Posted on 08/13/2009 1:32:08 PM PDT by anymouse
Edwards, Green, Jackson-Lee and others avoiding questions on health care
AUSTIN— Terrified by legitimate, unplanned and uncoordinated grassroots rage at their attempted takeover of the nation’s health care system, President Obama and the Democrats are on the defensive and have resorted to extreme and desperate measures. They are running away from voters, calling them “mobs,” and deploying dishonest maneuvers designed to fool Americans and distract attention from their power grab.
We’ll begin in the state capital. In Austin, our own camera caught a pair of Organizing for America staffers at a health care event on Saturday. They were at the event at the direct request of the White House’s Organizing for America website, a site that is coordinating the Democrats’ health care campaign nationwide. In the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s accusation that the Republicans are coordinating grassroots opposition to ObamaCare, the fact that the White House has been caught sending its own workers out to local events gives the game away: The Democrats are projecting their own underhanded tactics onto the Republicans.
Next up, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. During her Houston townhall meeting Tuesday, a meeting she tried to hide from the media and her own constituents, Rep. Lee took a cell phone call while a real voter tried to ask a question about health care. And as if to top that, Lee answered a softball question from a woman claiming to be a doctor. The woman, Roxana Mayer, is NOT a doctor, does not live in Lee’s district, but is a long-time Obama supporter and may have been brought to the event by local Democrat operatives. Astroturfing, anyone?
Also in Houston, Democrat Rep. Gene Green is requiring photo ID to enter his townhall events. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but Green and his party OPPOSE requiring photo ID to cast a vote in Texas elections. Green himself has voted against requiring photo ID to vote. But he requires photo ID to enter his meetings. Hypocrisy, anyone?
In Bryan, a videographer recently caught Democrat Rep. Chet Edwards walking briskly away from voters in his district. All they wanted was to meet with him to discuss health care. Rep. Edwards refuses to meet his voters face-to-face to discuss this vital issue and whether he will vote for or against ObamaCare. His constituents deserve to know where he stands, but he won’t talk with them.
But the worst tactic seen so far might be what MoveOn tried to pull this week. The leftwing Democrat front group blasted out an email to its supporters, goading them to show up at an Austin event that allegedly featured Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Both are Republicans. But a quick fact check revealed that neither senator had ever been scheduled to show up at the event, which didn’t actually exist. MoveOn was evidently trying to set the senators up for a now-show, which the front group would then use to distract from the Democrats’ own tricky townhall behavior. It didn’t work. We caught them and called them out. But we wonder, did the Democrats nationally or here in Texas put MoveOn up to this? Other Democrat front groups have been advertising on the web site craigslist.com to hire paid pro-ObamaCare activists, hinting again at broader astroturfing and dirty trick strategies.
“The Democrats are running scared,” said Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tina Benkiser. “They’re trying to foist a terrible health care takeover on the people of Texas, and we’re not buying. They’re resorting to dirty tricks which are not fooling anyone. They’re calling Americans ‘mobs’ and even ‘un-American’ for using their constitutional right to free speech. The Democrats need to stop the games and scrap ObamaCare immediately. Their plan is bad for Texas and bad for America. Republicans favor real health care reform, not a government takeover, and the American people are with us on this.”
Sources and references:
Pelosi calls protesters “un-American” - http://www.wtop.com/?nid=116&sid=1734102
Video: Astroturfing in August - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyiWk18nNA8
Video: “Mob” Greets Rep. Chet Edwards - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eI1KolTIdc
Video: Democrats call angry voters a “mob” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtTBkxvBq88
Fake doctor at Rep. Jackson Lee’s meeting exposed - http://patterico.com/2009/08/12/roxana-mayer-im-not-a-doctor-but-i-play-one-at-town-hall-meetings/
http://blogs.chron.com/texassparkle/2009/08/playing_a_doctor_at_a_townhall.html
Rep. Green requires photo ID to attend townhalls - http://www.house.gov/green/news_center/events.shtml
Democrats seek to hire activists on craigslist - http://wizbangblog.com/content/2009/08/11/are-you-looking-for-work-1.php
Paid for by the Republican Party of Texas
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Keep Austin Weird and FREE!!!!!! Good going, Texas!!
Hey, ‘official’ Republicans - a bit late to be clambering onto the bandwagon, ain’t it??
When we started this movement, where were you? Hiding, at best - and actively discouraging us (through ‘calm and rational discussion’ sermonettes and ‘backlash’ dire warnings), for the most part...
And now that we’re succeeding beyond your wildest expectations, you want to jump in the front of the parade and wave the baton??
Gee, thanks - but, no....
Chet Edwards will soon be retired if I have anything to do with it!
He is target number one!
DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS!!
We are going to be sending money to conservative republicans in every blue dog’s district. I already sent a little money to NC the other day for Bill Randall:
http://www.randallforcongress.com/
It wasn’t much, but he wrote us a very nice thank you note and sent us his book. He is a very nice gentleman and I encourage my fellow FReepers to send him some support..every little bit helps.
Don't let them hijack the grass-roots efforts being done by patriotic Texans into some great republican achievement. This is pure PR BS. I attended a Tommy Williams townhall over the weekend, and it was just a republican love-in: a “wish sandwich” - all bread and no meat!
Hurrah!
Bill looks rock solid to me!
We need to help folks like him all across this great land so we can take our country back!
They forgot who brought them to the party. If the defections from the Dem party after the Left took it over had not taken place, the Republicans would not have won an election since Lyndon Johnson.
The North East Blue Blood arrogance in both parties make me sick. But I hate the Commies on the Left more.
Out in “fly-over” country the fire is still burning.
We will defy them and retake the nation. The Republican party “leaders” can either help us, or step out of the way and let us “get it done”. If not, we will do it without them.
Like there are so many Independent candidates winning elections. /sarc
Politics is a numbers game. You can’t pass or stop legislation without getting your representatives in office/or keeping your opponents out of office.
Sure you can make a ruckus, but then what?
Kind of handy to have an organization to push your agenda when the shouting stops.
To be fair, RPT has been more focused on grassroots than RNC and most other state R. parties.
Now if only Tina Benkiser would get off her fat ass and do something effective, we'd be in good shape.
Actually, if Tina had EVER gotten off her fat ass, we wouldn't have the Dimocrat problem we do now!
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