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Here’s a fun example of astroturfing in its purest form: A woman attending a town hall event for Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI), and–while loudly raising objections to the Democrats’ health care reform proposal–insisting she’s just a regular concerned citizen. Except, she’s actually a GOP official.
Heather Blish was vice-chairman of the Kewaunee County GOP until 2008. She actually worked for Kagen’s opponent, and, according to her own resume, is affiliated with the Republican National Committee.
I’m shocked. Will the Republicans disavow Heather Blish as a liar?
Or slap her wrist for getting caught?
Lincoln would be a Left Center Democrat, humanitarian, if Alive today,… the Republicans have morphed into a bunch of self serving loons that would support slavery… Whigs?
Republicans of the day were more open to Central positioning than the Right Winged version we have today.
Its almost like calling a square a circle.
The Whigs, also known as the “white heads”, won votes in every socio-economic category, but appealed more to the professional and business classes: doctors, lawyers, merchants, ministers, bankers, storekeepers, factory owners, commercially-oriented farmers and large-scale planters. ……… Protestant religious revivals also injected a moralistic element into the Whig ranks. Many called for public schools to teach moral values; others proposed prohibition to end the liquor problem.
The name “Republican” gained such favor in 1854 because “republicanism” was the paramount political value the new party meant to uphold. The party founders adopted the name “Republican” to indicate it was the carrier of “republican” beliefs about civic virtue, and opposition to aristocracy and corruption.
Amazing…….
“[ed..should be “drivel” not dribble]”
Actually, I think some of the better splyf causes dribbling, does it not? So, it is relevant.
Awake said, on August 8th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Sad, really sad.
These anti-reform protesters are vociferously defending a corporate system that will drop them from their insurance coverage at the first available chance. Instead of standing there and demanding lower costs and increased coverage, with some assurance that they will be able to afford medical care when they actually need it.
Pathetic non-thinkers, uneducated on the facts about a corporate health system where profits come first and patient needs come last.
Instead of demanding that the US healthcare be improved so that they can be sure that it will be readily available to them throughout their lifetime, the shoot themselves by demanding that insurance companies have even more power over their lives. Stupid…. really really stupid.
Great post.
Good to see that someone here can transcend the trite and childish high school level “he said, she said” mentality that seems to permeate the modern political discourse in the US.
The whole “end of life” issue is a great example of how the anti-reform cabal has distorted the proposal.
What the end-of-life clauses really says is that every 5 years, the program will pay for a consultation with your doctor so that you can be better informed about your choices when you are on your deathbed. Choices that you can then include in your “Living will”. Choices that include “Keep me alive as long as possible regardless of the method”, or “Let me die with minimum fuss once death is imminent.”
If you do not declare your wishes for end-of-life, then it is all in the hands of the medical system as far as what they do and how hard they try. So being able to talk your options with a doctor can be nothing but good, even if it is just to make your doctor aware of the way that you think.
If you do not have a living will, or a regular will for that matter, you are a fool. How can it possibly be a bad thing to be able to talk this subject over with your doctor in a formal way as a paid consultation? BTW… I don’t think there is any insurance company that offers this explicit benefit.
The Democrats should do what the repukatoms did set up “protest zones” where people opposed to Republican/Bush policies can be put.
”
When Bush travels around the United States, the Secret Service visits the location ahead of time and orders local police to set up “free speech zones” or “protest zones” where people opposed to Bush policies (and sometimes sign-carrying supporters) are quarantined. These zones routinely succeed in keeping protesters out of presidential sight and outside the view of media covering the event.”
#32 Stars & Bars
Your post claim that those are facts. Well seeing as I have actually read the bill and have it sitting on my desk I can say you are either completely illiterate or you are completely full of shit.
Not one of the things you post is even close to a fact in regards those sections you reference. It is basically your idiotic interpretation of the nonsense you have been feed by your leader Rush Limbaugh.
>None of this would have happened if they stayed in session and just passed the bill on party lines. Are the Democrats so stupid that they can’t count their votes?
They did count their votes, and a majority of their party as well as the Republicans, said the weather in DC is bad in August. Do you really expect them to work on their holidays?
Christ! The Democrats are just like Google with unleashing the choice of Google Voice to iPhone owners, who are the same as Republican pure vessels just like Apple iPods and computers.
Again, with the Democratic party suggesting that there be a public option for healthcare to compete with insurance companies, they are limiting choices to the American healthcare app store. It’s up to the app store if people can be denied based on ever getting sick once in their life.
Sarah Palin speaks the truth when she says that the public option is the same as the vice president killing sweet, sweet Trig and feeding the blessed babe to Willow. Listen to her, people!! She are smart!!
Damn! Statist, ACORN, and secession. Go ahead and defend some pirates Alfred, we need the full set.
ed..should be “drivel” not dribble]
Dribble, spittle, drivel what’s the difference? If you are or where once a Republican does this mean you no longer are allowed to talk to your duly elected Congress critter about a bill that is going to radically change your life and the lives of those you love?
The way I read it the bill, as written, will gut medicare as far as providing health care for senior citizens and pretty much replace that with suicide advisers while providing free medical care to illegals.
There is no way Congress will allow this law to apply to anyone that ever served in Congress. This bill is for their social inferiors.
Anybody that runs against anyone that votes for this abomination has my vote and my donation.
I will further add that since the Democratic take over Congress has been acting like a thief running up a bill on a stolen credit card not that the Republicans were much better but then even a collection of lack witted imbeciles could easily do a better job than the Present Congress by simply failing to do anything.
I seriously loath most Congress critters.
>What the end-of-life clauses really says is that every 5 years, the program will pay for a consultation with your doctor so that you can be better informed about your choices when you are on your deathbed.
Yes, the government has realized that most health care is spent on the last 6 months of life, and these proposals are nothing more than informative, just a gentle nudge, that’s all.
How dare a citizen who was once a GOP official try to show up at a town hall meeting to voice her opinion! We all know anyone who opposes the heathcare bill is a nazi traitor. Let’s throw her in some secret prison and be done with it.
Are the Democrats this stupid? They could have passed this on party lines… But this is not an example of astroturfing. IMO astroturfing is when Obama sends out his Union thugs to these meetings. I notice you didn’t show those video clips.
When in the hell did a person have to give up their 1st admendment rights if they are a official of a local political group? I don’t give a rats patootie if this woman was a former or current official, she has the right to speak.
I think JCD might be onto something, Congressional Demoncraps are just looking for a way out and blame the Republicans.
For being local grassroots activists, the Democrats’ protesters have nicely printed signs
Charles Lane:
Though not mandatory, as some on the right have claimed, the consultations envisioned in Section 1233 aren’t quite “purely voluntary,” as Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) asserts. To me, “purely voluntary” means “not unless the patient requests one.” Section 1233, however, lets doctors initiate the chat and gives them an incentive — money — to do so. Indeed, that’s an incentive to insist.
Patients may refuse without penalty, but many will bow to white-coated authority. Once they’re in the meeting, the bill does permit “formulation” of a plug-pulling order right then and there. So when Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) denies that Section 1233 would “place senior citizens in situations where they feel pressured to sign end-of-life directives that they would not otherwise sign,” I don’t think he’s being realistic.
. . . Ideally, the delicate decisions about how to manage life’s end would be made in a setting that is neutral in both appearance and fact. Yes, it’s good to have a doctor’s perspective. But Section 1233 goes beyond facilitating doctor input to preferring it. Indeed, the measure would have an interested party — the government — recruit doctors to sell the elderly on living wills, hospice care and their associated providers, professions and organizations. You don’t have to be a right-wing wacko to question that approach.
Woo! Full house!
Alfred1, are you enjoying having sex with Glen Beck?
“But now you will judge what health care I should get, or be denied…”
Har, what an idiot you are proving yourself to be once again.
Sarah Palin and her remarks about healthcare for her son. The woman (and the people that support her) are complete idiots and liars.
The irony of her remarks is amazing… it just proves how clueless or willing to lie this Republican icon really is.
Her son with Down’s syndrome is uninsurable in the private sector. She can not buy private insurance for a child with Down’s syndrome. If she is unemployed, or works a job that does not provide family health insurance, or have insurance through her spouse the kid will be uninsured. No health care whatsoever.
And since she had a kid with Down’s, Sarah Palin herself is high-risk and uninsurable in the private sector, since she could get pregnant again and have another Down’s syndrome kid… she now has a pre-existing condition.
The only organization that provides for this kid is the state that she so hates.
I have a friend that has a brother with severe mental retardation. His brother is 40 years old with a mental age of less than 2 years old. The government has been providing for his care since he was about 17 and had to be moved out of the house because one of the parents died and the other just couldn’t handle the care. The much hated government pays for housing and care of the man/child. Do you think there is ANY private insurance company that would assist with this?
So what is it deep-thinking Republicans? How do you resolve this problem without involving your much hated ‘socialized’ medicine?
Since when is being a concerned citizen and a part of the GOP mutually exclusive by definition?
Alfred1 –
You didn’t answer the question.
If the private insurance system will not help take care of those that need it the most, such as the elderly, the handicapped, the very poor, and you think that the government should not help them, then who should? I guess nobody.. let the elderly, the poor, the handicapped die in their own feces in their own beds… that’s too bad… it ain’t no business of ours.
You do realize that what you are proposing goes against every Christian teaching.
Proverbs 28.27
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Often when I read your words Alfred1, I see the devil working through you.
I have to say the Democrats are no different in these games. Which is about what they are. No doubt from polls that their is a significant number of American’s who at least feel the Health care plan is being forced upon us too fast without proper discussion. I personally have not been able to read enough unbiased facts on this plan to decide to support it or reject it. The real question which seems to elude the Democrats is how do we pay for it? Much like the hundreds of billions already in debt we are. How is it that we can even think of another poorly run government plan? The media is as guilty of over supporting Obama as they were of under supporting Bush. The spin the news media puts on stories is sickening. Whatever happened to presenting the facts? And let the viewer make the decision.
If the protesters are astroturfing, why are they carrying homemade signs while the health care supporters have professionally printed signs?
#62, brm
why are they carrying homemade signs while the health care supporters have professionally printed signs?
Because the cheap pensioners would rather spend their money on gut rot wine and going to strip clubs. And so many of them gave away their Social Security checks to the TV Evangelists.
#64, brm,
Whenever the Republicans run for office they tell us how government is bad and can’t do anything. When they manage to grab power, they have to prove they can’t run a government.
Our Democratic controlled county has roads in good shape. The Republican controlled county just south of here doesn’t. It is the right wing nuts that favor police brutality. And the two wars we are in were started by someone claiming government doesn’t work.
I think you stepped on your own toes there.
LaRouche Answers Obama’s Challenge
http://youtube.com/watch?v=I11T-LaVBI0
Obama depopulation exposed Nazi Revival
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k4UEfCHoeHY
Obama Health Care Adviser: “Doctors Take the Hippocratic Oath Too Seriously”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5CHBvKGmevI
ACORN Using Police to Stop Free Speech of Obamacare Opponents
http://eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?v=Gdnzprpr4z
I live in a country with health care and I can not comprehend what you have against it.
99% of the population will do everything to keep it.
The last 1% of population… well we all have some “Alfred1 said”