Poison Ivy In The Astroturf

Utilizing the power of mob rule to terrorize blacks, Jews, “liberals”, catholics, anti-slavery and anti-segregationist activists in the south has been an old Ku Klux Klan tactic for over a century. And now the use of threatening mobs, images of lynching are being used by crowds with a predisposition of racism by Washington DC policy and lobby groups to oppose reformed healthcare.

KKK and a right-wing Recess Rally thug share common ideals

The dark practice of lynching in the post civil war south became so ingrained that they were viewed not only as a daily occurrence, but as a legitimate aspect of society. The use of lynchings was seen as a proper way to purge undesirable elements from a racially insular southern society, regardless of the laws enacted by a federal government commonly seen as “oppressive” or “tyrannical.”
The latest carny show from the right wing loony bin is to incite small bombastic crowds over healthcare reform. These astroturf groups are actually being coached by K st policy and lobby groups, who are manipulating them with an old whited hooded playbook.

A page from the old KKK playbook

Gangs of twenty to fifty crazed, incoherent angry white people sputter nonsensical, panicked cries over rumors of the president being a Kenyan citizen (only white people can be Americans to them!).

This small, demented demographic are under the belief that brown people are now acting as their lords and masters.

The healthcare industry use of racist images oppose Obama

The use of town hall meetings to display two year old toddler level meltdowns crying “I want my country back” is a way to demand the return of “white people” back to power.

Woodrow Wilson quote from KKK movie "Birth of a Nation"

Mobilizing a great number of people to confront their elected officials about policy is a grand and democratic concept; this occurs when a respectful dialogue is established between the citizen and their representative; in simpler terms, when everybody behaves like intelligent, respectful adults.

Mob rule is profoundly undemocratic and because it bypasses the effort to establish a respectful dialogue in favor of threatening, confrontational behavior in order to swing legislation in their favor. It less the behavior of a healthy society than it is of a petulant child who balks at having an early bed time. The line between an angry crowd and a lynch mob is easily marked: violence.

The Town Hall meetings have finally devolved into violence.

Scuffles erupted at Town Halls being held in Ybor City, Florida, and in St. Louis County, Missouri, between opponents and supporters of health care reform.

Despite continued assertions these groups are not being organized by Washington DC based astroturf organizations, people are still being lured and suckered into increasingly confrontational situations for the benefit of the very wealthy health insurance industry.

Instead of focusing on one organization and its front groups, here are fifteen sponsors of the “Recess Rally.”

Redstate.com – Since 2006, owned by Eagle Publishing, parent company of the magazine Human Events– home to Robert Novak, Michelle Malkin, Oliver North, Pat Buchanan, and Ann Coulter, among others. (source)

Smart Girl Politics Social networking and internet marketing website, aimed primarily at teabaggers; anti-choice, religionists who are failing at trying to look hip.

Net Right Nation Front group for Americans for Limited Government that posits itself as “your unique portal to the conservative blogosphere.”

Join Patients First Founded by Americans for Prosperity, they are sponsoring a bus tour of town hall meetings and are working with Patients United Now, another AFP front group.

Tea Party Patriots – A FreedomWorks front group. A leaked memo from volunteer Bob McGuffie detailed instructions for members on how best to harass and intimidate Democratic town hall meetings. (source)

American Liberty Alliance Formerly the DontGo pro-drilling/teabag project, founded by internet marketer Eric Odom. One of the major forces behind the whole Teabag movement.

FreedomWorks– Chaired by former congressman Dick Armey, shares top billing in the Teabag movement with Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty. Freedomworks has a long history of astroturf. Tried to pass off the Iowa state director of a conservative advocacy group as a “typical single mother” who approved of Bush’s social security privatization scheme. Created the astroturf website angryrenter.com in response to Obama’s housing bailout. (source)

Sam Adams Alliance ANOTHER group specializing in social networking and internet marketing, aimed primarily at teabaggers. Their New Media Coordinator was until January 1, 2009, the co-founder of the DontGo teabag project: internet marketer Eric Odom.  (source)

Americans For Prosperity Recently trounced by Rachel Maddow, Americans for Prosperity is a tobacco lobbying firm that is a major player in the teabag movement, and an opponent of Global Warming legislation. Recently launched Patients United Now and Join Patients First. (source)

Let Freedom Ring Brought to you by the same people behind the obnoxious campaigns, commercials and websites neverfindout.org, consequences.org, commonsensethinking2008.org, nobama.us and bothwaysbarack.com. You remember them– they’re the ones that really have no problem using images of 9/11 as cheap political props.

Michelle Malkin Michelle Malkin. Completely bonkers blogger featured quite prominently on many of the sites in this list.

American Majority Organization that provides “post-tea party training” as well as other forms of leadership and political training. See Rachel Maddow’s video for more on this group.

American Liberty Tour a nationwide tour organized by American Majority and the American Liberty Alliance to oppose any form of heath care reform.

Nationwide Tea Party Coalition The “Nationwide tea party coalition.” The commonality between teabag organizations and the Recess Rally crowd should be evidence enough that severe astroturfing is happening. The teabag movement has long been exposed as being the handiwork of Dick Armey’s Freedomworks and Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty.

Americans for Limited Government – Draws its funding from a few large donors, all interrelated to chairman Howard Rich. These large donors don’t actually do much of anything outside of acting as “bank accounts” for ALG. (source)

The old image of angry mobs at town hall meetings is a typical hollywood trope: a gaggle of provincial villagers gather to drive out the eccentric new residents, or to drive out the mad scientist from his castle, or to drive out any form of change or progress. After being definitively vanquished at the polls, conservative leaders have decided that making reality resemble a B-grade horror movie is an appropriate tactic to regain legitimacy. Unfortunately, whether intentionally or not, these leaders have tapped into something far more terrifying and more real than any frankenstein monster– the specter of the lynch mob.