Schock sees the signs, but misses the mark

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) has a new YouTube video out this week touting the GOP’s “YouCut” program. And Republicans have been tweeting the video like crazy.

But some could see the ad as having a mixed message. The minute-long spot focuses on the cost of the signs posted outside of construction projects identifying them as “Recovery and Reinvestment Act” programs. Schock stands in front of an unimpressive version of one of these signs, which he calls “propaganda,” and says it cost more than $10,000 to create.

The ad is designed to provoke outrage over the cost of the signs, but it also features Schock saying, “I’m sure you’ve seen [these signs] all around the country” — inadvertently reminding viewers that recovery projects are happening all over the place, which is a major Democratic talking point.

And finally there’s the music. For an outrage video, the cheerful, B.B. King-style blues guitar feels just a little too much like everything’s A-OK.

A spokesman for Schock told ITK that he had spotted four signs for one project in Illinois. “We’re just giving the public a chance to vote on stopping this spending via the … YouCut program,” he said.

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