Everybody Knows what Everybody Knows

Not that this will come as much of a surprise to those of you who follow the Bush Administration, but apparently President Bush is using the tried and true formula of giving speeches only to those people who already agree with him. The Washington Post has the story.

The White House follows a practiced formula for each of the meetings. First it picks a state in which generally it can pressure a lawmaker or two, and then it lines up panelists who will sing the praises of the president's plan. Finally, it loads the audience with Republicans and other supporters.

Nothing particularly wrong with this strategy, but important that we all be aware of it. When Republicans want to pretend that the American people support President's plan, we shouldn't let them use these cheering crowds as proof.