White House to kick communications into overdrive to spread message in 2010

The White House is gearing up its communications team to be sharper more aggressive in 2010, the Washington Post reports.

The new strategy is already evident: Biden’s dual appearances on Sunday morning shows this weekend, as well as Obama’s proposal for a televised healthcare summit later this month, are both part of a White House effort to gain control of the media narrative.

According to the Post, the new effort will have four planks.

First, “return to the disciplined messaging that was a hallmark of the 2008 campaign, in which unhelpful themes were filtered out in favor of topics that advanced the candidate’s goals.”

Second, “quicker, more aggressive response to GOP attacks on the president and his policies.”

Third is advance work: “The image of Obama standing in the Diplomatic Room surrounded by men in dark suits will be replaced, as often as possible, by scenes of a more relaxed president in crowds.”

Fourth, the White House will seeks to once again seize the theme of “change.”

In general, the White House thinks it has let Congress control the message too often.