on a solution for the problem. When will our dumb a$$ electorate realize that the world is a complex place and we need trained and experienced people to make those decisions. Were there people better trained and more skilled in nation management than GW Bush, than Obama - you bet your dumb a$$ there were - but our political parties didn't chose to run those people and us poor dumb voters were left (as usual) to vote against the who we thought was least qualified. We need a democracy that provides a choice of demonstrated, experienced, competent management leadership for the electorate to chose from - every time. Election strategy has trumped nation management strategy for the last 40 years and we are paying the price - we a party who

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

02:34 PM on 11/09/2010

How about "OxyContin to Rush Limbaugh"? Oh, because Zimmerman, like Obama, is afraid to take on Republicans.

[Sherrie714]

02:28 PM on 11/09/2010

The American people got lied too and fell for it. Just like 9/11. Bush told you there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Now a rational individual would have asked why do we care about Iraq when the majority of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia?? But I digress. He said ."terrorist..orange alert....they hate our freedom" and you were all aboard. Never mind we didn't have the money. It was us against them. In early 2009, a survey came out that stated 77% of Americans were for the public option.The republicans created a untied front and told you that there will be death panels,your choices will be taken away, someone will make decisions for you, etc. In other words there scared the bejesus out of you. For those of you who just voted republican I hope your not in a union, on social security, medicare/medicaid, or other "entitlement" programs. They get health care for free, yet you're the one entitled (even though you pay state tax, federal tax, cell phone bill tax, check your bills ..you pay taxes on everything). Well I live in NY, so we are taxes for taking a shhhhiiiit. But I digress. Fear works for people, not truth or common sense. Fear got us into a war that cost us over 3 trillion dollars. By the way, that money would have paid for health care for every US citizen with change to spear.

[tr88]

02:20 PM on 11/09/2010

No huckster can sell rotten apples.

[Sherrie714]

02:16 PM on 11/09/2010

I don't understand why other democrats act as if they have no responsibility to tout the successes of the democratic party. Why leave it up to the president alone? Micheal Steele, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, John Boehner, and others were out there in full force saying "death panels" "shoving healthcare down our throats" blah blah blah. Most of you people brought the lies hook, line, and sinker. If you repeat something enough, people think its true. Why can't the democrats get together and repeat things? Didn't they watch Electric Company (most of them are older then Jesus so they should be familiar with the show)? You have Glen Beck, Rush and others repeating the same talking points. What a herd mentality. I guess Obama was supposed to not do anything and run around the country and talk all day. However, I recall many media outlets complaining about him being on TV to much: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1887831,00.html
It's a travesty that the democrats could not sell Health care reform to the American people. People who get kicked off of their insurance due to preexisting conditions and people who are one illness away from bankruptcy? over 20 million uninsured??? What would have worked is to instill fear in people and tell you that their is a terrorist boogie man that will eat you unless you hide your wife, hide your kids and hide your husband. You people would have been all for healthcare reform then.

[OldCowboy]

01:54 PM on 11/09/2010

Zimmerman is absolutely dead on. President Obama is horrendous at communicating the successes of his administration. If he doesn't dramatically improve in the next 24 months, he'll be a one term president.

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

02:35 PM on 11/09/2010

Obama is very good at communicating the successes of his administration.

At least, I'm sure he would be.

[Bob Rousseau]

01:13 PM on 11/09/2010

Everyone thinks they know better than the President and has suggestions and advice, yet no one offers a solution or lifts a finger to help their own country. Reading the blogs and the commentary is getting sickening. Instead of helping the President...which helps us as Americans and Democrats, even the members of the President's own party are finger wagging and pointing like irresponsible children.

[Tericruz]

02:18 PM on 11/09/2010

You are absolutely right. The dems are hiding from their own legislative record but the President is suppose to be able to defend them. BULLSHIT!

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

02:36 PM on 11/09/2010

We've been offering solutions since he took office: use his former mandate and ram the progressive agenda down the Republicans' throats.

[Untitled]

11:26 AM on 11/09/2010

Yeah, the White House is so incompetent, they couldn't sell Tunisian rugs in a Persian flea market.

Anyone? Anyone?

I don't get no respect.

[markie G]

01:26 AM on 11/10/2010

got any naked pics of your wife?--no?....wanna see some?----arg-arg-arg-arg-arg-arg-arg

[timhere]

10:51 AM on 11/09/2010

It is very hard to sell something when the media concentrates on those attacking what the administration is trying to do. How much media attention was given to what the healthcare bill actually did? Financial legislation? Equal pay? ect. It seems to me that when a democrat is in the white house the opposition gets as much attention as the president. This does not hold true the other direction. Bob Dole then Newt under Clinton. Mcconell and the Tea Party under Obama. Not since Tip Oniel has any democrat in the minority recieved much coverage in the press.

[Cougar29]

10:32 AM on 11/09/2010

Another Democrat mocking someone's weakness..

[DocSyracuse]

12:44 PM on 11/09/2010

It's a medical illness, not a "weakness". Otherwise we are in agreement.

[PolicyWonkette]

09:59 AM on 11/09/2010

The pop reference came as Zimmerman discussed his beliefs that the White House had utterly failed to broadcast the successes of Democratic legislation in the first two years of Obama's presidency.

   .
I agree - but over what network was the White House supposed to broadcast? When every major media outlet is in the tank for the corporate GOP?
    .
And where was the so-called progressive media, whose job it is to keep us informed?

[Truth Purveyor]

11:46 AM on 11/09/2010

hahahahahahahaha really? the media is all in the tank for the GOP??? Wow, where did you find such a gigantic rock?

[petera63]

12:44 PM on 11/09/2010

...in his mom's basement, apparently...

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

02:39 PM on 11/09/2010

Yeah, there is no way the media works for the GOP. The media fully revealed how the GOP stole the 2000 election, then the 2004 election, and the media fully disclosed that there was no proof of WMD in Iraq long before the war.