Overpromise, Underdeliver
By Mitch Berg
So as I was on my way home from work last night, I was listening to “Marketplace Money” on MPR last night. The interminably smug Khai Riszdahl teed up a story about the town hall protests:
“Protests this big have to take a lot of money to coordinate. Find out who’s paying the bill, up next on Marketplace Money.”
“Hmmm”, I thought. “Maybe, after all these months of hearing lefties yapping about how grassroots conservatism is really all coordinated from “faux” news and asking for some actual names and proof and evidence and stuff, we’ll get some actual names!”
So I listened.
And learned that “as many as 3/4 of lobbyists don’t have to be registered”, and that “you don'[t have to be a registered lobbyist to arrange demonstrations”.
Registering as a lobbyist to arrange demonstrations? So the problem, according to the relentlessly left-leaning Marketplace Money, isn’t that they have proof that Richard Mellon Scaife is paying big money to bring people out to demonstrate against Obama’s agenda. It’s apparently that the Administration doesn’t have a written record of who its critics are.
Yet.
Question, lefties: What if a conservative organization were ponying up to help channel populist anger against Obama’s minions? ACORN pays for mobs; Citizens for a Supine “Safer” Minnesota pays for tiny demonstrations; Media Matters manufactures outrage; the Center for “Independent” Media supports “grassroots” lefty media and tells them what to write, and resists disclosing that it’s financially related to all the above.
Even if it were true that some Rove-ish figure on the right is providing financial and logistical support to these demonstrations, how is that any different?
At any rate – the left wants it to be true. Which is all that matters to the likes of Khai Ryszdahl and “Marketplace Money”.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Orthogonally: I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has noticed that a lot of the town hall protest tactics seem to come right out of Alinsky. The notion — which I think actually makes sense in terms of policy — of asking Democratic Congresscritters if they’re willing to give up their gilt-edged health care plans for Obamacare is textbook Rule Four.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Left wing interest groups tend to be supported by people who believe in stuff. Right wing interest groups tend to be supported by companies that believe in making money.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:52 am
angryclown tends to make up stuff that confirms his won prejudices.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:55 am
companies that believe in making money.
In another context, community organizers.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Damn those fatcat community organizers, living in their gated communities, sending their kids to the best private schools!
There are certainly right-wing groups that are fueled primarily by your wacky wingnut beliefs, rather than by corporate interests: pro-gun and anti-immigration groups come to mind. But scratch a group that pretends to represent grass-roots interest in smoker’s rights, tort reform or “the truth” about global warming and you’ll find lots of industry money and high-priced PR guys.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:37 am
“Even if it were true that some Rove-ish figure on the right is providing financial and logistical support to these demonstrations, how is that any different?”
It’s called intimidation, it’s a threat to free speech to have people funding buses of people to come in and shout people down. It’s a threat to the foundation of principles we all supposedly believe in.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:51 am
There, see? *That’s* some funny shit right there!
Do more teh Peevee…do more!
August 7th, 2009 at 8:51 am
It’s called intimidation, it’s a threat to free speech to have people funding buses of people to come in and shout people down. It’s a threat to the foundation of principles we all supposedly believe in.
So would asking citizens to report “fishy” conversations to the White House, Peev.
But scratch a group that pretends to represent grass-roots interest in smoker’s rights, tort reform or “the truth” about global warming and you’ll find lots of industry money and high-priced PR guys.
Gasp, anything but that! The First Amendment is a real bitch sometimes, huh?
August 7th, 2009 at 8:57 am
“We want your help to organize major unions to counter the right-wing ‘Tea Party Patriots’ who will try to disrupt those meetings as they’ve been trying to do to meetings for the last month,” AFL-CIO President John Sweeney
Getting unions to shout down grass roots activists seems a bit more worrisome to me.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Hey, big companies and hired liars got every right to say whatever they want, Mr. D(umb). But let’s just not pretend they’re something they’re not.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:07 am
From a live blog of Congresswoman Kathy Castor’s town hall meeting.
5:55 PM Doors opened Ooops… first three rows of seating ALREADY filled with pro-government Healthcare pro-Obama supporters. Also, signs posted in support of Govt Healthcare. Chant of “Not Fair” fill the lobby. Lots of anger.
5:56 PM First public attendees, there since 3:30PM are angered, but try to enter. Until one tries to bring in an anti-government healthcare sign. Blocked at door by individuals apparently in charge of organization. (More about them later) CHANTS, verbal outrage voiced by the crowd of signed-in citizens. Now numbering more than 200.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:11 am
But let’s just not pretend they’re something they’re not.
Americans?
August 7th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Honest.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Eye witness report from Russ Carnahan’s Town Hall meeting
I was at the event. My name is David Brown. I am an atty in St. Louis. My friend, Kenneth Gladney, who is black, was passing out Don’t Tread on Me Flags and Tea Party buttons at the end of the event to Tea Party supporters and conservatives. He was then called a racial slur by two SEIU members. He was then attacked by two black males (SEIU reps) and white male, another SEIU rep., and a white woman. The punched him in the face and he fell to the ground. He was then kicked and punched by all four. One fled on foot, and three were arrested. Kenneth was taken to St. John’s Mercy Hospital to the emergency room. He has suffered numerous injuries.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:18 am
But let’s just not pretend they’re something they’re not.
Fair enough. And I’ll also try not to pretend that the thundering e-mails my wife gets from AFSCME are just helpful suggestions.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:49 am
But let’s just not pretend they’re something they’re not.
Honest.
Only if you stop pretending Obama is honest.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:50 am
“Left wing interest groups tend to be supported by people who believe in stuff.”
Especially stuff they get for free that others have to pay for.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:51 am
something they’re not.
Let’s see – they’re not:
MoveOn.org members
ACORN members/clients
SEIU members
AFSCME organizers
Media Matters empoyees
“Reporters” from Center for “Independent” Media organs
MAPE members
The First Amendment only applies to them. I keep forgetting.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:00 am
The only big economic players that reliably fund Democrats and leftist causes are Unions and trial lawyers. When you stack them up against nearly every industry in America it ain’t exactly an even fight. Few people make money on the left. ACORN members/clients? Media Matters employees? Please. You think a lot of those people are taking home six figures a year?
August 7th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Tort reform is bad now? Oh yeah, angryclown is a law talking guy. A little self interest talking there angryclown?
August 7th, 2009 at 10:08 am
“The only big economic players that reliably fund Democrats and leftist causes are Unions and trial lawyers”
And you accuse others of dishonesty? What absolute B.S.!
Most sectors of industry try to suck up to both parties, but anyone who wants to be hip, groovy, and populist is reliably Democrat and “green”.
It might be time to end your vacation in the world of make-believe, angryclown.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Few people make money on the left. ACORN members/clients? Media Matters employees? Please. You think a lot of those people are taking home six figures a year?
You need a BMW to go to a demonstration and bellow on command? Or to rough up people who are “too well-dressed?”
Who knew?
August 7th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Not so good with the reading, eh Troy? Key word is “reliably.” Yeah, companies tend to pay for access to whomever’s in power, Republican or Democrat. Yet they will reliably pay to lobby against environmental and safety regulation, consumer protection and other measures that are supported by Democrats. And the money on the other side of those issues is relatively miniscule. They just happen to be popular with, you know, people.
Come back sometime when you’re a little smarter and maybe we’ll continue this discussion.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Few people make money on the left.
Oh please. How much taxpayer money did ACORN get from the $787 billion “stimulus” bill? Little hint: it was 8 digits.
When Clownie’s pals get together it’s “community organizing”. When Clownies opponents get together it’s “dishonest”.
You are a hypocrite.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Wow, what an intellectually dishonest answer, Mitch! The issue is whether there’s more money funding lefty causes or wingnut causes. It ain’t close.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:21 am
No, Clown, the issue is “is there big money orchestrating the grassroots response to “Healthcare” “reform”. That was the issue in the post.
Oh, and speaking of intellectual fingers-cross-edness; yes, the Unions and the Trial Lawyers are the biggest steady sources of income – and I have no idea why you act like that’s chopped liver. It’s huge, and more important it’s relentlessly steady.
Case in point: In the 2002 MN Senate race, Paul Wellstone (before the crash) and Norm Coleman raised about the same amount of money. Coleman had five times as many donors, and most were from Minnesota. This basic pattern repeats itself over and over; most of the money against Michele Bachmann was in big bundles from outside Minnesota. So who’s got the big money?
“Every other industry in America” is pretty flighty in its political support. Software companies used to be libertarian; they tend to be liberal today. Manufacturing was traditionally conservative, but many of them want universal healthcare today.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Sure, lefty causes get short shrift in the public forum. That’s why they have to prepack these “townhalls” had use union thugs to force protestors out.
Why you practically never hear Obama talking about health care in the media!
August 7th, 2009 at 11:25 am
angryclown said:
“Yet they will reliably pay to lobby against environmental and safety regulation, consumer protection and other measures that are supported by Democrats”
“They”? What over-generalistic crap.
What “environmental and safety regulation” do the tech industries “lobby against”? And “environmental” concerns from the service industries? And “safety” concerns from the financial industries? You obviously buy into all this “industry bad” garbage (well, except your industry, right?). You are one sad little munchkin.
“And the money on the other side of those issues is relatively miniscule. They just happen to be popular with, you know, people.”
Until they get the bill. Then they become less popular, fast.
“Come back sometime when you’re a little smarter and maybe we’ll continue this discussion”
You’re awfully full of yourself for someone so devoid of information.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Troy, Clownie is an agent (thug) for the SEIU. It must be true, because I just said it.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:33 am
angryclown said:
“The issue is whether there’s more money funding lefty causes or wingnut causes”
That would be “moonbat causes”.
And, unless “more money” == “evil”, this is a pretty dumb issue.
Which side has more union goons? Which side has the power of the federal government? Which side effectively owns the media?
Oh yeah, poor little Davids, how will they ever win?
August 7th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
By his tone, Clown sounds a-scared.
This means that he doesn’t like the odds on the President’s team. Keep writing stuff like this, Mitch and team.
August 7th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Wait, it’s the Right that has paid protesters? I don’t think so. I just got this from MoveOn:
We’ve got a plan to fight back against these radical right-wingers. We’ve hired skilled grassroots organizers who are working with thousands of local volunteers to show Congress that ordinary Americans continue to support President Obama’s agenda for change. And we’re building new online tools to track events across the country and make sure MoveOn members turn out at each one.
August 7th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
“hired skilled grassroots organizers”
Wait! Isn’t that the exact definition of astroturfing?
August 7th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Only if you’re a Republican.
But as I noted in the piece above – nobody can actually name any “organizers”, show any “money”, connect any but the more specious dots.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I just want to know where they hide all the buses?
August 7th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
“companies that believe in making money.”
As opposed to govmint bearcrapcrisies taking money.
Troy, Burbots like AssClown only have self interest in mind.
I heard that there was an ad on craigs list to pay people $11 hr to go door to door in support of the ObamaNationCare bill.
“It’s called intimidation, it’s a threat to free speech…”
You are called a moron, peevee. Thick as a brick. Dumb as a box of rocks.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I want to know how The One Who Won, and his supporters like Peev, could possibly be intimidated when they won and have tons of support.
Didn’t Peev parrot some nonsense that Conservatism Is Dying (like he says every month) and that conservatism is lost, and the Progressives (PROGRESSIVES!… who could possibly be against progress???) are now in control?
How could you get intimidated by such a small number? Unless, of course, your skirt is billowing up over your head, Peev. In which case, you’re a girl.
August 7th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
The Robbins/Sarandon “chill wind” is what blew Peev’s skirt up and he never pulled it back down. As a result, he can’t see the alligator that’s about to bite him and the rest of us tax-payers in the butt.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Bozo- “Companies that believe in making money.” As opposed to what_ companies that don`t believe in making money? That`s bad? Back to the big tent!
August 8th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
No, jimf(uckhead). Companies are supposed to make money. That’s what their job is. They’re not supposed to care about the good of the country. Typically they don’t.