Eric Schmeltzer is a political and communications consultant in New York City . From 1999 to 2003, he was Press Secretary to New York City Congressman Jerrold Nadler, and was critically important in getting the media to write about the Environmental Protection Agency's failure to respond properly to the environmental damage caused by the fall of the World Trade Center . He left Rep. Nadler's office in 2003 to join the Howard Dean campaign for President, where he served as Press Secretary and Deputy New York State Campaign Director. Eric has been quoted in national newspapers and magazines and contributes in panel discussions on FOX News and other television outlets. He can be contacted at ericschmeltzer at earthlink dot net.

Blog Entries by Eric Schmeltzer

Time for Brian Westbrook to Hang Them up

Posted November 17, 2009 | 05:25 PM (EST)


Think about it -- you're at the ripe old age of 30, and you might not be able to do the job you love to do anymore. The job that everyone said you wouldn't really succeed at. The job you literally gave blood, sweat and tears to, and proved the...

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Mr. President, You Can Act Like A Man. Yes You Can.

6 Comments | Posted September 8, 2009 | 05:43 PM (EST)


JOHNNY FONTAINE: I don't know what to do... I don't know what to do...
VITO CORLEONE: YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN! What's the matter with you?! Is this how you turned out? A Hollywood finocchio that ah cries like a woman? Boo hoo hoo, what can I do...

...
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Obama Hits The Wall

10 Comments | Posted June 18, 2009 | 03:30 PM (EST)


In the latest round of polling, President Obama seems to have finally hit a wall. As the excitement of his inauguration fades away, as does the relief that George W. Bush is no longer in the White House, the President's finding out what it's like to own the nation's problems....

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Conservatives: "Public Health Care Option Is The Best, But You Can't Have It"

34 Comments | Posted June 9, 2009 | 02:01 PM (EST)


The conservative mantra, for as far back as anyone can recall, is that the government can do no right, and the private sector can do no wrong, thanks to market principles of competition. "Government isn't the solution to our problem - Government is the problem," declared Ronald Reagan.

Well, that...

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Godspeed, GOP

14 Comments | Posted May 13, 2009 | 06:13 PM (EST)


The Republican Party is in shambles.

Yeah, I know. That's been kind of obvious for a while. But never was it crystallized more than in the two stories running today showing the party to be completely rudderless.

First, Adam Nagourney in the New York Times reports:

A party and...
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With Gregory, Opportunities for Meet the Press

Posted December 4, 2008 | 11:20 AM (EST)


With it all but official that NBC will choose David Gregory as the new moderator of Meet the Press, comes a tremendous opportunity to update the show, and continue to lead the field of Sunday programs. Or, the show could continue doing what it has done since Tim Russert...

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Why Rahm Is Right

Posted November 5, 2008 | 01:09 PM (EST)


Let me start this post by saying I'm no Rahm Emanuel fan. I don't like his vicious hatred of Howard Dean and the 50-state strategy (which I helped kick start back in the '04 election). I don't like how he's stared down the base sometimes. He's not a guy I...

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McCain's Closing Argument (No Joke): Obama Hates Special Needs Children

Posted October 24, 2008 | 10:45 AM (EST)


So this is how John McCain is going to go out. You can just picture the staff concocting this bizarre argument:

STEVE SCHMIDT: OK, so we say Obama hates old ladies.


MARK SALTER: Yeah, I like it!

STAFFER 1: Damnit. Guys, just got this on my Blackberry....

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"Socialist" McCain "Spreads The Wealth"

Posted October 21, 2008 | 02:22 PM (EST)


It's simply amazing to me that not one of our enterprising journalists have bothered to bring this up.

For all the ranting and raving about Senator Obama having "socialist" plans, and wanting to "spread the wealth," not one person has raised the fact that this is exactly what Senator...

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McCain Changes Desktop Wallpaper

Posted October 13, 2008 | 03:05 PM (EST)


The pre-spin for the week has been spun: That John McCain is hitting the "reset" button on his crashing campaign. Like a computer that froze, the spin goes, McCain is rebooting everything, starting today.

Except he's not. All McCain is doing is changing the desktop wallpaper. All he's doing...

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A New Low: McCain Camp Condones Violent Threats Against Obama

Posted October 10, 2008 | 05:00 PM (EST)


In a new low, not just for this campaign, but for the history of American politics, Senator John McCain's campaign today defended threats against Senator Barack Obama.

Says campaign spokesman Brian Rogers:

Barack Obama's attacks on Americans who support John McCain reveal far more about him than they do...
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McCain's New Strategy Incites Violent, Racist Reaction

Posted October 7, 2008 | 10:16 AM (EST)


Are you proud, John McCain? This is your campaign. In your quest for power, you threw out your morals, your principle, your past disdain for low-ball gutter smears. And now we know the reaction it has incited.

Are you proud?

In New Mexico, you asked the crowd, "Who is...

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The Line That Could Sink McCain-Palin

Posted October 3, 2008 | 05:14 PM (EST)


In last night's debate, there was one answer that caused the entire left blogosphere to spit coffee all over their keyboards, and worked Chris Matthews up. But, the line was largely lost in today's analysis. In the end, however, it could be the undoing of the McCain campaign.

In response...

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Palin's Debate Strategy and How Biden Can Beat It

Posted September 30, 2008 | 04:04 PM (EST)


I'd bet all the money I have right now (which is about $3.50 thanks to the stock market) that the McCain campaign is prepping Sarah Palin for the debates with two connected mantras, right now:

1) The clock is Biden's enemy, and
2) Pride comes before...

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McCain's Massive Fail

Posted September 29, 2008 | 10:11 PM (EST)


Whether you're happy that the Wall Street bailout was rejected by the House, or disappointed, one thing is abundantly clear - McCain went "all in" on the bailout, made it the single real-time test of his leadership. He quote-unquote "suspended" his campaign, so he could get down and dirty in...

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A Hat Tip for Lehrer

Posted September 29, 2008 | 12:50 PM (EST)


I know, I know. Everyone is worked up about which candidate won the debate. But, let me take a moment to praise the absolutely wonderful job Jim Lehrer did moderating this thing.

Lehrer did everything he promised - he set the stage with a top question, and got the hell...

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McCain Comes To Destroy Compromise, Not To Save It

Posted September 25, 2008 | 02:02 PM (EST)


And so it all comes into focus. Per Marc Ambinder, it seems that chatter on the Hill is that John McCain will come back to DC to destroy any compromise on a Wall Street bailout, rather than save it:

My colleague Nora McAvalnah tells me that sources close...
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McCain's Economic Freakout vs. Obama's Measured Reponse

Posted September 19, 2008 | 05:57 PM (EST)


They say how you campaign is how you'd govern. If that's true, a President John McCain would become easily frustrated from criticism during an economic collapse, and react with the "shoot first, ask questions later" temperament that we've all become accustomed to. Oh yeah, and he might cause a depression.

...
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Palin's Anti-Rape-Investigation Stance Raised by McCain Campaign. Will Reporters Question?

Posted September 16, 2008 | 09:13 AM (EST)


Mary Mapes is right. It's time for the media to get off their duffs, and look into what Sarah Palin's problem is with investigating rape cases, and whether John McCain is comfortable with it.

Here's what we know. First, the state had to pass a law to mandate...

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McCain Tacitly Admits Lies -- Then Distorts Facts

Posted September 15, 2008 | 06:13 PM (EST)


In all the hullabaloo about the investment banking meltdown (also known as the day I kissed my retirement goodbye), John McCain more or less admitted the lies in his most recent ads and claims to a collection of reporters in Florida. Reports the AP:

Did Barack Obama really...
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