Talking points memos have gone out to the House Dems.
They have been told to make nice with you, serve cookies and punch, smile and be non-confrontational. Also they’ve been told to meet you only in small groups so they don’t have any more photo ops of large numbers of people opposing Obamacare.
They will try and run some jive past you about how this is a “new and improved bill, incorporating Republican ideas like tort reform”. Don’t believe that B.S. for one second!
” TELL THEM THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME TO SPEAK WITH A CROWD OF CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT ARMED WITH TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS”
Exactly! Its coming out of congress and DC, KILL IT.
"Strengthening" Medicare after gutting it isn't fair rhetoric. They just slashed payments to doctors. Increasing coverage 50% after reducing it 50% isn't an improvement. Tell 'em to cite exactly what the recent/current/future CUTS entail, _then_ have them reconcile that with "strengthened".
“TO: Capitol Hill Front Line Deployment Troops of the Tea Party Movement of the Republic
FROM: Office of Common Sense
DATE: March 15, 2010
RE: Capitol Hill Etiquette and Strategy
As many of you have committed, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, tens of thousands of you and your fellow conservative and Tea Party activists will be on the Hill as part of what we have christened as a righteous, democratic “Surge Against Obamacare.” Rick Scott, a hard working American man from the health care industry, is helping to lead the grassroots effort along with a number of other groups in support of the United States Constitution like Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks. While many of you have met with Congresspeople in the past either on the Hill or in their offices or at Town Hall meetings to attempt to overturn this unwarranted Federal Government takeover of 16% of the U.S. economy through incremental “PROGRESSIVIST” bolshevism, we wanted to remind you of some of the best practices to review before you come to Washington, D.C. and storm the Hill, and take back YOUR United States House of Representatives in meeting with legislators and their staff members:
1. Be prepared. Patriots from all walks of life are expected to begin arriving around 9am and we are to be insistent to have meetings, and therefore you are encouraged to wait in Members’ offices until you can have a meeting. Please be orderly but firm and show your displeasure without any kind of friendly overture to any Congressmember who is either on board for Obamacare or is wavering and is reported to be moving in the direction of Obamacare. Educate interns and other staff members about where you have come from, and how such a horrendous piece of legislation is going to negatively effect you and your community, and essentially turn you and your children and grandchildren into a “tax slaves”, which is something under no circumstances that you can countenance. There may be a large number of you visiting. If you cannot fit into the Member’s office, wait outside in the hallway. Be patient and business-like, in the hallways display badges and warmly greet any Member or staff member who passes by who offers encouragement as well. Get their names and tell them you will support them for reelection because they have been standing for the Rule of Law.
2. Meet “Hill” staff and/or Members in large groups if possible; and pick and eloquent spokesman for you to facilitate, to keep on message, to cut off ramblers, but to also encourage others in the groups to speak up and give the Members a piece of their mind. Particularly passionate, eloquent and influential speakers should be allowed to speak for a lengthy time to fire up our troops and put fear in the ranks of the Democrats that we mean business;
3. Ask for extra chairs or seating to be brought to Member’s offices or the hallway in case there are seniors or disabled visitors are in your group that need to be accommodated;
4.DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING, NO MATTER HOW TRIVIAL, FROM THE REPRESENTATIVES OR THEIR STAFF, NO MATTER HOW CORDIAL (IF FROM THE OFFICE OF A SUPPORTER OF OBAMACARE OR A FENCE SITTER WHO APPEARS TO PERHAPS SHIFT IN SUPPORT OF OBAMACARE). THIS IS THE FUTURE OF THE REPUBLIC WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. WE ARE NOT GOING UP THERE TO GET BUTTER COOKIES TO BE “BUTTERED UP.” Do not accept light snacks, H2O, and any coffee available, we are not to be bought off and such an atmosphere, while civil, should also be deadly serious; indicate, when you decline, that you have already independently had these things prior to visiting; it is also suggested serious, long faces showing extreme disgust with the Congress be our “war faces” of the day. Practice this in the mirror tonight. Psyche yourselves up. Look at photos of children and grandchildren. Get angry over this, very angry. Do not give into any kind of Congressional staff emolument, no matter how trivial or offered by a sweet, chirpy, 20-something former cheerleader who serves as greeter or constituent relations person on staff. Again, when given snacks, refuse and state “we are not here to eat or be fed, we are here to conduct very serious business ma’am (or sir), “;
5. DO take signs and banners inside offices. Do so until told you cannot do so. YouTube such encounters if someone states you are not able to bring in such a sign. Do not relent and challenge them to quote the Congressional law which forbids you free expression of right through grassroots-level, home made American signs from the heart.
6. Prioritize listening to your Congressman explain his position and justify it, and then strongly counter it with facts:
· Sign multiple guest books/comment sheets available for all visitors to sign-in and leave strongly worded comment—and threats of their defeat at the polls in 2010 if they dare vote “up” on this travesty - we recommend you make every effort to sign the book for the resident’s of that district. Bring your own Capitol Directories and maps available to direct visitors to their Member of Congress and written instructions on how to get over to the Senate side of the Hill, and show your knowledge of the Hill, politely but firmly do not accept any kind of assistance from the Members if they are in the Obamacare camp—and keep stern faces during the entire office visit.
· Don’t accept the typical beltway bureaucratic bullshit that there is limited rationale for your Member to meet with out-of-district constituents, even if they have already had other business or meetings previously scheduled with constituents who had planned to visit with them tomorrow on other topics. Do not let the Capital Hill staff control either the agenda or the narrative; take control. This is the PEOPLE’s HOUSE, you pay their salary, and you let them know this fact over and over if necessary. They may have a sense of elitist, liberal entitlement; give them a real taste of “Average Americans” from “Flyover Country”. Accept not lies nor tricks of Capitol Hill. Post people at each and every exit and entrance to Congressman’s office (usually there are two or three doors in addition to the main public entrance door. Stake out restrooms, the entry way to “Member’s Only” House and Senate Elevators”, dining rooms, barbershops, staff stationary stores, anywhere you might encounter a Member of Congress, whom you can usually spot by a badge they wear and usually sycophantic behavior by young people around them who are staffers and will have neck badges.
. Assert and push in large groups, mentally overpower them with our force and might in a non violent yet proactive manner:
. As Democrats gleaned in August, they tactically feel small groups are typically the best venue for exchanges on this complicated topic which they can manage and spin easily; therefore, increase your numbers...the more the merrier. Intimidate. Place your tallest and biggest Joe-the-Plumber type men (and aggressive, articulate women!) up in the very front of your delegation group.
· Liberals on the Hill think that many of us Patriots are somehow not opposing the actual provisions in this horrendous bill, but are instead reacting to what they would say is caricature of the reform bill presented by effective, conservative media outlets and spokespeople. Go in confidently and with the facts. Don’t fall for the bullshit that somehow conservative and GOP ideas and concerns are addressed in the legislation, a joke on it’s face:
It DOES NOT reduces the deficit;
It will open the floodgates of Medicare waste, fraud, and abuse;
Small businesses and individuals forced to purchase health insurance will be unfairly and unconstitutionally co-erced and negative effected;
Any provisions to allow consumers to shop for health insurance across state lines via multi-state compacts can be cleverly stripped; in short, we DO NOT NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE BUSINESS OF HEALTH CARE, PERIOD!;
There will be no control of medical malpractice reforms, (and will thus continue the weak performance of RINOs in Congress before—as a non-partisan, conservative movement, insist on the end of malpractice and assert the need for tort reform).
· Also, don’t assume common myths about this bill being the most wonderful thing for the Republic have been debunked by commentators. Be prepared to explain that there will be “end of life” panels and issues, that Medicare will be weakened, that abortion will be countenanced, and that reform is essentially a government take-over, rather than any kind of attempt to crack down on the abusive practices of health insurance companies by providing oversight and increasing competition.
· Finally, work to establish an atmosphere of extreme pressure on the congressman and leave them with the impression that their election prospects are in jeopardy if their “Aye” vote appears in the newspapers when this vote is taking, and that We, the People, are watching and will take action immediately if they ram this down our throats. Leave with NO HANDSHAKES, NO SMILES, but serious looks and in a quiet manner—except from Members who have committed a solid “No” vote. Final silence will speak volumnes. They will have gotten the threat loud and clear. These rules apply to Tea Party people visiting hundreds of District Offices around the USA this week as well, thousands upon thousands of people who can not for whatever reason come to Washington, D.C. but whom can just as easily reach their Member of Congress through a myriad of local offices and staff.
If you have any questions, consult your conscience first and foremost because America is based on the “individual” first and foremost—not with some government dictating what we are to do—, talk and brainstorm with the leaders of your Tea Party group, and finally, read a copy of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other Founding Fathers’ documents while having a coffee or tea over in one of the Congressional cafeterias or diners.”
THERE. FIXED IT.
In memory or our ancestral tea partiers, all cookies should be tossed.