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The political force our new, and frequently loud, “silent majority” has unleashed in 2009 will determine America's future in 2010 and 2012. It should not be underestimated. In November 1969 President Nixon addressed the American people from the Oval Office about his plans to end the Vietnam War. Most of the speech was dedicated to that topic but towards the end he uttered this one line that has defined the speech ever since. “And so tonight to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans, I ask for your support.” The reaction to the speech was extremely positive as...

"Members of the Health Access protest group stage a crime scene-like 'body pile-up' as part of their campaign against what they say is the poor state of US Healthcare in Los Angeles"

A group calling itself Alaska Wild Salmon Protection, Inc. recently ran full-page advertisements (see above) in Politico against development of the Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska. The Pebble deposit is one of the largest finds in America, believed to contain 72 billion pounds of copper and 94 million ounces of gold, among other minerals. Alaska Wild Salmon Protection's advertisement was filled with distortions, but more on that later. I wanted to learn more about the group, so I went to check out its website. It didn't have one.* Odd, I thought, for an environmental group leading local opposition to the...

It was a town hall, but this time Barack Obama was not in Iowa or New Hampshire. There were no hay bales, no bunting and no activists with questions about universal health care, clean coal or legalizing marijuana. This forum, after all, was being held in a nation controlled by the Communist Party. Instead of being greeted by voters mulling their options, Obama on Monday met with several hundred well-dressed, attentive and relentlessly on-message students, handpicked by Chinese authorities for the occasion. They listened attentively, nodding in agreement at some of his answers and laughing at his jokes. Most of...

Over the last several months homosexual activist campaign workers from across the country have been traveling to Maine to campaign against the upcoming vote for traditional marriage. It's been largely paid for by national homosexual groups. But all along the Massachusetts homosexual lobby has been a major organizing and fundraising arm of the pro-gay marriage push in Maine.

As right-wing protesters dominated the news this summer, it would have seemed the perfect opportunity for Obama's much-touted organizers to drown out the conservatives with some coordinated agitation of their own. But they barely made a ripple. Where were they? And how could such a formidable grassroots operation-having just put Obama in office-fall quiet so quickly?

House Democrats blocked the public from attending the unveiling ceremony of their health-care bill Thursday morning, allowing only pre-approved visitors whose names appeared on lists to enter the event at the West side of the Capitol. The audience at the crowded press conference included Hill staffers, union workers, health care providers and students, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who thanked them for attending.

AT&T's top lobbyist, Jim Cicconi, sent a letter to all of the telecom giant's 300,000 employees on Sunday, urging them to express their concerns over a net neutrality proposal under consideration by the Federal Communications Commission. Check out his letter and comments on the Actuarian Outpost Web site. The letter was the latest move in a lobbying frenzy days before the FCC votes on a proposal to create new net neutrality regulations. High-tech giants wrote to the agency to support the rules, while dozens of lawmakers from both parties have protested the rules as potentially dangerout to economic growth. "We...

Hundreds of union members and organizers descended on the streets of downtown Chicago Monday morning to picket the offices of Goldman Sachs Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. The group, which included supporters from community group National People's Action and the Service Employees International Union, has organized the protests to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Bankers Association. The group is demanding that "banks end their over-reliance on greed and profits and commit to using their taxpayer bailouts and backstops to help America's economy recover," said a news release from the Service Employees International Union.

Advocates of imposing "network neutrality" say it's necessary to ensure a "free" and "open" Internet and rescue the public from nefarious corporations that "control" technology. Few proposals in Washington have been sold employing such deceptive language -- and that's saying something. But few public policy ideas can boast the unashamedly socialist pedigree of net neutrality. The modern Internet is a creation of the free market, which has brought about a revolution in communication, free speech, education, and commerce. New Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski apparently doesn't like that. He stated last month the way Internet service providers manage their...

An AT&T executive has asked employees to post opposition to net neutrality rules being considered by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on an FCC Web site using their personal e-mail addresses, prompting accusations of unfair advocacy by an opposing group. The AT&T letter, sent this week by Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president of external and legislative affairs, asks employees to go to OpenInternet.gov and use a personal e-mail address to join the discussion forum there. The letter then gives five talking points that AT&T employees can use to argue against net neutrality in the days leading up to Thursday’s...

Mass-produced signs carried by pro-public option folks begged the question, “Who’s Astroturfing Now?”

LIGHTS, camera, agitprop! The curtains opened on yet another artfully staged performance of ObamaCare Theater this week. On the plush lawn outside the West Wing, 150 doctors took their places. The president approved the scenery: "I am thrilled to have all of you here today, and you look very spiffy in your coats." White House wardrobe assistants guaranteed the "spiffy." As The Post's Charles Hurt reported yesterday, the physicians "were told to bring their white lab coats to make sure that TV cameras captured the image." Obama's aides hastily handed out costumes to those who came in suits or dresses...

Politics: The administration stages a photo-op with handpicked doctors who support its health care reform. Fortunately, most doctors still believe that the first rule of medicine is to do no harm. It would seem some doctors still make house calls. Some 150 of them made one at the White House Monday in an attempt to give a booster shot to the administration's chaotic and stalled health care reform drive. Rather than a grass-roots uprising of physicians, this was a classic case of AstroTurfing. Attendance was by invitation only, and 40 of the 150 were said to be members of Doctors...

Katrina vanden Heuvel, the editor and publisher of The Nation, has just sent out a fundraising letter making fantastical claims about the 9/12 protest in Washington. Promoting the magazine's "Student Outreach Program," in which she and her colleagues offer teaching guides to help educators counter the influence of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, vanden Heuvel described the march this way: Just days ago, Glenn Beck led the astro-turf 9-12-09 "Taxpayer March on DC." Compared to the millions who have marched for civil rights, equal rights, and gay rights, and against the war, Beck's 70,000 would be small stuff -- except...

... then why is Bim Ayandele, of Winner & Associates -- a subdivision of Publicis Groupe, one of the world's largest PR firms -- twittering this stuff during normal business hours? Dan Riehl passes on word that Ayandele likes to use the social networking tool twitter. A tool often used to help stories go viral. This tweet from Bim Ayandele is from around 8:35 this AM.

This is political artwork. Until McCain Feingold II comes around to hammer some more on the First Amendment, it still is protected speech as such. The liberals have tried to portray the groundswell of the American people opposed to Obamacare as being organized by the insurance companies, racist, whatever they can throw out there and hope the MSM will run with. The only ones who have organized anything are the liberal politicians themselves, sending targeted emails to their union buddies and teachers' groups and donors, begging them to show up at their town halls so they can have some support...

The plan for a series of grass-roots demonstrations Tuesday to promote President Obama's health care agenda calls for tightly scripted events and an "escalation" of efforts against "enemies" of reform. Organizers insist there is no comparison to rowdy summer town hall meetings and recent "tea party" protests that have challenged White House policies. But Health Care for America Now (HCAN), which is backed by a coalition of labor unions and liberal groups including ACORN and MoveOn.org, organized the protests to target insurance companies and drafted the plan, which describes the demonstrations as part of its "insurance enemies project." The document,...

President Obama's rally at the University of Maryland on Thursday was a highly choreographed campaign event that drew in college students and union members by the thousands. Instead of campaigning for an election, the President was campaigning for health care reform. Obama didn't quite fill the 18,000 seats in UMD's Comcast Center and appeared three hours later than the scheduled 9am start time. It didn't seem to bother the crowd, which performed "waves" around the stadium with their hands to the music of UMD's school band, which played hits like "Sweet Caroline," "Thriller," and "Let's Get Ready To Rumble." It...

Currently, leftists have reportedly generated $1 million in donations for Rep. Joe Wilson's opponent last time, Rob Miller. Wilson, for his part has reaped about $750k. But there is a big difference beneath the surface: : Kos and DCCC immediately organized fundraising against Wilson. Wilson's $ is based on his own appeal and spontaneous contributors. From Paul Kane of the WaPo:

MINNEAPOLIS — Spectators are packing the Target Center in anticipation of this afternoon's health care address by President Obama, with lines snaking for several blocks through Minneapolis' Warehouse District. Some camped overnight for the 12:30 p.m. speech, which follows an address to Congress earlier this week in which Obama tried to regain control of the health care debate. Critics spent the summer buffeting his plan, which Obama has made his top priority during his first year in office. "We believe in what Obama's trying to do, and believe health care change is really necessary," said Andy Gunn, 57, who had...

XXXXX, I just finished laying out my plan for health reform at a joint session of Congress. Now, I'm writing directly to you because what happens next is critical -- and I need your help. Change this big will not happen because I ask for it. It can only come when the nation demands it. Congress knows where I stand. Now they need to hear from you. Add your voice: Ask your representatives to support my plan for real health reform in 2009. The heart of my plan is simple: bring stability and security to Americans who already have health...

More than 1,000 people rallied today on Boston Common, shouting slogans and holding aloft banners demanding "reform now" in a show of force supporting President Obama's push to overhaul health care. In a refrain that echoed across the grassy lawn, the crowd chanted: "What do we want? Health Care Reform! When do you want it? Now!" Placards read "Public Option = Government for the People" and "Cape Cod will not let Ted's dream die." Members of the crowd said they wanted to push back against vocal opposition to reform as Obama gears up for a major health care address to...

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Thousands of people made their way to the Voice of America Park this afternoon, Sept. 5, for a Tea Party event. It was festival-like atmosphere of patriotism, with food vendors, face-painting for kids and live music for crowd that Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones estimated topped out at 18,000. People of all ages were wearing patriotic clothing in hues of red, white and blue, many carrying American flags and hand-made signs with myriad slogans. The event drew people from all over the region, including a family from Springfield. Laura and Andy Rosenberger of Springfield were...

THOUSAND OAKS -- A 65 year old man had his finger bitten off Wednesday evening at a health care rally in Thousand Oaks, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff's investigators were called to Hillcrest and Lynn Road at 7:26 p.m. About 100 protesters sponsored by MoveOn.org were having a rally supporting health care reform. A group of anti-health care reform protesters formed across the street. When someone from the pro-reform side crossed over to the anti-reform side, a fist fight ensued, which resulted in the man's pinky finger getting bitten off. It's believed the man was on the...

The very people who accuse us of being bought and paid for and then organized by insurance companies are caught on camera training their zombies in ways to combat the real anti-obamacare protesters

News fairly unbalanced. We report. You decipher. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., today warned Americans that an upcoming health care reform gathering in Washington, D.C., would be comprised of "nothing but bought-and-paid-for minions of dozens of special interest groups ranging from Big Pharmaceutical to the trial lawyers. They are not who they'll appear to be." "This is AstroTurf on steroids," Rep. Pelosi said. "You'll see them in Brooks Brothers suits, cloaked in fake outrage, acting as if they're speaking on behalf of average Americans. But behind the scenes, the nation's best-funded lobbying groups are pulling all the strings." The gathering,...

Here is video of an ObamaCare Organizer telling Pro-ObamaCare supporters how to shout down anyone at a Town Hall Meeting who begins to ask a question or make a statement opposing ObamaCare. He tells them to stand up and start shouting "Health Care Now, Health Care Now" to silence the questioner. This was "recorded on August 31, 2009 outside Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) town hall meeting in Skokie, IL." For people who claim they are "not organized" but true grassroots activists, they look awfully "Astroturf" here to me. . . . . (Watch Video)

A few weeks ago I posted the above photo on Flickr. It was taken at a recent healthcare forum in Philly and I titled it: "A Paid Protester - Note Who Sponsored the Sign". The title ruffled the feathers of a Philly photographer who left a series of comments on my Flickr account trying to disclaim the idea of a paid protester. When I steered him back to common sense with my replies, he lamely tried to paint my Sheepdogs as paid hacks. If I had a dime for every time that false accusation was laid down, I would...

El Marco graphically exposes organizing for America's fraudulent bullying tactics in Denver. Shocking but true, opposition to Obamacare is being squashed and consent manufactured by the White House and Obama activists. Although the White House denies their single payer goals, that seemed to be the main message at the rally in Denver, where the message was carefully controlled.

NY Congressman Tim Bishop tried to pack his town hall with unions on the ‘take’ for nationalized healthcare. The people of his district erupt in open rebellion when one of the union goons tries to speak! Union members, many from outside the district, were snuck into the hall beforehand in an effort to stack the deck with a friendly audience. The last straw came when one of the union leaders from outside the district was asked to speak. The citizens erupted in open revolt which almost led to violence from the union goons.

A local union leader was booed out of Rep. Tim Bishop's town hall meeting last night in New York.Like they tried to do here in St. Louis, union members, many from outside the district, were snuck into the hall in an effort to stack the deck with a friendly audience. There are reports that as many as three busloads were brought in.Things boiled over when Mr. Mitchell, head of the Long Island Federation of Labor, steps up to the podium and announces that he in fact does not reside within the borders of NY's First Congressional District.

More than 900 residents met U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop's promise to approve only a health care bill that "improves on a status quo that is unacceptable" with a mix of cheers and boos at a packed town hall meeting in Farmingville Thursday night.

Via Gateway Pundit, although I’m certain there’s an alternative explanation. Maybe the leader of the Long Island Federation of Labor couldn’t make it to the town-hall forum in his own district, or perhaps his Representative was busy hiding, like many House Democrats this August. His attempt to pander to the actual constituents of Rep. Tim Bishop results in catcalls and a full minute of disruption. Jim also reports that the Magical Mystery Bus Tour continued for this meeting, with unions sending three busloads of people to the event. Even so, the angry constituents shout them down fairly effectively … or...

Xxxx - Democracy for America is hiring state-level Public Option Field Organizers for an intense three-month pressure campaign to pass a public option as part of healthcare reform. We're upping the ante and are looking to put full-time, hired, grassroots field organizers, on the ground to pressure elected leaders to pass healthcare reform with a public option in your state. You can see the entire job description here: DemocracyForAmerica.com/PublicOptionApply You know your state better than anyone and you have better contacts. We need your help to get the word out because time is critical and we have a very tight...

How dare Conservatives and Republicans come out with real concerns and real people protesting Obamacare in the August Health Care Town Hall meetings. That’s not the way to win public opinion according to Democrat detractors. According to these Democrat naysayers Town Hall protests weren’t carried out by real people. No the people protesting are fake, they are phony, what they are is Astroturf ®! Well with no George Bush to kick around any more Democrats have to disparage someone, so why not disparage the American People themselves. Yes, they can’t Bush bash (well Obama still does every opportunity he gets)...

Obama supporters gathered in Fairfax, Virgnia last night and met with an Organizing For America (OFA) representative at a local library to talk shop and brainstorm about how to help President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats pass health care reform. If there was any doubt the Obama administration is not in campaign mode, the OFA listening tour puts that notion to rest. In fact, the message seemed more about winning a campaign than anything else. Papers were handed out describing the meeting's agenda and Mr. Obama's health insurance reform guarantees. Canvassing sheets were also part of the handouts as...

Faced with a souring public mood on health care reform, Democrats and their supporters are launching a national grassroots push Wednesday to show lawmakers that the majority of Americans still support overhauling the system. Reform supporters are planning to hold more than 500 events between Wednesday and when lawmakers return to Washington Sept. 8, ranging from neighborhood organized phone banks to professionally staffed rallies with hundreds of people. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26409.html#ixzz0P9U2QxUZ

A leaked email originating from Congressman Jay Inslee’s office may reveal a widespread astroturfing effort on behalf of Washington Democrats and liberal interest groups to pack town halls with “grassroots supporters” of government-run health care. In stark contrast to a spontaneous grassroots groundswell against President Obama and Congressional Democrats’s government-run health plan, it appears both overt and covert efforts are underway to orchestrate support for the President’s agenda from the highest-levels of the political Left.In the email which follows below the jump, Inslee’s official Congressional scheduler forwarded to State Democratic Chairman Dwight Pelz a list of upcoming town halls the...

Why unions are “Astroturfing” health-care town halls posted at 2:18 pm on August 24, 2009 by Ed Morrissey Share on Facebook | regular view After enraged constituents started showing up at Congressional town-hall forums to oppose ObamaCare, the unions acted quickly to counterdemonstrate on behalf of the Democratic agenda item. In at least one case, union representatives used violence to intimidate and harrass ObamaCare opponents. The same union, which represents a large percentage of government workers and would be presumably immune from any health-care reform action, issued memos demanding volunteers to “drown out” opposition to ObamaCare. But why? This report...

After enraged constituents started showing up at Congressional town-hall forums to oppose ObamaCare, the unions acted quickly to counterdemonstrate on behalf of the Democratic agenda item. In at least one case, union representatives used violence to intimidate and harrass ObamaCare opponents. The same union, which represents a large percentage of government workers and would be presumably immune from any health-care reform action, issued memos demanding volunteers to “drown out” opposition to ObamaCare. But why? This report from the Detroit Free Press explains that the unions....

Hello All, By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Bill and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on...

Chris Gautz column: Yes, some were bused in for health-care rally in Jackson last week by Chris Gautz | Jackson Citizen Patriot Tuesday August 18, 2009, 11:46 PM CHRIS GAUTZ Several readers have criticized the Citizen Patriot's coverage of last week's health care rally outside U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer's office, where hundreds came out — both to support and oppose — President Barack Obama's reform plan. The chief criticism was that we failed to mention that some supporters were bused in from around the state. It is true, and it wasn't included in the original story, but not because we...

Robert Reich, the former Labor secretary, scholar and commentator, called Tuesday for a “march on Washington” on Sept. 13 —“Grandparents Day” — in support of a health care bill that offers a public option.(Snip)A group of conservatives have already announced a “tea party” movement march on Washington for Sept. 12. An opposing march the next day, if one were to materialize, could make for an interesting weekend.

I was reading the Chron’s piece about Sheila Jackson Lee’s town hall, when something caught my eye: One supporter, Dr. Roxana Mayer, a physician who does not live in Jackson Lee’s district, praised the reform plan for overhauling a broken system. “I don’t know what there is in the bill that creates such panic,” she said. In this video, Mayer claims to be a general practitioner, eliciting applause and even a hug from Queen Sheila: I’m not sure why, but something didn’t smell right. So my colleagues and I did a little digging, and wouldn’t you know it? Roxana Mayer...

Here's a headline I bet you never expected to see at the New York Times: "Health Debate Fails to Ignite Obama’s Grass Roots." Go inside the piece published Saturday, and you'll find even more surprises (h/t James Pinkerton): Mr. Obama engendered such passion last year that his allies believed they were on the verge of creating a movement that could be mobilized again. But if a week’s worth of events are any measure here in Iowa, it may not be so easy to reignite the machine that overwhelmed Republicans a year ago. More than a dozen campaign volunteers, precinct captains...

Union members pack Obama's town halls Matthew Mosk August 17, 2009 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. | Andrew Carillo and Melissa McCollister cheered loudly from near the back row of the Central High School gymnasium as President Obama stepped on stage to make his pitch for health care reform. The two organizers for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 proudly wore their union T-shirts, and boisterously supported the president because of what they think his initiative will do for the 25,000 grocery stockers, meatpackers and warehouse workers that they represent. "We have to negotiate for health care every time...

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Health debate fails to ignite Obama’s Web President turns to his 13-million member grass-roots network for support Aug 15, 2009 MUSCATINE, Iowa - At her home on Tom Sawyer Road here the other night, Bonnie Adkins agreed to begin spreading the word that President Obama’s embattled health care plan needed help. Ms. Adkins, who for the past two years devoted hundreds of hours helping Mr. Obama get to the White House, hosted a potluck supper that was advertised to Democrats in this eastern Iowa town along the Mississippi River. People were invited to bring a favorite salad or dessert —...

It's a lot easier to campaign against the incompetent, big-spending, war-mongering Republicans than to convince the American people that they would be better off if the post office provided their health care. At least, that appears to be the lesson of the current health care battle. Reports the New York Times: At her home on Tom Sawyer Road here the other night, Bonnie Adkins agreed to begin spreading the word that President Obama's embattled health care plan needed help. Ms. Adkins, who for the past two years devoted hundreds of hours helping Mr. Obama get to the White House, hosted...