The message doesn't overcome the messenger

David Freddoso notes the Dems' failure to fix the AMT and says: "If the Republicans were wise about this, then every single Republican Congressman and candidate would be giving home-district speeches and calling local news stations and newspapers to do interviews on this issue. This is an issue that hits very close to home for a lot of people." Obvious problem with that strategy: if Congressional Republicans took that advice, I would imagine most voters with their eyes on the ball (and anyone at the "local news stations and newspapers" who's a passably-competent journalist) would ask why, if this is such an important issue, the GOP didn't do anything about it during our four years in total control of the federal legislative process from 2003 through 2007? Members of Congress face a similar credibility problem on this to the President's on vetoing pork-loaded appropriations bills. The long version of this post's title would be that clarity and correctness of the message doesn't always overcome the credibility of the messenger who's delivering it. The abysmal performance of the President and Congress while the GOP was in charge really limits the credibility on many issues of people who were involved in the decisionmaking, and even if you're a Congressman who objected to the orgy of spending, you arrive with a rebuttable presumption against you, with the taint of guilt by association. The Democrats also have a credibility problem, too - the AMT was all their idea in the first place, let's not forget, and it's true that they've sat on their hands - but there's a real question over whether we have the credibility to exploit that weakness.

Added: obviously this does not go for Republican candidates for office who were not in office during that period. So Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, Greg Goode etc. can and should criticize with impunity. And some GOP members of Congress did object, so those who can build the case that they're credible on the issue (Tom Coburn, for example) should do likewise at their own risk.