Posted on 08/10/2009 8:17:36 AM PDT by IMissPresidentReagan
AND NOW . . . amidst billowing clouds of fragrant, aromatic first- and second-hand premium cigar smoke. . . it is time for . . . that harmless, lovable little fuzz ball, the highly-trained broadcast specialist, having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have, from behind the golden EIB microphone, firmly ensconced in the prestigious Attila-the-Hun chair at the Limbaugh Institute of Advanced Conservative Studies, serving humanity simply by showing up, and he’s not retiring until every American agrees with him, do NOT doubt him, with shrieks of joy at the mere mention of his name (that’s Rush, for those in Rio Linda),the Mandarin of Talk Radio, with talent on loan from G-d, at the cutting-edge of societal evolution, with half his brain tied behind his back — just to make it fair, the all-knowing, all-caring, all-sensing, all-feeling, all-concerned Maha-Rushie! America’s anchorman, truth detector, and doctor of democracy. A Real Man, a living legend, a way of life. Commander in Chief of U.S. Operation Chaos. Chief Waga-Waga El Rushbo of the El Conservo Tribe. Chief of the Patriotism Police. Leader of the Conservative Movement. A Weapon of Mass Instruction. El Rushbo (a little Spanish lingo, there). He is the man who is running America (you know it and I know it). He knows the Democrats like every square inch of his glorious naked body. He is ready to do what he was born to do—that’s host. Get ready to what you were born to do—that’s listen (and post your comments on the Rush Limbaugh LIVE Radio Thread).
“Axelrod Astroturfing Inc.” ~ PogySailor
Speaking of - this is what I sent out to my email lists last week:
Results 1 - 10 of about 6,550 for axelrod’s astroturfing business
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=axelrod%27s+astroturfing+business&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
Some of the links:
Astroturfing, Axelrod, Obama, Townhalls and the Nutroots
[[[ Nutroots, is a term coined by the weblog “Decision 08” on March 10, 2006, is a play on the name commonly used for liberal grassroots groups known as the “Netroots.” Once used strictly by conservative blogs in reference to their liberal counterparts, the term entered the formal political lexicon when Sen. Orrin Hatch used the term on the Senate floor on September 12, 2007, to describe MoveOn.org’s “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?” advertisement in the New York Times. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutroots ]]]
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
http://186-kps.com/blog/2009/08/06/astroturfing-axelrod-obama-townhalls-and-the-nutroots/
Are the Left and Obama White House really this stupid?
As Team Obama the Left and MSNBC try and spin America’s disapproval of “Obamacare”, just remember Obama’s mastermind and current Chief of Staff David Axelrod was and is the guru of Astroturfing, political propaganda and organized smear campaigns.
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Leftist Bloggers Who Get Marching Orders from Obama Attack Protesters as “Astroturf”
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/08/05/leftist-bloggers-who-get-march
Last month, President Obama held a conference call with a small group of liberal bloggers, asking them to keep pressure on Congress in the health care fight. Now those same bloggers are part of an orchestrated effort by the Democratic Party and the White House to portray protests against their health care legislation as, well, orchestrated.
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Say, isn’t this Astroturfing?
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/06/say-isnt-this-astroturfing/
Because nothing says grassroots like the Obama campaign logo on the top, and Obama’s website URL on the bottom. That small print at the bottom reads, “Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee … This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”
The Secret Side of David Axelrod - BusinessWeek
http://www.businessweek.com/print/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2008/db20080314_121054.htm
The Obama campaign’s chief strategist is a master of “Astroturfing” and has a second firm that shapes public opinion for corporations
The Weekly Standard
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/08/david_axelrod_the_gold_standar.asp
David Axelrod: “The Gold Standard in Astroturfing”
Democrats are accusing industry groups, Republicans, and anyone else who opposes the president’s health care reform health insurance reform effort of “astroturfing” — creating the appearance of grass roots opposition when grass roots opposition fails to materialize organically. ..
David Axelrod - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Axelrod#Consulting_services
ASK’s operations, client roster, and revenue remain confidential, but customers and public records confirm the agency has run campaigns for the Chicago Children’s Museum, ComEd, Cablevision, and AT&T. The firm has helped set up front organizations that were listed as sponsors of public-issue ads, a practice referred to as “astroturfing.”
<>
David Axelrod: “The Gold Standard in Astroturfing”
Democrats are accusing industry groups, Republicans, and anyone else who opposes the president’s health care reform health insurance reform effort of “astroturfing” — creating the appearance of grass roots opposition when grass roots opposition fails to materialize organically. The DNC puts out a release this afternoon saying, “America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has taken a lead role in fighting health insurance reform efforts and are, along with other Republican allies like FreedomWorks, Conservatives for Patients Rights and Americans for Prosperity, now engaging in ‘astroturf’ campaigns in a desperate effort to ‘kill’ reform and ‘break’ the President.”
Leaving aside whether or not the DNC’s charge is true, and no doubt to some extent it is true — just as most effective advocacy campaigns are managed and organized by existing groups — it’s worth noting that one of the pioneers in creating the appearance of grass roots support for a program where none really exists is none other than David Axelrod, the president’s chief strategist and right-hand man:
The Secret Side of David Axelrod
The Obama campaign’s chief strategist is a master of “Astroturfing” and has a second firm that shapes public opinion for corporations
David Axelrod has long been known for his political magic. Through his AKP&D Message & Media consultancy, the campaign veteran has advised a succession of Democratic candidates since 1985, and he’s now chief strategist for Senator Barack Obama’s bid for President. But on the down low, Axelrod moonlights in the private sector.
From the same address in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Axelrod operates a second business, ASK Public Strategies, that discreetly plots strategy and advertising campaigns for corporate clients to tilt public opinion their way. He and his partners consider virtually everything about ASK to be top secret, from its client roster and revenue to even the number of its employees. But customers and public records confirm that it has quarterbacked campaigns for the Chicago Children’s Museum, ComEd, Cablevision, and AT&T.
ASK’s predilection for operating in the shadows shows up in its work. On behalf of ComEd and Comcast, the firm helped set up front organizations that were listed as sponsors of public-issue ads. Industry insiders call such practices “Astroturfing,” a reference to manufacturing grassroots support. Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward, who has been battling the Children’s Museum’s relocation plans, describes ASK as “the gold standard in Astroturf organizing. This is an emerging industry, and ASK has made a name for itself in shaping public opinion and manufacturing public support.”
Read the whole thing here. http://www.businessweek.com/print/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2008/db20080314_121054.htm
<>
BW Chicago March 14, 2008, 4:20PM EST
The Secret Side of David Axelrod
The Obama campaign’s chief strategist is a master of “Astroturfing” and has a second firm that shapes public opinion for corporations
By Howard Wolinsky
http://www.businessweek.com/print/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2008/db20080314_121054.htm
David Axelrod has long been known for his political magic. Through his AKP&D Message & Media consultancy, the campaign veteran has advised a succession of Democratic candidates since 1985, and he’s now chief strategist for Senator Barack Obama’s bid for President. But on the down low, Axelrod moonlights in the private sector.
From the same address in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Axelrod operates a second business, ASK Public Strategies, that discreetly plots strategy and advertising campaigns for corporate clients to tilt public opinion their way. He and his partners consider virtually everything about ASK to be top secret, from its client roster and revenue to even the number of its employees. But customers and public records confirm that it has quarterbacked campaigns for the Chicago Children’s Museum, ComEd, Cablevision, and AT&T.
ASK’s predilection for operating in the shadows shows up in its work. On behalf of ComEd and Comcast, the firm helped set up front organizations that were listed as sponsors of public-issue ads. Industry insiders call such practices “Astroturfing,” a reference to manufacturing grassroots support. Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward, who has been battling the Children’s Museum’s relocation plans, describes ASK as “the gold standard in Astroturf organizing. This is an emerging industry, and ASK has made a name for itself in shaping public opinion and manufacturing public support.”
Lowest of Low Profiles
Eric Sedler, 39, a former public relations director at AT&T and corporate-reputation specialist at PR giant Edelman, is the “S” in ASK and the company’s managing partner. The “K” is John Kupper, 51, a former congressional press secretary and ad-industry consultant, while the “A,” of course, is Axelrod, a onetime Chicago Tribune reporter who got his start in politics when he managed Illinois Democrat Paul Simon’s first election to the U.S. Senate. Sedler says opponents mischaracterize what ASK does. “I reject the notion that a company can’t advocate a public policy,” he says. “These issues are complicated, and people have different points of view.” Axelrod, 53, did not respond to phone messages and e-mails.
Though the consultancies share managementKupper, like Axelrod, is also a partner at AKP&Dand loft space, the two firms come across as polar opposites. On its Web site, AKP&D lists dozens of candidates and referendums it has worked on. Sample ads are available for downloading. Employees are named. ASK’s site is minimalist, revealing little more than that its three partners do all their work themselves. Sedler says, in fact, that in his six years at ASK, he had never done an interview with the media before. “We’re not in a business that warrants a huge public profile,” he explains.
Axelrod’s political connections can cross over into his corporate business. Mayor Richard M. Daley, one of Axelrod’s friends and earliest clients, is pushing construction of a new Children’s Museum in Grant Park to replace a facility on Navy Pier that the museum says it has outgrown. So far, though, “open-space” foes such as Reilly have stymied the move. The museum retained ASK early in 2007. Sedler says Axelrod’s ties with Daley had nothing to do with the contract.
ASK is counseling the museum, which reports annual revenue of more than $11 million, including government grants, on its message strategy. It is also writing ads, including a 60-second radio spot that stresses how the new quarters would blend into Grant Park and be more accessible. Sedler won’t say how much ASK is receiving, joking that it’s “about 30¢ per hour.” Consultants at other PR firms say corporate clients pay monthly retainers of up to $25,000, though nonprofit groups usually pay less. In addition, firms typically get 15% of whatever clients spend on advertising.
ASK’s relationship with ComEd goes back much further: The Chicago-based utility says ASK has been an adviser since at least 2002. ASK’s workload picked up in 2005, as the Exelon subsidiary was nearing the end of a 10-year rate freeze and preparing to ask state regulators for higher electricity prices. Based on ASK’s advice, ComEd formed Consumers Organized for Reliable Electricity (CORE) to win support.
One TV commercial, penned by ASK, warned of a ComEd bankruptcy and blackouts without a rate hike: “A few years ago, California politicians seized control of electric rates. They held rates down, but the true cost of energy kept rising. Soon the electric company went bust; the lights went out. Consumers had to pay for the mess. Now, some people in Illinois are playing the same game.” CORE, which describes itself on its Web site as “a coalition of individuals, businesses and organizations,” was identified as the ad’s sponsor. After a complaint was filed with state regulators, ComEd acknowledged that it had bankrolled the entire $15 million effort.
The message seemed effective. Pollster Geoff Garin, president of Peter D. Hart Research Associates in Washington, which has worked with both of Axelrod’s businesses, says his research showed that after the advertising campaign, ComEd customers were more supportive of a rate hike than customers served by other electric utilities elsewhere in Illinois.
Axelrod’s public and private efforts bump into each other at ComEd, too. Illinois employees of the utility and its parent, Exelon, have contributed $181,711 to Obama’s Presidential bidmore than workers at any other company in the state.
A Big Contract
Illinois does not require public-affairs firms to register as lobbyists unless they seek to influence officeholders directly. But New York does. In New York City, Cablevision, owner of Madison Square Garden, hired ASK to stop the New York Jets from building a stadium nearby in Manhattan. In its ads and materials, the opposition called itself the New York Association for Better Choices. Records show ASK was paid $1.2 million by Cablevision from 2004 to 2005. LegislativeGazette.com, an online weekly covering New York government, described ASK’s payday as “the biggest lobbying contract of the year.”
Among ASK’s other clients: AT&T. The telecom company, formerly known as SBC Communications, had been a customer, Sedler confirms, when it requested ASK’s help to defeat a broadband referendum in three Fox Valley suburbs in 2004. ASK received $22,500 for its voter-persuasion drive.
In politics, Axelrod’s AKP&D is as partisan as they come. But ASK travels easily across the aisle. Gene Reineke, head of Hill & Knowlton’s Chicago office and former chief of staff for Republican Governor Jim Edgar, says his PR firm shared ComEd as a client and now works with ASK on the Children’s Museum. “Their firm is outstanding,” he says. “I think it’s one of the best in the field, to be honest.”
Avis LaVelle, a former Daley press secretary who now runs Lavelle-Cousin Issues Management, also teamed with ASK on ComEd’s CORE campaign. She says their consultancies are practicing a new kind of PR, bringing tools and know-how from the world of politics into the corporate and nonprofit realms. “A lot of what is done to shape public opinion in political life,” LaVelle says, “can be applied to public affairs for corporations.”
We need a REAL Reality Check website that knocks each video and point out of the park with Truth backing it up.
For those in the know, make sure this thought starts rolling in the heads out there.
Much Love!
Hi, FRiend.
I will do! Have a good afternoon.
Another Obamacare outline via Liberty Forum
WTF??? What the heck does the POTUS think the one payer system/public option for healthcare is?
It’s government run healthcare...period...end of story.
Hey CC!
Hi, lady.
AARP is in bed with the dems - conservatives need to form thier own organizations.
Here’s the trick dems use so they only have to hire 4 “high pay grade” rent a crowd goons for each health care meeting.
Dems use the following technique at “townhall meetings” - be prepared...
...the Diamond Techniques is designed to convince the group that as few as four people represent the majority. Here is the strategy:
1. Plan ahead of time what action you want the group to take: nominate or oppose a candidate, support or oppose an issue, heckle a speaker, or whatever. Everyone on your team must know exactly what they are going to do, including contingency plans.
2. Team members should arrive at the meeting separately and never congregate together.
3. Team players should arrive early enough to take seats around the outside of the assembly area, roughly in the shape of a diamond. They must not sit together.
4. The object of the tactic is place your people around the perimeter of the audience so that, when they begin to take action, those in the center will have to do a lot of head turning to see them – to the right, then the left, then the rear of the room, then the front, etc. The more they turn their heads, the greater the illusion of being surrounded by people in agreement with each other, and the more they will be convinced that these people represent the majority opinion.
I have seen this tactic used by collectivists at numerous public meetings over the years, and I have participated in it myself on several occasions when confronting collectivists in their own tightly held organizations. It works. The only way to thwart the Diamond Tactic is to always be prepared to match it with your own team.
Never take a meeting for granted, especially if something important is scheduled to transpire, such as nomination of officers.
Even a simple gathering to hear an important speaker can turn into a nightmare if opponents send in hecklers.
So, always plan for the worst and be prepared to spring into action with comments from the floor such as: “I want to make it clear that these people do not speak for me. I am in total opposition to what they stand for. In fact, I would like to ask them to identify themselves. Who are you? Why did you come to this meeting? What is your agenda?”
If comments such as this are heard from three or four people around the outside of the room, the meeting will be very exciting, but the tactic will be defused.
Hi, FRiend.
Hello, Jersey girl.
You scare me just the way you are. ;o)
Tort reform more urgent than ever
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2312611/posts
BTW family, i’ve seen 12 birther articles all pop up at the same time... they’re really sweating on the hill with this distraction (again).
And here I thought the word of the day was Un-American.
I guess they remembered the Hill vid.
“AARP is in bed with the dems - conservatives need to form thier own organizations.”
And how!!!
Immigration...healthcare...ALL the same enforcers....
SEIU & AARP....FYI
“AARP does not operate a PAC, but its employees gave candidates, committees and parties $53,200, with Democrats receiving 90 percent of that.”
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/02/special-interests-to-listen-ca.html
SEIU & AARP...joined at the hip and helping write amnesty/healthcare legislation.
AARP uses your dollars to fund the likes of:
MALDEF - Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund
AARP says: “”Anybody who looks at immigration has to look at aging,” says Harry R. Moody, director of academic affairs at AARP. “First, immigration affects the age structure of society” by adding younger members to the population, he says. “Second, the people who do hands-on care work are immigrants. Look at our nursing homes! We have an image of people picking tomatoes — that’s not the whole story. Immigrants are the front-line caregivers.”
http://www.maldef.org/truthinimmigration/camarota_asks_how_many_americans09072008/index.html
& http://www.americanpatrol.com/MALDEF/Contributors-2002-2003.html (Fannie Mae gives to them, too!)
AARP also contributes to LULAC
La Raza
http://www.nclr.org/section/awards
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/04/03/the-left-wing-mortgage-counseling-racket/
And from AARP’s ‘Latino’ magazine....
http://www.aarpsegundajuventud.org/english/presence/index.html
Meet AARP’s New CEO: A. Barry Rand
A. Barry Rand, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Howard University and a nationally recognized agent for social change, has been tapped as AARP’s new chief executive officer. He will become the organization’s first African American CEO when he assumes the position in April.
AARP Welcomes Jacob Lozada
AARP Board member Jacob Lozada gives AARP Segunda Juventud readers his perspective on issues facing U.S. Hispanics and how he hopes to boost AARP’s profile in his native Puerto Rico.
AND AARP works hand in hand with the SEIU. They are the ones formulating the legislation that the dems are pushing.
“– AARP, Business Roundtable and SEIU, which together represent more than 50 million Americans, today took another groundbreaking step for their “Divided We Fail” group by jointly delivering endorsed principles for health information technology (IT) legislation to Congress.
http://www.businessroundtable.org/press_release/aarp_business_roundtable_and_seiu_deliver_end
Hi CC dear. Anything new on the job front?
Actually I’m more like my dad but they’re both great.
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