Democratic Dirty Tricks and Republican “Mob Rule”

Saul Alinsky, another famous “community organizer” hmmm, published his “Rules for Radicals”. Here are two you will recognize from the majority party’s current play book:

RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

The Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress are spending a lot of time running mudslinging campaigns against those who oppose the health care bill rather than answering their legitimate questions and having a “serious conversation”.

Democrats have also ordered House Republicans to stop using the term, “government run health care”. It’s devastating to their marketing plan. They cannot, in the words of Speaker Nancy, “sell it to the American people”.

Recently Democrats stopped calling “health care reform” health care reform and started calling it “health insurance reform” and launched attacks on insurance companies. Speaker Pelosi called insurance companies “immoral, carpet bombing villains”.

Today, August 5, 2009, Nancy Pelosi claimed that protesters are “carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on healthcare.”

Stephen Clark of foxnews.com writes:

Democrats are stepping up their campaign against opponents of health care reforms, depicting town hall audiences protesting a Democratic-sponsored bill as angry mobs duped into hostile actions by special interest groups.

The Democratic National Committee released a Web video and e-mail blasting opponents of the 10-year, $1 trillion plan.

Titled “Enough of the Mob,” the ad warns that the “right wing extremist base” is back after losing the presidential election, a series of legislative battles and the confidence of Americans.

“Now, desperate Republicans and their well-funded allies are organizing angry mobs — just like they did during the election,” the ad says. “Their goal? Destroy President Obama and stop the change Americans voted for overwhelmingly in November.”

Saul Alinsky would be so proud.

The ad goes on to dismiss the protests as “mob activity straight from the playbook of high-level Republican political operatives. They have no plan for moving our country forward, so they’ve called out the mob.”

The e-mail outlines what it says are five facts about the “anti-reform mobs,” including an accusation that these operatives are trying “to intimidate and silence regular people who just want more information.”

“It’s time to expose this charade, before it gets more dangerous,” Jen O’Malley, head of the DNC, said, urging recipients to pass it along.

Michelle Malkin reports on michellemalkin.com how Lanny Davis, lawyer and former White House Counsel for President Bill Clinton, wants those who oppose government-run health care photographed and investigated. Says Malkin:

The consigliere to the Clinton thugocracy decries the taxpayer counterinsurgency — and calls on left-wing hitmen to photograph and investigate Obamacare protesters to prove that they are being “paid” by the “Republican right” to express their opinions and demand accountability from their congressional representatives (never mind that so many of these protests have been aimed at Republicans who have betrayed their principles).

Via Politico:

The “shout downs” organized by the Republican right meet one of the classic definition of “fascist” tactics–defined as using shouting and disruption to deprive the civil and respectful debate of ideas. There is literally no defense to these tactics. I don’t criticize those who feel genuine anger or fear and show up to meetings to express those emotions. But I do call out the tactic of screaming and disrupting a meeting and the fact that this is a systematic tactic by thugs who want to prevent civil discourse, not promote it.

Let’s have the media name names, publish photographs, and do interviews of those responsible for approving, even organizing these techni[q]ues. And let’s find an investigative journalist – are there many left – to prove these so-called grassroots shouters are, or are not, being paid.

Wear your best Brooks Brothers shirt and say cheese!

Meanwhile, Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House’s Health Reform Office, requests your help:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

The “fishiest” thing we have seen is the bill itself.

Stephen Clark continues:

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Wednesday said the protests are being fueled by misinformation and scare tactics, prompting concerns about a government takeover.

“This is part of I guess what we have to do, which is push back on what we knowingly know is not true,” he said. “Am I going to convince people who are hanging congressman in effigy about the details of the health care plan? Probably not today.”

Gibbs repeated his belief that the Republican National Committee and private groups are orchestrating the protests.

“I think there is a lot of manufactured anger going on,” he said.

On Tuesday, the White House issued a blog post by Macon Phillips, director of new media, asking supporters to send “fishy” information received through rumors, chain e-mails and casual conversation to a White House e-mail address, flag@whitehouse.gov.

Cornyn responded by accusing the White House of compiling an “enemies list.” In a letter to the president, Cornyn urged Obama to provide Congress with more details on what the White House plans to do with anyone reported for “fishy” speech.

“I am not aware of any precedent for a president asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy’ or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests,” Cornyn wrote.

“You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights,” he wrote.

Republicans Respond

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio responded, “Instead of acknowledging the widespread anger millions of Americans are feeling this summer toward Democrat-controlled Washington, Washington Democrats are trying to dismiss it as a fabrication. That isn’t likely to sit well with Americans outside of Washington who are struggling and wondering when their elected leaders are going to wake up and change course.”

More from Stephen Clark:

The Republican National Committee fired back with an e-mail titled “THE MOB? Hey Democrats, They’re Called The American People.” The e-mail goes on to list a series of links to stories and polls revealing growing doubts about Obama’s top domestic priority and his economic policies.

And the Libertarian Party said Obama, a former community organizer, should think twice before approving a campaign that attacks communities for organizing, even if it’s against him.

“Libertarians find it ironic a community organizer is now using the government to try and stop people from organizing their communities,” Libertarian National Committee spokesman Donny Ferguson said in a statement.

“Instead of using official edicts to smear, slander and intimidate everyday Americans into silence, Democrats should listen to the majority of Americans and drop their plans for a radical government takeover of their health care.”

With the House on a five-week recess and the Senate soon to follow, a public relations war over health care reform has erupted and spilled into town hall meetings where Democratic lawmakers have come face to face with furious protesters.

On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer faced a group of protesters, including one who wondered what the hurry is. He argued that Congress is trying to push the bill through more quickly than it took President Obama to choose his dog.

Also Tuesday, Freshman Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil of Maryland was escorted by sheriff’s deputies out of a town hall meeting attended by hundreds of protesters.

Several others have faced hostile crowds, including Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and recent party-switcher Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Four of five congressional committees have approved versions of the sweeping bill, but lawmakers fell short of Obama’s deadline for the House and Senate to vote on legislation before their August recess. That set up a September showdown on the legislation and all sides have moved into high gear.

Sources:

Mob Rule or Democracy in Action? Health Care Debate Focuses on Opponents Over Substance

Lanny Davis wants you photographed and investigated

http://www.whitehouse.gov <----This one's "fishy".

Cornyn Questions WH’s Call to Report ‘Fishy’ Behavior on Health Care

You can track the healthcare bill here: H.R.3200: America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

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In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell

Tagged as: Big Government, Democrats' Healthcare Plan, Government Run Healthcare, Government Spending, H.R.3200: America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, Health Care Reform, Obamacare, Universal Health Care