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8 a.m. ET: Just as the White House is increasing its focus on Web-based grass-roots activism in hopes of boosting support for health-care reform, the on-the-ground tactics of reform opponents have become a subject of heated debate.
As the congressional recess begins, liberal blogs and activists have been highlighting the disruptive behavior of protesters at Democrats' town-hall events on health care. ThinkProgress last week posted a leaked memo from a volunteer affiliated with the conservative group FreedomWorks urging activists to "rattle" and "yell out" at Democratic lawmakers, "not try to have an intelligent debate." Democrats call them "“angry mobs of rabid right-wing extremists," similar to the more controversial attendees at McCain-Palin campaign rallies last year. The DNC is spreading Web ads highlighting the protesters' most disruptive tactics.
Josh Marshall mocks the demonstrations, writing: "with all the antics and ferocity, let's be honest, it's hard to deny there's a certain Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show quality to the whole scene." Democrats say they are prepared for the disruptions but don't plan to escalate tensions by fighting back aggressively, preferring to let the GOP tactics be judged on their own.
But Republicans say Democrats are simply trying to change the subject, attempting to steer the media's focus toward a few loud-mouthed protesters rather than the big-picture evidence that support is slipping for President Obama's reform efforts. James Taranto writes, "It’s easy to understand why the Democrats are pursuing this rhetorical strategy, but it is a risky one. ... Angry mobs are at best an acquired taste. But an awful lot of people have misgivings about ObamaCare. According to some polls, opponents already outnumber supporters. That means Democrats have a lot of persuading to do." RedState sarcastically notes the courage of one Democratic lawmaker, who ran out the back door of his own event "like a scared little bunny rabbit" rather than face protesters.
There is no question that there exists significant opposition at the GOP grassroots level to Obama's plans for reform. There's also no question that Washington-based "astroturf" groups, likely funded by stakeholders in the health-care industry and business community, are trying to stir the pot by making that opposition appear even more prevalent and vocal than it is. That's what astroturf groups do. Will their tactics be disruptive enough that Democrats will shy away from holding some events in August? Or might the most extreme examples help link health-care protests in the public mind with "birthers" and other fringe segments of the GOP? The answers will be a lot clearer by the end of August.
Obama is urging Senate Democrats to move forward on health care soon, with or without the cooperation of Republicans. The president, Roll Call reports, has been "hosting dozens of lawmakers at the White House since the middle of July in an outburst of personal presidential diplomacy designed to prod legislation toward a vote." As for Tuesday's meeting at the White House, Max Baucus called it "a wonderful meeting, led by a terrific man." Lobbyists are still flocking to the Senate this week, the Wall Street Journal reports, the leading edge of an all-out blitz on reform for August.
Bill Clinton, meanwhile, is due to arrive in California this morning with the two journalists he helped free from North Korea. The Washington Post asserts the transaction gave Kim Jong Il "a thin slice of the international legitimacy that has long eluded him." (The story also notes that North Korea "rejected the administration's first choice for the trip," Al Gore, whose Current TV employs the two journalists. Adding insult to injury, no?) The New York Times reports that Hillary Clinton was "deeply involved in the case" as well as her husband, and that it was she who first proposed that Gore go to North Korea. For his part, John Bolton was not a fan of the trip, calling it "a significant propaganda victory for North Korea."
On the Hill, the Senate is on track to approve two items before leaving town for recess -- Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, and a $2 billion funding boost for the "cash for clunkers" program. On Sotomayor, Senate Republicans have presented a mostly united front against the nominee, seemingly unconcerned about a possible backlash from Hispanic voters. Even though her confirmation appears assured, Stuart Taylor is still trying to figure out why Sotomayor ruled the way she did in the Ricci case.
By
Ben Pershing
|
August 5, 2009; 8:00 AM ET
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Go to full archive for The Rundown »
Posted by: winger1 | August 5, 2009 10:09 AM
HEALTH CARE RABBLE-ROUSERS: THE SPAWN OF AN AMERICAN GESTAPO
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow got to the nub of these phony protests last night when they correctly connected the dots between the anti- health care zealots and the teabaggers, the 2000 election recount "Brooks Brothers" demonstrators, and other hard-right rabble-rousing.
Fact is, the foot soldiers in this phony, ginned-up street theater don't have to be paid by anybody; there is strong evidence that many, if not most, of them already are affiliated with, and thus subsidized by, FEDERALLY-FUNDED community volunteer organizations...
...the same GPS-activated stormtrooper vigilantes that comprise a highly organized American Gestapo that works covertly with a secretive executive branch "multi-agency coordinated action program" to violate the civil and human rights of unjustly "targeted" neighbors -- making a mockery of the rule of law.
And victims report that silent, high-tech microwave/laser "directed energy weapons" are being used to degrade the very lives of the unjustly targeted.
Read the story that the mainstream media cannot or will not tell:
http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigilante-network-terrorizes-america
OR (if link is corrupted / disabled):
See "GESTAPO USA" at http://NowPublic.com/scrivener ("stream" or "stories" list).
Posted by: scrivener50 | August 5, 2009 10:28 AM
The anger over healthcare reform legislation is far more than "astroturf". However, if "astroturf" groups are engaged in trying to amp up the discontent over government healthcare, how does that differ from what Obama uses ACORN to do (except in not trying register Mickey Mouse to vote)?
Posted by: Buffal0Bill | August 5, 2009 11:01 AM
I am a retired school teacher from Ohio and am not a member of any" group." My husband and I just want to know more about health care because we are happy with what we have and ,in Ohio, think jobs are more important. When I called Senator Sherrod Brown's office this morning and asked where the next meeting would be I was told because of security and the importance of Sen Brown they couldn't tell me ! How could I find out ?
Posted by: melindaleekolb | August 5, 2009 1:51 PM
THE LIBERALS LIKE TO ATTTACK ANYONE THAT DOESN'T AGREE WITH THEM ON HEALTH CARE.THAT IS FUNNY SINCE ACORN IS OBAMAS ATTACK DOG AND THEY HAVE BEEN LABELING ANYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH HIM AS RACIST.THE FACT OF THE MATTER THEIR HEALT CARE REFORM WILL RUIN THE WORLDS BEST HEALTH CARE AND TURN THIS COUNTRY INTO ANOTHER FAILED SOCIALIZED MEDICINE COUNTRY.THIS BILL ALSO DISCRIMINATES AGAINST A SEGMENT OF OUR SOCIETY THAT HAS SACRIFICED THE MOST FOR OUR RIGHTS BY BEING TO OLD TO TREAT BECAUSE OF THE COST SO THEY CAN SAVE A BUCK. WHAT IS NEXT AFTER THEM WEIGHT CHALLENGED INDIVIDUALS. AT LEAST KREKOVORIAN HAD A HEART.
Posted by: tswank1 | August 5, 2009 2:47 PM
If anyone really thinks honestly for a minute or two, why would a president want to force something this big and important on all, unless he has other motives like power over the people. He stated he had not read it, many in congress stated the same. Then they can't understand it when they do read it, know think does any of this make sense??? No they want to force this on us, because they can gain all the power they need by claiming a national crisis, or disaster. This would permit them the government to force all citizens with whatever inoculations or treatments they see fit. I for one don't want them to have that power. If they were honest they would say that's too much power for any group or government.
Posted by: boski66 | August 5, 2009 2:52 PM
GOV'T FUNDED VOLUNTEER ORGS CO-OPTED BY RIGHT-WING -- AND LIBS NAIVELY LET IT HAPPEN.
Agree that "end of life counseling" raises legitimate fears of "eugenics." Also agree that libs have not spelled out how seniors' benefits might be cut back by reform.
But the main issue is access to quality health care, and the system is in need of reform to accomplish that goal.
These meeting disrupters are nothing but grassroots fascists, and it appears many of them are affilated with GOVERNMENT-FUNDED community volunteer organizations such as Citizen Corps and Infragard.
In other words -- the extreme right wing has finagled a way to have government agencies subsidize its agenda, and the libs are too naive to figure it out.
Wake up, believers in the rule of law, and read this:
http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigilante-network-terrorizes-america
OR http://NowPublic.com/scrivener RE: "GESTAPO USA"
Posted by: scrivener50 | August 5, 2009 3:22 PM
I have read on some of the liberal political mailing lists that the FBI go tcalled and knows about these many town halls across the country. If these right wingers attempt to shut down a town hall, they might run into plain clothes FBI agents or plain clothes police officers.
Sign these petitions
http://bit.ly/drug_benefit
http://bit.ly/HR676
http://bit.ly/single_payer_ross
Posted by: DEMOCRATZoORG | August 5, 2009 5:56 PM
If the congress want to pass health care. then do it. don't worry about all the protesting going on if you believe they are planted. but let's see how many of them get re-elected by the mob then
Posted by: nov2008cruise | August 7, 2009 1:55 PM
If you believe that all of these orginary-looking, middle-class Americans at these meetings are "planted," then you are extremely out of touch with what most Americans believe is a fundamental right - the right of choice over their own health care. Apparently, this is not the time in history to address deficiencies in the plan. Americans are exasperated and want answers. They can't get answers from those who are passing legislation that will determine the quality of their lives through medical decisions. Why can't Democrats, liberals, and media accept that government CANNOT solve the problem? If you want change, then regulate the insurance industry. But don't expect Americans to sit idly by, quietly and "respectfully" accepting the outrageous violation of our constitution, our individual liberties, and our dignity.
Sorry - most Americans you see at these meetings do not want this health care. It is as simple as that. Accept the inevitable outrage if the out-of-touch and disrespectful Democrats force this one through.
Posted by: LangstonLaura | August 9, 2009 12:18 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.


We'll have to wait and see, because you never know for sure, but my values and judgment cause me to believe that the once intelligent and ethical Republicans are digging their hole deeper, spitting into the wind, and disgracing themselves on this one as never before by either party on any subject.