09/12/2009 10:44:35 AM EST
Right Wing Radical Underground Emerges:Tea Party and 9/12 AstroTurf Whack Jobs Rally in DC
posted by MRFred
Fall is almost here. The GOP is getting a jump on the season with an early harvest of "nuts." The nuts will be gathered in DC by Fox news and Glen Beck and corporate America.
Tonight right-wing "protesters" will gather in Washington, DC for a march to oppose: President Obama,health reform, President Obama, "corruption," President Obama , the conversion to a socialist style government, President Obama, demand evidence that Obama is an American citizen and President Obama.
Did I mention they would protest, their words, "President Obama".
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" The event, scheduled intentionally on Sept. 12 to coincide with the anniversary of the day following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was conceived largely by Fox News' Glenn Beck. Beck, the McCarthyite Fox News talk show host who has lost dozens of advertisers for calling Obama a "racist," is a relentless promoter of his 9/12 Project.
However, most of the day-to-day organizing has been orchestrated by a now familiar set of lobbyists and Republican operatives who have helped plan anti-Obama "grassroots" tea party events since February.
In addition, a set of far-right groups are supporting the event, bringing along self-described "American mob members" to join in on the Obama-bashing.BECK EXPLOITS 9/11: In the past, Beck has said he "hates" the families of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In 2007, Beck criticized the supporters of the Ron Paul "Revolution" who did a fundraiser on Guy Fawkes Day: "It's really not the way I would go, tying my movement in with a historical terrorist attack, especially in post-9/11 America." Nonetheless, Beck hosted a special program earlier this year announcing his initiative called the "9/12 Project" -- an effort to ostensibly recreate the patriotic unity after the September 11 attacks. In addition to standing for Sept. 12, according to Beck, "9/12" stands for nine principles -- beginning with "America Is Good" and "I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life" -- and 12 values -- including "Reverence" and "Personal Responsibility." But far from calling for common ground, Beck explained that the purpose was to demonize his political opponents and declared that his movement would "surround them." He has also implored listeners to attend the rally because they "may be the only thing that stands between freedom and slavery." Members of the 9/12 Project have become a vocal -- and sometimes violent -- presence at townhall meetings and political protests. The 9/12 project website, owned by Beck's media company Mercury Radio Arts, directs readers to his radio newsletter.
CORPORATE GOP FUNDING: While Beck and his allies in right-wing media have provided a platform of constant publicity and coverage for the event, FreedomWorks, led by corporate lobbyist and former Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey, is coordinating the march and running its official website. The FreedomWorks organizers tell participants that "it is imperative" to "maintain the populist imagery," including a logo that invokes the Black Power salute. Starting in August, Beck began directing viewers to the FreedomWorks website at the end of his Fox News show. Billed as a "grassroots" rally, the event is actually sponsored by Republican political action committees and corporate front groups. The top sponsors are the right-wing think tank National Taxpayers Union. Another top sponsor, Tea Party Patriots, is an astroturf website run by FreedomWorks staffers who have rebuffed members objecting to the march's logo.
Our Country Deserves Better -- a Republican PAC that has compared Obama to Hitler -- operates the Tea Party Express, a bus tour arriving in DC for the 9/12 march. Other sponsors include the Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, corporate front groups that claim smoking is good for you and global warming doesn't exist. Both organizations have received millions of dollars from Philip Morris, ExxonMobil and Koch Industries, the largest privately-held company in the United States. The American Conservative Union, another sponsor, is run by David Keene, a lobbyist for a firm that represents private health care companies, including the insurer HealthFirst. Many of these groups -- each of which paid up to $10,000 to FreedomWorks to participate as sponsors -- were pivotal in providing assistance to attendees of rowdy town halls in August and anti-Obama tea party protests. Part of their strategy was encouraging anger and intimidation against lawmakers supporting health care and clean energy reform was part of the strategy.
GOP FUNDED RADICAL UNDERGROUND EMERGES: The official sponsorship list of the rally reveals a subterranean, extreme element of the American right in attendance. One of the top sponsors is the extremist organization Grassfire.org, which runs ResistNet.com for "Patriotic citizens who are opposing the Obama-led socialist agenda." Members of the ResistNet -- who promote anti-semitic Nazi propaganda, claim Obama is a Muslim, and praise the assassination of doctors -- are organized on Grassfire against health care reform ("Government-Run Socialized Health Care"), clean energy reform ("Cap-and-Trade Tax"), and immigration reform ("Amnesty for illegals"). Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) -- who is sponsoring and speaking at the 9/12 rally -- has praised Grassfire.org for its "great service to the American people." The National Association for Rural Landowners, a bronze sponsor, references the incidents at Waco and Ruby Ridge to call for attacks on "government entities" and liberals. In a YouTube video posted in July, the group makes the case for a secession, followed by a violent civil war. Similarly, another 9/12 cosponsor, FreeRepublic, is a forum for various radical right causes. As ThinkProgress reported, the shooter at the Holocaust museum found a welcome audience for his writings on the website. Despite the inclusion of such anti-government extremists, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) all plan to attend and speak"
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Dont believe the high minded smoke screen about freedom, liberty and the Constitution.
The simple fact is that you can ignore all of the above and focus on one thing and one thing only: taxes. These folks will say anything, do anything, believe anything to disassemble the social safety net in the US to get a tax cut and favorable treatment by the government for the corporate sponsors.
It's that simple.
Most of these " protesters" won't see , or are too stupid to see the big target drawn on the back of their heads. Once the GOP is back in power, the sell out of the American worker will continue, Wall St will be allowed to run rampant through the economy.
Wall Street and GOP insiders will get a big profit boost, Joe Sixpack will get a lecture about personal responsibility when his job is shipped overseas to China.
But, don't worry Teabaggers, you can always pray for food.
And if health care reform is defeated you can pray for a miracle after your health insurance cuts your coverage in the middle of your chemo.
Gotta watch the bottom line you know.
Article courtesy of thinkprogress.org