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While attacking the Affordable Care Act along with the rest of the wingnut teabaggers that attended during this weekend's rally on Capitol Hill, hoping that the Supreme Court will repeal the health care law, the Media Research Center's Brent Bozell took his turn in the round of right wing pundits, who I'd say fortunately did not get a lot of attention anywhere else in the media, but C-SPAN aired their event.

I'd actually be happy to see this footage aired in our corporate media if it was fact checked properly and not just given the type of coverage as we normally see where it's the sort of fake balance and both sides have a point to make lazy excuse pretending it's “journalism” that is sadly all too often what fills our airways on almost all of the networks. I'm happy not to see it showing up for exactly that reason.

Brent Bozell has told this lie before, and while railing against the Affordable Care Act at this weekend's rally and the hope that the Supreme Court over turns it, told this whopper again over the weekend:

BOZELL: I'm speaking here as a Catholic and as an American. This president came out with a mandate and he ordered me as an employer to fund somebody's abortifacient, to fund somebody's abortion. Or as an employee, to put up the money for it.

Mr. President, I'll get around that stupid law, but if I can't get around that stupid law, here I am, bring out the hand cuffs, because you're going to have to arrest me.

Ladies and gentlemen, destroy this bill! Destroy this law! Thank you.

We've been down this road already with the likes of Peter Johnson on Fox pretending emergency contraception is an abortion drug. And with Karl Rove pushing the same line.

Apparently Brent Bozell doesn't have any more respect for those in the audience at this event in D.C. than Johnson or Rove did for those at Fox. For anyone that's in the mood for a couple of hours or so of wingnuts going crazy over the health care law coming before the Supreme Court this week and that feels like torturing yourself with watching the entire, sorry event, here's the video at C-SPAN's site -- Tea Party Patriots Health Care Law Repeal Rally.

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From the St. Louis Beacon -- Occupy St. Louis briefly occupies downtown streets for rally and march:

Shouting "We are the 99 percent!," close to 1,000 sign-waving participants and sympathizers of Occupy St. Louis took to the streets Friday to highlight their belief that too much power and money is increasingly concentrated among the few.

"Corporate greed has got to go!" declared Candace Smith, who has been participating in the Occupied movement, which has transformed part of Kiener Plaza into a tent city for over a week.

Smith joined Bob Soutier, president of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council, and others in addressing the crowd at a rally in Kiener before all marched down Market Street for a symbolic protest outside the biggest Bank of America building in town.

"To take our money, and then doing what they do to us, it has to stop!" Soutier said, igniting cheers.

He noted that similar marches were being held Friday in about 120 cities as part of the Occupied Wall Street movement, which has attracted various progressive groups and labor organizations as spinoffs have been formed.

St. Louis police, many on bicycles, lined Friday's march route, but no incidents were reported. Vans equipped to house any rowdy protesters lined a couple side streets, but went unused.

Shouted the crowd at various points during the 90-minute event:

"We are too big to fail!"
"Whose streets? Our streets!"
"What do we want? Jobs!"

Indeed, although various marchers waved signs advancing different causes -- from ending war to gay rights -- the common thread was their concern about the lack of jobs.

My friend Adam from St. Louis Activist Hub has more video from the march -- Video: 1,000 People March With OccupySTL (UPDATED With Additional Coverage) .

Continue reading »

Rep. Dennis Kucinich was on fire up at the rally in Wisconsin today. From The Uptake -- Rep. Kucinich Fires Up Madison Workers' Rights Rally:

Representative Dennis Kucinich, (D- Ohio) attacks Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for his trashing of workers' rights. The Governor signed a bill that eliminated most collective bargaining rights for public employees. This "Speak Up For Workers' Rights" rally happened after a massive protest at Wisconsin's state capitol.

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Around 4300 people attended the Working Families Rally at Kiener Plaza in St. Louis, Mo., this Friday to protest corporate greed and the push to turn Missouri into a "right to work" state. I attended the rally and took quite a few photos, which I wanted to share with the readers here at C&L.

The video above is from one of our local stations, which decided to give "right to work" advocate and former State Senator John Loudon some equal time, all in the name of being "fair and balanced" don't you know. According to the St. Louis Beacon, there was a pro-right-to-work rally held in St. Charles, Mo., this Friday as well, but KSDK didn't air any footage from that "rally." I have to wonder if it's because almost no one showed up there.

Here's more from the St. Louis Beacon on the rally at Kiener Plaza -- Thousands of union workers turn out to protest 'corporate greed' and attacks on bargaining rights:

Thousands of area union members -- from teachers to janitors -- packed Kiener Plaza this afternoon, to protest actions by corporations and Republican-led state governments that speaker after speaker called "an attack on the middle class."

"Now is the time to send a powerful message to the enemies of working men and women," declared Jo Wanda Bozeman, president of the Parkway National Education Association.

She asserted that the nation was witnessing "a methodical and planned assault" on the collective-bargaining rights of union workers.

The crowd roared as Bozeman shouted, "We're not going to take it anymore!"

Bob Soutier, president of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council called the turnout -- the official count was 4,300 -- the biggest local labor gathering he's seen in years.

Although smaller than union crowds in some other states with labor fights, including Wisconsin and Indiana, Soutier said the local rally -- organized in a few days -- was evidence that "people in St. Louis are fed up, not just by Washington, but in Jefferson City."

The rally was aimed, in part, at sending a message to Missouri legislators in the state Capitol. The state Senate is slated to take a floor vote Monday on a proposal, officially called "right to work," that would bar union shops, in which all workers at a business must pay dues if a majority have voted to be represented by a union.

Soutier and other area labor leaders plan to be in the Capitol for the Senate vote, even though it's unclear if the state House will take up in the issue. It's also doubtful that Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, would sign it.

Even so, the "right to work" fight -- initiated by Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, R-Dexter -- has galvanized unions and many business groups.

Mayer and his allies contend that "right to work" will make it easier for the state to attract and retain businesses. Union leaders dub the measure "right to work for less" and say it's aimed at reducing worker wages, particularly since the Legislature also is voting on a proposal to curb the state's minimum wage.

Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, headlined a pro-right to work event held earlier Friday in St. Charles. (Click here to read the Beacon's advance coverage, including an interview with Mix.)

I know there are a lot of St. Louis union members planning to go to Wisconsin to support the protesters there and the speakers talked about that at the rally today. If anyone has any photos to share of rallies in your area or information on groups in your area supporting the workers in Wisconsin, please share them in the comments section.

Photos I took of the event in St. Louis below the fold.

Continue reading »

As John wrote about the other day, ex-tea party leader Mark Williams was encouraging people to sign up to participate in the upcoming SEIU rallies and then try to get on camera wearing SEIU t-shirts holding signs that said things like “screw the taxpayer!” and “you OWE me!” Thom Hartmann spoke to Williams and he freely admitted to posting the material on line and the conversation just went downhill from there. It's really hard to argue with this much stupidity and downright meanness, but Hartmann gave it his best shot.

Williams criticized the public sector unions as just sucking off of the poor tax payers and undeserving of their pensions and benefits and called their pay an "entitlement" when Hartmann asked him if he didn't think they worked for a living. And he refused to recognize the fact that it wasn't the workers but the banks and Wall Street that ruined their pensions. Williams also tried to claim that the SEIU members were going to hold up signs such as he suggested on his site on their own. His basis for this -- they were already posting statements like that on his blog in the comments section. Man, what a rotten liar.

These idiots like Williams just hate working people. And as Thom said to him, he's just out there looking to make a buck hoping he'll be rewarded from the likes of the Koch brothers in return for his efforts. Selfish and greedy and trying to pit working people against each other to enrich themselves -- that's the MO of Williams and others like him heading up these astroturf "tea parties." This guy was so rotten he got himself ousted a while back. Looks like he's desperate to make his way back in to the good graces of the "tea party" with this stunt. That or he just can't stand to be out of the limelight, because after all, everything is about "me" with these people.

From Brave New Films:

Stephen Colbert we need you to hold a "Restoring Truthiness" rally on 10/10/10! If you are tired of Glenn Beck and want to Stephen Colbert to unleash his satirical genius on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, then tell Colbert here: I’m Sick of Right-Wing Smears.

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While discussing Chris Matthews' documentary on Hardball and some of the extreme rhetoric coming from the Tea Party, Ohio Gubernatorial candidate and former Congressman John Kasich tells Matthews that although there some people you could paint as extreme in the movement, "it's not the thrust of the movement" and describes them as "blue collar Democrats", people who are worried about the government's debt, their economic future and their children. Kasich points to the elections of Chris Christie and Scott Brown and says that no one could call them extremists.

Joan Walsh reminds Kasich that Scott Brown is now running away from the Tea Party and lays waste to the talking point that the Tea Party or Republicans are representing the working class. She got Kasich a bit riled up by daring to point out that he went from being a member of Congress to working for Lehman Brothers and how those sorts of issues are being ignored because we're focused on the craziness coming from the likes of the birthers instead.

WALSH: I think -- you know, Scott Brown has run away from the Tea Party.

KASICH: He hasn’t run away from anything.

WALSH: He refused to go to their rally; he refused to go to their Tea Party day. Congressman Kasich, you know, you sound like a wonderful guy compared to a lot of republicans. You are a moderate, but, you know, I think this is garbage that they represent the Underdog. They represent the Overdog, and you know in your own race, you went to work for Lehman Brothers, God bless you, that was your right. That’s become an issue. You know, how do you get to be the champion of the little guy when you went to work for the firm that helped bring about the collapse of the economy? These are the issues that we’re not talking about because we’re talking about where the president was born.

KASICH: First of all.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Well, equal time here. Go ahead.

KASICH: I mean, look, my father was a postman, I ran a two-man office in Columbus, Ohio, OK?

WALSH: Great.

KASICH: And one thing that people in this country want to recognize is if you work hard you ought to be able to get ahead. You play by the rules, you can be successful. This is what the Tea Party wants, not some left wing rhetoric from you. That’s not what they are interested in.

WALSH: That’s not left wing record rhetoric.

KASICH: Yes, it is.

WALSH: I’m talking about fairness.

KASICH: It’s smear.

(CROSSTALK)

KASICH: I didn’t pick on you. I didn’t pick on you, ma'am. If you want to punish success, that’s the opposite of what the Tea Party wants.

WALSH: That’s not the point.

KASICH: They want to reward success and that may be a little bit difficult but I would recommend to you to read every other Monday, so that you don’t start picking on people.

WALSH: Thank you, sir.

So pointing out that someone went from Congress to working for Lehman Brothers is a "smear" now huh? Tweety made sure Joan Walsh never got another word in and and spent the rest of the segment kissing Kasich's butt and telling him how much he looks forward to reading his book. Heaven forbid Matthews could allow the mean liberal woman to "smear" Kasich by pointing out the revolving door between Congress and big business without soothing the poor, horribly injured man a bit after his feelings were hurt so badly. We couldn't have that, now could we?

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John King allows Dick Armey to pretend like the Republicans have not already co-opted the Tea Party movement and says they are "grassroots" because they don't have anyone in charge. Of course as Karoli pointed out the other day, we already know that's not true.

The Tea Party Express is not -- I repeat -- NOT a grass roots movement. It's a professionally coordinated corporate PR effort funded and founded by professional PR hacks, principally from the firm of Russo Marsh & Rogers (also known as King Media Group) in Sacramento, CA.

New FEC disclosures have just been filed, so let's have a look at the money trail.

The TeaParty Express is primarily a Howard Kaloogian project. Howard Kaloogian was featured in an earlier Crooks and Liars report on paid agitator Deborah Johns and in this report about bus tour co-sponsor, the BusBank, who was found negligent and responsible for the deaths of 23 passengers.

Or maybe you recall Kaloogian as one of the architects of the Gray Davis recall/Arnold Schwarzenegger coup of 2003.

According to the most recent Tea Party Express FEC disclosures (PDF), employees of the Tea Party Express include Mormon mom Tiffiny Reugner, Amy Kremer, former Tea Party Patriot, Marine Mom Deborah Johns, and Joe Weirzbicki. These are the paid hacks comprising the face of the "Tea Party Express" campaign. Read on...

And of course let's not forget Rachel Maddow's reporting on the topic. Rachel Maddow Recaps Her Coverage of the Astroturf Movement to Kill the Health Care Bill. These groups are not grassroots and John King knows it. Unfortunately CNN is getting about as bad as Fox with promoting them as Karoli noted in her post.

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More compassionate conservatism from the teabaggers. Isn't this special?

Grand Rapids resident Sharon Downer said, "[The health care bill is] going to tax the system way beyond what we have. For some reason, liberals seem to think people deserve paychecks who don't work and that's silly considering I don't want my hard earned money, my parents money, my siblings money to go to people who don't deserve it."

Hmmmm... I wonder just who she thinks those lazy "people" are that don't deserve anyone's help. I guess this gal will sign a statement right now that says if she is ever disabled she'll turn down that government "paycheck", right? We wouldn't want her contributing to the lazy people living off of the government dole.

Tea Party Express brings out thousands:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Thousands gathered in Riverside Park Saturday with one goal: express their discontent to spending decisions by the state and federal government.

West Michigan conservatives welcomed the Tea Party Express to Grand Rapids. The nation-wide tour hit up four other Michigan cities before cruising into Grand Rapids. The group Tea Party of West Michigan organized Saturday's event, which welcomed the nation-wide tour.

Before the Tea Party Express arrived, participants listened to patriotic songs and took advantage of an open mic. One by one, tea partiers took to what organizers called the soap box and expressed their opinions.

Many had one thing in common: a desire for less encompassing government programs, most notably when it came to health care reform. Read on...

h/t Amerigo Vespucci at DU

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Wow. Every time I think this woman can't one up the stupid from the last time I saw her, she manages to out do herself again. Apparently the Tea Party Express was making its way through Michigan to protest Bart Stupak and Victoria Jackson was part of the "entertainment". Lots of mindless birther, Communism and Marxism rantings and some big applause from the crowd when she mentions Glenn Beck. Imagine that? Victoria Jackson... poster child for the stoopid. I would feel so much better if this were actually an act.

h/t Amerigo Vespucci at DU