moodyguppy:

As for the whole rattle the monkey cage thing - get someone's base in an uproar as a distraction... first, I don't buy it. Second, doing that is a particularly craven way to operate. It's not a charge I'd expect to be leveled at a democratic administration at least in this forum, even if the administration is staffed in part by self-proclaimed maoists and truthers.

It's not a distraction. It's saying "Here's what the opposition looks like;" effectively showing that Republican leadership is really the personalities on Fox and talk radio--which it is, for all intents and purposes. It's saying "If you want to know what they've got, look here." Like any good defense it concentrates on the weakness of the opponent's offense, rather than attack it at its strongest points.

That's politics. I don't see a big downside for Obama on this.