Posted by: Sister Toldjah on August 13, 2009 at 11:49 am
Via Andrew Malcolm:
It seems that, despite all the media attention lavished on e-mail appeals to his supporters, not everyone pushing for President Obama’s embattled healthcare reform plan these warm August days is an idealistic volunteer in it for the sake of helping move the country forward and gaining medical attention for millions of uninsured Americans.
The website’s large-type headline announces: “Work to Pass Obama’s Healthcare Plan and Get Paid to Do it! $10-15 hr!”
It’s a web ad on Craigslist: “You can work for change. Join motivated staff around the country working to make change happen. You can make great friends and money along the way. Earn $400-$600 a week.”
So both sides appear to have paid lobbyists in this colossal summertime struggle for public opinion and control of the multi-billions flowing into the nation’s burdened healthcare system.
The ad links to the Boston-based Fund for the Public Interest, an umbrella organization that rounds up people to round up support, money and signatures for all kinds of campaigns, including healthcare reform and the environment.
It’s hiring and assigning canvassers to work in at least 28 states, including California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Oregon, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey.
I guess being paid to volunteer is also another definition of “grassroots activism“?
I don’t know whether or not this group is “officially” affiliated with the DNC and/or Obama or not, but either way, this story confirms that there are people out there being paid to promote “healthcare reform” – this is something the Obama admin and other Democrats strongly condemned when it was alleged that this was happening with anti-ObamaCare “mobsters.” I won’t hold my breath waiting for any condemnation this time around.
Between the “paid volunteers” (gotta love that term), the lobbyists working within and outside of the Obama admin in order to promote and push ObamaCare, and the SEIU thugs who are playing the “scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” game with President Obama and the Democrats via showing up “in force” at town halls across the country to “counter” the “conservative mobsters,” I’d say the left has got Astroturfing pretty much down pat. Especially when you consider that Barack Obama’s chief adviser, David Axelrod, has long been known as the King of Astroturfing.
When will the MSM zero in and focus on the blatant hypocrisy of the left – including the admnistration – on the issue of “Astroturfing”? Oh, about the 12th of Never. They’re too busy trying to smear the entire anti-ObamaCare movement based on the actions of a small few – including the actions of someone who isn’t even a conservative.
Update/Related – 1:48 PM: ObamaCare fans take Astroturfing to a new level
Velvet Lair
They can organize & pay people to support ObamaCare but if the other side even attempts to mount an organized protest, they send out the ACORN radicals and Union thugs to create violence.
I have never in my life seen so much deception with smoke & mirrors and the endorsement of the MSM. When did truth become a four-letter word in journalism?
I’m wondering if in addition to paying the “volunteers” they also provide them with generous heath insurance benefits? After all, that’s a mandate they want to impose on greedy businesses.
Regarding the Astroturfing incident in Houston, I just want people to know that I am from Texas and I am ashamed of Sheila Jackson Lee.
Check out my re-post of Sammy Benoit’s piece on this subject at LINK. Betcha Soros’ smudged fingerprints are all over this one.
Yeah, everyone’s lobbying for or against the Obamanation and getting paid for it. Except for those on the right and center who show up of their own volition and voice their disapproval of Congress and the Prez for trying to either shove this thing down our throats or up our backsides; these folks as far as I know aren’t being paid, and from what I can see don’t wanna be paid for their votes (unlike a couple of “grassroots organizations” and unions that are prominently displaying nazi/fascist tactics. The lobbyists against the congressional bill are doing it the same way the unions are, in the backrooms and out of the public eye. The difference is the pro-Obama lobbyists (SEIU, unions in general, ACORN, etc.) have access to both the congressional donks AND the Prez. Anti’s have access only to the minority Republicans and “blue dogs”. Why should they spend money on protesters? The protesters are doing it for free!
New definition for “astroturfing”: donkey politics as usual
John Stossel has a wonderful phrase to explain ObamaCare: rank superstition!
If that doesn’t describe the proposed plans to a “T”, I don’t know what would.
Yes, the left wing organizations have been crying crocodile tears about the “organized” efforts of the “mobsters” who want to shoot down Obamacare.
I guess that is why it is so heartening to see them sending two bus loads of ACORN and union supporters to Arlen Spector’s town hall the other day. They surely are catching up to the “fascist right wing radicals”. They even had T shirt and ACORN buttons proudly worn by the throng, some who were actually from Pittsburgh! Way to go lefties! They even managed to have nicely printed signs that all matched….glory be! They were so nice… while they assembled outside in the 90 degree heat they only shouted really loud (using electric megaphones)at the senseless rabble that had come to pester poor old Senator Spector. (
Nick Nichols has a great point in a column at TownHall today. He asks why we should trust a government with health care when it can’t even make money running a brothel and selling whiskey?
Well, like we been sayin’ for a long time…