Rachel Maddow: Big Money Pulling the Strings of Protests
Rachel Maddow exposes the monied interests pretending to be "average Americans" who are fueling the outrage at these "town halls gone wild". First up, Recess Rally, sponsored by Michelle Malkin, Smart Girl Politics, Redstate, but also American Majority, and as Rachel points out, this group is hardly made up of average Americans even though they tout themselves as being a non-profit, non-partisan organization.
The people behind American Majority; Ned Ryun, former George W. Bush speech writer, Lonny Leitner, Regional Field Director for Bush/Cheney '04, Shari Weber, former Republican State Legislator, Matt Pinnell, a former Washington conservative lobbyist.
Rachel notes that American Majority is an offshoot of another Recess Rally sponsor, The Sam Adams Alliance. Their President, John Tsarpalas, former Executive Director of the Illinois State Republican party, their Director, Joseph Lehman, former Dow Chemicals engineer and president of the nation's largest conservative state level policy think tank.
Another sponsor of Recess Rally, Let Freedom Ring. Their founder, the money man behind the television ad exploiting 9-11 to promote the Iraq invasion. Another sponsor, the swift boaters.
Yet another sponsor, Americans for Prosperity, and their subsidiary Patients First. Americans for Prosperity's Director, Art Pope, who has the headquarters of the North Carolina Republican party named after him since he's given them so much money. Their Chairman, David Koch, the 19th richest man in the world who runs Koch Industries, which is the largest privately held oil company in the United States.
Americans for Prosperity runs the group Patients First which is busing people across the country to attend these town hall meetings.
Maddow: This is what these groups do. They're experts at fake grass roots campaigns that promote corporate interests. Americans for Prosperity is the group that ginned up anti-stimulus rallies earlier this year. They also organized what they called the "Hot Air Tour" to campaign against the whole idea of global warming. They were the ones who sent Joe the Plumber around the country to rail against the Employee Free Choice Act, which is pro-labor legislation.
This oil industry and Republican operative billionaires club is according to the Republican party spokesman today, just average middle class Americans. Just regular American folks sitting around the kitchen table thinking about whether they can get away with saying that the government, continuing its long standing policy of encouraging living wills, is really a secret plot to kill old people.
One other thing about Americans for Prosperity, their most visible spokesman, is a man named Tim Phillips. He is the President of the organization and we've asked him to come on the show to talk with us about the group. Tim Phillips got his start in fake grass roots with a firm called Century Strategies, run by Ralph Reed. Century Strategies is famous for having duped Christian groups into lobbying for energy deregulation. You know, like the Bible said.
They were doing that at the behest of Century Strategies' client, Enron. Tim Phillips and Ralph Reed were later made even more famous in the Jack Abramoff scandal, for duping Christian groups into lobbying against gambling. But only in areas where these guys happened to have competing gambling interests as clients.
These guys are the pros. This is an industry. Americans are showing up at these events to shout down the discussion, to chase their Congressmen, and they are enraged. And they're enraged at least in part because they're being riled up by over the top, fabricated conspiracy theories about health care. And they're being directed and orchestrated by the corporate interests that do this for a living and do it very well.
RecessRally.com is not some organic outgrowth of American anger. This is how corporate America creates the illusion of a grass roots movement to support their own interests. This is what they do. They are professionals. This is an industry.
To talk about these town hall events as some organic outpouring of average American folks who have concerns about health care is to be willfully blind to what is really going on, which is professional P.R. operatives generating exploitative, manufactured, strategically deployed outrage in order to line their own pocket.
These P.R. spin misters get paid a lot of money for doing it. The corporations they work for get to kill legislation that would hurt their profits. And the real people who they launch into these town hall settings after they're told that health care reform is a secret commie plot to kill old people and to mandate sex changes, those real people get more, and more, and more and more angry, and more, and more, and more alienated, and ultimately they get left, like the rest of us, with a health care system that is broken and doesn't work in the interest of the American people, but does work in the interest of the corporations that profit from the way the system is now.
This is professional, corporate funded Republican staffed P.R., and it should be reported as such.
Amen sister. I think this is one of the best segments I've seen her do on this astroturf movement yet. If we had a few more Rachel Maddows on the air I think we'd have a few less tea baggers, deathers and birthers out there.
royally
Does RAWK !!!
She knocks my socks off.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
GOP Thuggery
GOP Hatred
GOP Violence
GOP Evil
GOP Lies
GOP Deceit
GOP Greed
GOP Negatvity
GOP Cynicism
GOP Coercion
GOP Mental Disorders
GOP Failure
GOP Intolerance
GOP Dishonesty
GOP Dirty Tactics
What would the teabaggers do without the mind control of these rethugs?
The mind explodes with options.
"Let's talk dirty to the animals"
You forgot
GOP Hypocrisy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-8j8c7iL3E
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I am so glad that people like Rachel and Keith are exposing these haters, but their reports are also raising my blood pressure and causing damage to other parts of my body.
My fingers have really been getting a workout this past week....my fingers are getting sore and tired from all of the emails I've been sending this band of hateful slugs and thugs. But I won't give up!
... because the rest of the media, at large, is still swooning over the false equivalency pushed by Rush Limbaugh.
I had that thought too...how many people watch Rachel? Enough to save our country I hope.
Maybe we should burn some DVDs of her greatest hits and pass them out at the townhalls.
Isn't there some way that those of us that do watch Rachel and Obermann can "organize" support to get the information out to the people being duped by the conservative spin meisters? Just asking. We don't have the money the David Kock has, but we must have dedicated, intelligent people that can figure something out.
GE's silencing of Olbermann and MSNBC's sleazy use of Richard Wolffe
Two new major MSNBC scandals reveal much about how corporate journalism functions.
Glenn Greenwald
Aug. 01, 2009 |
(updated below - Update II)
The New York Times this morning has a remarkable story, and incredibly, the article's author, Brian Stelter, doesn't even acknowledge, let alone examine, what makes the story so significant. In essence, the chairman of General Electric (which owns MSNBC), Jeffrey Immelt, and the chairman of News Corporation (which owns Fox News), Rupert Murdoch, were brought into a room at a "summit meeting" for CEOs in May, where Charlie Rose tried to engineer an end to the "feud" between MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Fox's Bill O'Reilly. According to the NYT, both CEOs agreed that the dispute was bad for the interests of the corporate parents, and thus agreed to order their news employees to cease attacking each other's news organizations and employees....Most notably, the deal wasn't engineered because of a perception that it was hurting either Olbermann or O'Reilly's show, or even that it was hurting MSNBC. To the contrary, as Olbermann himself has acknowledged, his battles with O'Reilly have substantially boosted his ratings. The agreement of the corporate CEOs to cease criticizing each other was motivated by the belief that such criticism was hurting the unrelated corporate interests of GE and News Corp..."
Read this story @: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/0...
Read all other related stories @:
The scope -- and dangers -- of GE's control of NBC and MSNBC
GE no longer bothers to hide its editorial control over its "journalism" divisions.
Glenn Greenwald
Aug. 03, 2009 |
(updated below - Update II - Update III)
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/0...
More facts behind the GE/Fox deal and a new Olbermann statement
The MSNBC anchor confirms that my two columns on this matter were factually accurate.
Glenn Greenwald
Aug. 04, 2009 |
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/0...
Olbermann's New & Conflicting Statements Fan Flames of GE-MSNBC-Fox Controversy
by: David Sirota
Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 18:06
http://openleft.com/diary/14489/olbermanns-co...
Keith Olbermann Gives Contradictory Statement to Glenn Greenwald
By: Jane Hamsher Tuesday August 4, 2009 2:36 pm
http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/keith-olber...
Richard Wolffe joins Public Strategies
Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/200...
CNN/MSNBC reporter: Corporate executives forced pro-Bush, pro-war narrative
"The higher the president's approval ratings, the more pressure I had from news executives ... to put on positive stories about the president."
Glenn Greenwald
May. 29, 2008 | (updated below - Update II)
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/0...
It should be 'Rhesus Rally' - like the monkey.
This is the definition in Wiki -
"The Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta), often called the Rhesus Monkey, is one of the best known species of Old World monkeys."
"Macaca mulatta." What better way to describe how they're trying to portray the President.
Also, the right-wing assholes like to fling their poo like Rhesus monkey's do...
More like an ABSCESS ... an untreated infection that can lead to serious health complications and even death if untreated.
Rhesus Pieces
Sounds like a swear.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
It's an inherent problem of human beings, that they can be so easily led into thuggery and willful ignorance and self-destructiveness.
Unfortunately, the people doing that to them today (as, I suppose, ever) are wealthy and powerful and utterly without moral restraint.
So our society, our nation and our civilization slowly crumble. And we get to watch it happen. Better microwave some popcorn before the electricity goes out for good!
I was so so very happy to see and hear this last night. It's just great reporting and I felt like I was having a flashback of Democracy. wow, what a feeling.
BTW, the RecessRally website is pretty lame. I went to see what action would be listed under california, and all I got was an incomplete list of representatives and contact info. Huh?
...in news and print. She clearly delineates her news from her commentary, which I appreciate. She's a very smart person.
... it's not that hard to do.
What drives the media the other way is the money filling the corporate coffers.
Way to kick their collective a$$es... both big business and the republican(t)s!!
Couldn't happen to an uglier bunch of mugs! (and thugs and slugs!!)
... when I watched this last night and she finished. I don't normally interact with the people in the teevee, but I could not help it, it was practically involuntary.
She is really the only person telling the truth on cable news right now.
get a thumbs up aimed at the teevee once a night from me, they always have one barn burner a day usually
A thumb up what?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/05/squeaky.f...
Speaking truth to lies can be so invigorating. Don't just stop with Rachel's segment, we all have a responsibility to speak out and expose the corporate whores. Become the media and do whatever you can locally to make sure people in your community are well informed.
Republicans made fun of community organizers during the 2008 RNC Convention and continue to say demeaning things in the media. Community Organizers are what RNC leaders fear the most because they know the electorate has turned against their lies and deception in mass numbers. The only obstacle to overcome is to just get ORGANIZED and make things happen.
"we all have a responsibility to speak out and expose the corporate whores"
As often as possible.
No doubt.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
The rest of the media is running from this as though the truth were some sort of poison.
I just didn't realize how many adults were out there that would throw a hissy fit on command. As long as the truth is covered up these people will continue performing because they actually think they are good at it. If they only knew how they look and sound and the damage they are doing not only to the country, but to themselves.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
... needs to be 'honest, fair and responsible' as opposed to 'equitable'.
>The rest of the media is running from this as though the truth were some sort of poison.
The US has lived on lies for years, of course any truth is going to scare them.
>I just didn't realize how many adults were out there that would throw a hissy fit on command.
Now imagine being the rest of the world and watching "The greatest democracy on earth" (makes me laugh every time) ...... behaving like that, while trying to bomb their system into the rest of the world.
The best quote here is "wilfully blind" that sums up 99% of the population
The GOPhers are consistent:
"Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago."
Bernard Berenson (1865 - 1959)
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
...it is doing on Wednesday, exactly what you did on Monday, regardless of what happened on Tuesday.
;o}
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all
There is no Tuesday didn't you hear, the world only started this morning !!
If you disagree with me you hate jeeeeeeeeeezus and amerika ....... oh and the troops etc
Where was the outrage when Bush and the Republicans stole the elections from Gore and Kerry? Where were they when Bush lied us into Iraq? Where are they when Haliburton and KB&R received no-bid contracts to steal billions from our national treasury? These people are whores for the GOP, big business and insurance companies.
Living the americon dream .........
i.e. counting their money, and to hell with anyone else.
Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley-folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone,
And the valley-people swore
They'd have it for their very own.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill,
Asking for the buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they'd kill.
Came an answer from the kingdom,
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the riches buried there."
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Now the valley cried with anger,
"Mount your horses! Draw your sword!"
And they killed the mountain-people,
So they won their just reward.
Now they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain, dark and red.
Turned the stone and looked beneath it...
"Peace on Earth" was all it said.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTKx2f44tDo
(From the Billy Jack movies.)
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
James 2:1-9 (KJV).
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
From the Teabagger site:
Health Care Town Meeting
Upstate Family Resource Center
Boiling Springs, SC 29316
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Start Time: 7:00 PM
Health Care Town Hall
Spruce Pine Public Library
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Start Time: 6:00 PM
From a Planned Parenthood email:
Town Hall Meeting
Healthcare Reform
Thursday, Aug. 6
6-8 p.m.
Children’s Board
1002 E. Palm Avenue
Ybor City, Tampa
The Tampa event is not listed at the Teabaggers, so maybe there will not be a disruption.
Many other locales and dates listed at above link.
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all
Does anyone remember when Archie Bunker had the airhorn that he would blow every time Edith would start talking?
Why not start blowing airhorns at these townhalls every time one of these pro-suffering, pro-death shills starts talking?
... you don't win a fight by becoming the enemy that you despise.
What the Bush Administration did after 9/11 - ignoring laws, disregarding the Constitution, torture, and the whole paranoid 'with us or against us' routine - made them every bit (if not moreso) damaging to America as a terrorist strike.
The goal is to give them enough rope to hang themselves, not to hold a lynching party.
Much more so, as not only does amerika blame others for it's own ills, it choose not to see the carnage it visits on others for it's own profit.
Because then you wouldn't be able to hear the representative, and that's what these corporate whores want. They'd just keep opening their mouths and you'd be blowing the horn, playing right into their hands.
I would suggest getting a bunch of people (prefabaly really buff or really fat) you know and standing in front of where the main whores are located and just act like a physical barrier. You wouldn't be contributing to the noise and the whore's stature is diminshied. It's hard to make a scene when you got two really big guys in directly in front of you. Oh and get these big guys to wear bright colors, it'll make them stand out more and look even more huge.
I think a more effective way would be to turn to the disruptor next to you and say,
"Hey, could you please respect my Constituional right to be able to hear the speaker without your loud mouth interfering?"
Democratic Party progressive, Vietnam veteran and proud Union member for 41 years
which shilled for Bush and Cheney and crapped all over Clinton and Gore and also remains in love with Ronald Reagan to this day.....NBC also was a nice launching pad for Bush administration prowar propagandists to spew their lies in the leadup to the war on Iraq.
Rachel Maddow is pretty good, but just remember who she works for at the end of the day, and its a Defense Contractor....also known as the Peacock Network.....GE/Microsoft.
I work for CBS. It must mean I have a secret love child with Katie Couric. She runs the lineup of the evening news past me so I can give my approval of its ideological purity.
/snark
Show me one network that didn't shill for Bush and Cheney in the last eight years.
I'm willing to bet you stay up late playing Kevin Bacon games.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
MSNBC---Too Bad----Just Understand who that Network is!!!
It seems because they have you hooked, that you've become visually impaired...Listen closer and stop it already!!!!
Again, Rachel and Keith cannot do squat without approval of the higher-ups and are censored by their corporate bosses!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/unio...
Hey Astro-Turfers’, let me know how the Teamsters react when you start screaming your talking points into their faces. Be sure to push and shove them a little, Teamsters really like that.
You wanted class warfare, you got it.
Maybe so but the wealthy are using the less-well-to-do as their foot soldiers so the lower and middle class are actually fighting against their own in this war. The corporate overlords set the wheels in motion, then get to sit back and watch.
I feel no pity for them.
but remember, they mostly act out of ignorance. The fighting in town halls isn't class warfare but rather, the results of class warfare. Nothing would make the overlords happier than the rabble continuing to fight amongst themselves rather than uniting and rising up.
I swear, one of these days I'm going to wake up a Communist. Not because I believe in the ideology, but only because more and more I grow anti-corporate.
Tell it!
I'm an average American, and I'm against it.
You're against people's health being a concern, before the profits of industry ........ interesting.
Though, easy to see why the country is so messed up.
Yeah, I'm a terrible person who wants to see others to be in pain. If that makes you feel better fine.
See, there are legitimate reasons why one would be against government intervention into the any aspect of the economy, besides the obvious reason that it has no constitutional jurisdiction to do so. But I guess you're right, it has nothing to do with the constitution. We just hate people and want to see them die. Oh and we kill puppies and eat them on a daily basis, too.
Legitimate question meant to reach some understanding of your position. Is there any part of "the economy", of economic activity within the US the you feel requires regulation, or are you more a less a "laissez faire" type of person?
If we can't tax the rich, can we at least eat them?
I don't trust the government to do, well, anything right. I mean, where do I start? How many examples of bad government policy does one need to know turning something as important as health care over to them is a terrible idea? The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Let's face it, if you remove the profitability from the health care industry, the innovation goes with it. We have the most advanced health care system in the world. Why? Because it's profitable! I know that makes some people upset but that's the way it is.
of confusing "advanced" with "effective". Our system fares quite poorly when compared with other industrialized nations. Why? Because so many go without adequate health care.
>Let's face it, if you remove the profitability from the health care industry, the innovation goes with it.
You are either very VERY lacking in understanding of what drive most medical practitioners, or just trying to prose a lie to hid behind.
> We have the most advanced health care system in the world.
No you don't. The US has researched all kinds of things (as have lots of other countries), but as a system over all it's a joke and mostly a mess.
Next you are going to come out with things like "The US is the best on everything, just because it is OK, and if you disagree you hate the troops.".
Try sticking to some kind of facts at least.
Here's a fact. The Prime Minister of Italy went to Cleveland to get his pacemaker put in. Why would he do that?
All kinds of American citizens travel around the world for various procedures as well - often because they're cheaper and at least as effective.
I don't see you stating any facts friend. "But as a system over all it's a joke and mostly a mess". Thanks for being specific and citing examples!
I don't see you citing any facts friend. "Let's face it, if you remove the profitability from the health care industry, the innovation goes with it". Thanks for being specific and citing examples!
me-oww!
That's a pretty basic economic concept.
I don't see you citing any facts friend. "Let's face it, if you remove the profitability from the health care industry, the innovation goes with it". "That's a pretty basic economic concept." Thanks for being specific and citing examples!
me-oww!
nice. Name calling.
me-oww!
a.k.a. the white flag
Do you think half these companies would be in the business of coming up with new medicines or testing equipment if they couldn't make money doing it? Holy crap.
How about: what if the scientists in these companies didn't have to worry about making money for the executive bonuses, and could concetrate on creating cures instead of treatments?
Nothing about single payer government run health insurance would preclude any business from making money coming up with new medicines or new equipment. Do you think they don't come up with innovations or new medicines in say Switzerland or Germany? Even if you ignore the fact that most real innovations come from GOVERNMENT GRANTS at public university medical centers and laboratories --not paying for CEO bonuses and shareholder profits and lobbyists and marketing would leave MORE for R&D not less.
The US pharmaceutical industry spends almost twice as much on promotion as it does on research and development—contrary to the industry's claim. Researchers from York University, collecting data directly from industry and from doctors, found that in 2004 pharma spent $235.4 billion: 24.4% on promotion; 13.4% for research and development. They also found the number of promotional meetings jumped dramatically from 120,000 in 1998 to 371,000 in 2004. Further evidence the U.S. pharmaceutical industry is increasingly market driven—not driven by life-saving research.
SOURCE http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2008/0...
After most of the research and analysis is performed by the universities with taxpayer funds (government grants), pharmaceutical companies swoop in and slap patents on the new drugs created then use their money on marketing and lobbying for vast profits while prohibiting generic forms of medications from being created. This further drives up costs and limits competition.
Private companies would be going out of business once the government steps into their territory. UPS and FedEx seems to be doing pretty well. Hell I prefer UPS over USPS most of the time since they always provide tracking numbers. How about that, a C&L regular prefers a private company's service.
In a public option scenario, if anything having a big dog like the government providing competition would spur on advancements even more, because if private companies provide a more expensive service, they really need to give their customers their money's worth.
Secondly I'll pose this question to you, since you seem to not like government interventions. Have you ever read The Jungle?
Oh and here's another question, when your house catches fire do you call the fire department, or do you just try to put out the fire yourself. And if you plan on being your own policeman, for your sake I sure hope you know what kinds of legal privileges you have and their limits.
Epic fail
me-oww!
"I don't trust the government to do, well, anything right..." Did the roads cave in on your way home today? Did Netflix deliver a billion movies via a private company? Should we all have private Police and Fire depts too? "Hello this is 911 Emergency... Please key in your 12 digit credit card number..." The Government does plenty of things just fine. All this "government phobia" is emotional hogwash.
"Let's face it, if you remove the profitability from the health care industry, the innovation goes with it. "
That's ridiculous and completely unsupported by anything. Sometimes it's more profitable to just rename a drug and spend all your money on marketing. Sometimes a cure might be less profitable than expensive treatment. The two things have little to do with one-another.
the repub's have run this country, even during Clinton's time, for 30 yrs so unless your in the 45+ age group it's no wonder you don't trust government. Medicare does pretty good though...
If the government starts actually caring about the people instead of big business you'll see a change in how government runs things, that's what Obama's trying to do, all the whining hasn't let him get very far so far though.
I feel fine as it is, mainly because I live in a country where I get the option and understand the befits of taking care of others in part, I'm not a selfish short sighted person.
You're right it doesn't have anything to do with the constitution, it's about people like you having to resort to typical emotional pleas and defences to try and derail even talking about something.
No wonder your country is in the pan and sinking lower ......
To the selfish assholes who say "how is it fair that I have to pay for that other guy's treatment."
It's fair because he gets to pay for yours too.
You pay into a pool with a whole bunch of other people. You don't get your money back if you don't get sick.
The difference between the private insurers and the proposed public option is that the private companies skim off the top to pay investors. The government-run public option wouldn't. This translates to lower premiums to those participating in the government-run plan.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
So you're against the Government printing money? Enforcing copyright laws? Enforcing property rights? Building roads people ship their products on? Financing innovations like oh the internet, satellite technology etc? Unless you're on a desert island bartering chickens for goats there IS no economy without the government.
All these loudmouthed fascist hellbent on derailing the current initiative to accomplish what amounts to no more than a beginning of reform...Can't help but notice that....
They're all FAT, WHITE and MIDDLEAGED.
If we can't tax the rich, can we at least eat them?
Boy, that's pretty close to a racist remark...isn't it?
since I too am
Legitimate question meant to reach some understanding of your position. Is there any part of "the economy", of economic activity within the US the you feel requires regulation, or are you more a less a "laissez faire" type of person?
If we can't tax the rich, can we at least eat them?
Laissez faire is a great idea, they ought to read book called The Jungle.
You want laissez faire? Well I hope you enjoy cow anus meatloafs and other weird stuff because you're going to be eating like Andrew Zimmern. Oh and don't expect any real quality control in your food either.
Don't like government intervention in the economy, think about what you'd be stuffing down you mouth without the FDA, it ain't pretty.
Excellent! Rachel did a first-rate job calling out these corporate clowns and their deceptive practices.
We need more reporting like this. Bring their actions to the light of day & keep exposing them for the frauds they are.
Whatever practices are used to engage people is fair play. After all, that's what any good community organizer does. It's fair for politicians to sneak union supporters in to fill the halls if they can get away with it. Rachel Maddow can take her information from Democratic activists if she wants. She hasn't proven that anyone took any money to do anything and it wouldn't be illegal if they had. ACORN wishes they could drum up half the turnout.
It's still a free country.
I was just on Huffpost, had to come here for sanity! The fact that the Unions are stepping up are great but man that has set off a literal Hell storm of posts.
I tried to mention this article and I'm not even sure it registered.
Rachel continues to prove herself as an honest journalist and I can't wait to see what she reports on next.
Rachel Maddow: Best news anchor on television. Period.
Are they all hiding in some undisclosed location with Dick-Darth?
If they're speaking...maybe some REAL grassroots citizens can show up and SHOUT THEM DOWN. And the Blue Dogs too.
It's all well and good to research this and find out that someone is ginning up these protests. But so what?
If you try to use that as an argument or a deflection of these people, they have a ready defense: "Nobody told ME to come here! I'm here because I hate commies! The liberals are just blind to the rage against socialism!" etc, etc. It makes us look like bad ol' liberals and allows them to play the victim, or play the independently-minded self-reliant God-fearing Amurikin.
A lot of the folks showing up at these things look pretty old and/or wear insignia that proclaims they're veterans. So why not ask them if they're ready to give up Medicare and the VA? Ask them why they're already using socialized medicine. Ask them why they hate America so much that they have to shout down any talk of common-sense changes to the way we do things.
Raw Story also has the clip but didn't provide the trasncript.
using facts that have been researched to uncover abuses of power?
It's hard to remember because it's been such a long time since I've seen anything like it.
It's difficult to comprehend, as we're used to hearing two heads screaming complete and utter opinions at each other.
Thanks, for reminding us what journalism means, Rachel. Cheers.
If Rachel can just very slowly morph herself away from Obermann’s disgraceful neo-pseudo Edward R. Murrow style of reporting she will do well. If she can’t divorce herself from his style she will fail in news broadcasting. There is not enough room in the news room for Rachel and Keith. She has talent and the smarts, although sophomoric, she will outgrow it. Obermann can’t. He doesn’t have the talent or the smarts or maturity to match her.
I am sure that everything in this piece has some truth but to believe that the public, who is speaking out, is part of this small group who has the worst intentions is insane. You have peaceful but loud protests going on to stimulate the debate until they get attacked. If this was happening in another country the elitests would look at them and say that they are uncivilized but it is happening here. "Punch back twice as hard" was the message from the Whitehouse and it has produced violence. The fact that the Whitehouse is calling for this is insanity. I am sure that they would say that this was meant to incite passionate debate for their program and not violence but they knew better. If you follow only one source for information please look around. This is too important to be uninformed to what is really going on.
?
It is too bad that you don't question the news versus taking it as stated.
I sent an email to our Dear Leader...
flag@whitehouse.gov
It went like this...
---
This article in The New York Times seams fishy to me.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/06/2...
Hello
Dear Sir,
and to whom it may concern.
This June 20 article in The New York Times seams fishy to me.
---see article---
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/06/2...
Is it really true that my lame government thinks that it can control these six categories of the health care system.
-- Guaranteed Benefits
-- Affordability
-- Coverage to Be Required
-- Prevention and Wellness
-- Work-force Investments
-- Controlling Costs
This is so fishy I am fearful if it is true. Oh please keep your hands off. I found this and it sent a shutter down my spine. Please tell me that it is not true.
Maybe if it is true, you can do something about it, like leave the health care system alone. Dear President, I like it the way it is now, it works well for us.
I live in Folsom, Ca and I own a roofing company. I feel that the big problems in this country lately is the bunch of unthinking Democrats and the wrong way they make decisions about us civilians.
By the way... I feel like I too am part of an unruly MOB
Barney Frank and Chris Dodd are the two worst politicians this country has ever seen. They both make Nixon look like a saint.
Why would anybody think that making housing affordable to people that cannot afford it could some how be a good idea? Oh if we could only have a do-over for the 2006 elections.
Regards,
Andy the Roofer
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