Who’s funding the Obamacare Astroturf campaign?
My syndicated column today investigates the deep pockets behind the “grass-roots” campaign for Obamacare. Chicago crony/White House senior adviser David Axelrod is, of course, the master of astroturfing. So it certainly comes as no surprise that left-wing puppetmasters are behind the government health care takeover lobby. But an informed citizenry needs to know the nitty gritty details.
Will the ABC “All Barack Channel” News health care infomercial tell viewers about the cabal at 1825 K Street (a far Left office complex/headquarters that is the Washington DC analogue of the 1024 Elysian Fields ACORN headquarters in New Orleans, which I first reported on in August 2008)?
Will they tell viewers about the First Lady’s patient-dumping scheme?
Of course not.
So: Read. Learn. Pass it on. Help do the job the rest of the government-directed stenographers won’t do.
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Who’s funding the Obamacare Astroturf campaign?
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009
If you believe the White House, there are 30 million Americans who support a government health care takeover. But if you look at the funding behind the Obamacare Astroturf campaign, it’s the same few Leftist billionaires, union bosses, and partisan community organizers pushing the socialized medicine agenda. Let’s connect the dots.
On Thursday, a national “grass-roots” coalition called “Health Care for America Now (HCAN)” will march on Capitol Hill to demand universal health care. The ground troops won’t have to march very far. HCAN, you see, is no heartland network. It is headquartered at 1825 K Street in Washington, D.C. – smack dab in the middle of Beltway lobby land.
In fact, 1825 K Street is Ground Zero for a plethora of “progressive” groups subsidized by anti-war, anti-Republican, Big Nanny special interests. Around Washington, the office complex is known as “The Other K Street.” The Washington Post noted in 2007 that “[i]ts most prominent tenants form an abbreviated who’s who of well-funded allies of the Democratic Party… Big money from unions such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, as well as the Internet-fueled MoveOn, has provided groups like those at 1825 K Street the wherewithal to mount huge campaigns.”
MoveOn, of course, is the recreational political vehicle of radical liberal sugar daddy George Soros. The magnate’s financial fingerprints are all over the HCAN coalition, which includes MoveOn; the action fund of the Center for American Progress (a Soros think tank); and the Campaign for America’s Future (a pro-welfare state lobbying outfit).
HCAN has a $40 million budget, with $10 million pitched in by Atlantic Philanthropies – a Bermuda-based organization fronted by Soros acolyte Gara LaMarche. Also in the money mix: Notorious Democrat donors Herb and Marion Sandler, the left-wing moguls who made billions selling shady subprime mortgages and helped Soros fund his vast network of left-wing activist satellites. By their side is billionaire Peter Lewis of Progressive Insurance, whose “Progressive Future” youth group has dispatched clueless volunteers armed with clipboards and literature bashing Rush Limbaugh and Fox News to scare up support for Obamcare.
And two more left-wing heavyweights joining the HCAN parade: the corruption-riddled SEIU (which has battled numerous embezzlement scandals among its chapters across the country while crusading for consumer and patients’ rights) and Obama’s old chums at fraud-riddled ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
ACORN and HCAN are linked by left-wing philanthropist Drummond Pike, who heads the non-profit Tides Foundation/Tides Center. As the tax disclaimer for HCAN discloses, “HCAN is related to Health Care for America Education Fund, a project of The Tides Center, a section 501(c)(3) public charity.” For decades, the Tides Center and its parent organization, the Tides Foundation, have seeded some of the country’s most radical activist groups of the Left, including the communist-friendly United for Peace and Justice, the jihadist-friendly National Lawyers Guild; and the grievance-mongering Council for American-Islamic Relations.
Pike is the same philanthropist who assisted ACORN founder Wade Rathke after his brother, Dale, was caught embezzling nearly $1 million from the community organizing group. Rathke sits on the Tides Foundation board of directors. In a conspiracy to cover up Dale Rathke’s massive theft of funds, Pike volunteered to buy a promissory note worth $800,000 to cover the debt. These are the populist do-gooders supposedly looking out for you and your health.
Why do they want Obamacare? An internal ACORN memo I obtained from August 2008 makes the motives clear. “Over our 38 years, health care organizing has never been a major focus either nationally or locally for ACORN,” wrote ACORN Philadelphia region director Craig Robbins. “But increasingly, ACORN offices around the country are doing work on health care.” The goal: “Building ACORN Power.” The memo outlines the ACORN/HCAN partnership and strategy of opposing any programs that rely on “unregulated private insurance” – and then parlaying political victory on government-run health care “to move our ACORN agenda (or at least part of it) with key electeds that we might otherwise not be able to pull off.”
The objective, in other words, is to piggyback and exploit Obamacare to improve and protect their political health. The “grass-roots” movement is not about representing Main Street. It’s about peddling influence and power on 1825 K Street.
Malkin is author of the forthcoming “Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks & Cronies” (Regnery 2009).
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What a surprise. A bunch of well-moneyed leftist groups grabbing for power/control by claiming to do it for the little guy.
I wonder how much coordination between these groups and the WH takes place. Obama wants socialist health care, so Axelrod calls a few buddies, gets things in place, and the astro turf starts growing.
I have my White House Propaganda Day Activities all planned out!
Everything they constantly and falsely accused the right of doing came from their own inside knowledge of being crooks and charlatans, Alinski would be so proud of his pupils!
Woodward and berstein;
“follow the money”
The usual suspects fund it.
In the meantime you can hear crickets chirp in the MSM studios across the country.
Where are the conservative billionaires and front organizations to counter this!?!?
These people are pumping money into organizations that use unemployed losers (aka useful idiots) to do the foot work.
The problem is that conservatives are folks with jobs, who can’t drop everything to counter the leftwing losers.
They are using the fact that we honor our commitments to our families and employers against us.
I expect the left will refute this with point by point with detail and reason by makings slurs about MM’s ethnicity and vulgar sexual references.
Malkin is author of the forthcoming “Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks & Cronies” (Regnery 2009).
“This title will be released on July 27, 2009.”
Michelle, I’m assuming that with just six months in office under his belt, this book is….Volume One?
Don’t forget stimulus money from taxpayers…some is probably burried in there somewhere. Create a crisis, rake in the dough, and steamroll down the road.
ACORN and its far-reaching tentacles is, in my opinion, the most dangerous organization of radicals this country has ever seen. They have to be exposed and taken down or they will become America’s Nazi militia. There are some patriots like our MM who are fighting this group and exposing their agenda. But if the MSM remains silent, millions of those people who only listen to the alphabet channels will never hear one word about this! The media is responsible for Obama being elected, and the media will be responsible if our constitution is shredded and our country is destroyed. Will anyone over there sit up and take notice? Will anyone over there wake up to what they are doing to the greatest country in the history of the world? It is the 11th hour here, folks. And most of our citizens are asleep.
Scratch Progressive Insurance off my list of possible places to get car insurance. Despite the fact that they sponsor some sporting events that I support, they won’t see my business.
And ACORN needs to be shut down. Time to take the gloves off and “get in their face” as their Dear Leader instructed.
The Obama astroturf needs to come check out real grassroots in Kansas City today as we rally outside the local ABC affiliate at 4:30. And we aren’t bankrolled by anyone!
And from MM’s linked article on Peter Lewis.
So there ya go. A closer look at what a liberal really is.
Uh, I think that’s been their plan all along.
That’s not all they sponsor…long-time supporters of a lot of negative culture changing issues.
Name alone implies opposite of conservative.
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The “democrats” / liberals / socialists / marxists / communists really love the “little guy”. All they do is to help him get into poverty while they get rich.
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It worked out SO WELL for the little guys in Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, Vietnam, China, etc. that President Obama (PBUH) and his minions are making a lot more little guys here.
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Check our your retirement, savings, 401K, IRA, inflated prices, and future taxes to see how things really work out for little guys.
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John Bibb
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On
Whose plan? The MSM? Or the liberal politicians? Do you think it has been thier plan because they want the country to fail? I can’t believe that every single so-called journalist in the MSM intends for this country to be destroyed. I can’t believe that every one of them is purposely committing treason and covering up corruption and plans for a group of thugs to take over our government. I don’t believe that has been their “plan all along”. I think they have been taken in by this President and their eyes are clouded. I really cannot imagine that the plan of the MSM is to hide truth from the masses in order to ruin America. I do believe, however, that many of them have lost their journalistic integrity and should get out of the business! Perhaps some of them are starting to see what is happening and will get back to reporting honestly.
Anyone ever notice the one’s making money on ACORN and it’s subs are all rich white guys? HHHMMM and all of the lackey’s that follow thme are black.
Happy – I think they’re all in CYA mode, and not much into admitting guilt in knobbing Obama for so long.
Well we better get off that track yesterday if we want a to keep anything resembling a Republic and a future for our children and grandchildren.
Have a job? Good now keep it by stopping this Leftward rush of America. Belong to the Republican Party? Get involved at the precinct level and fight the RINOs. Know a Conservative candidate for office you think has a chance? Good, support that candidate. There are challenges to Specter and Murtha in PA, Republican Chuck DeVore is running for the US Senate against California Senator Barbara Boxer. Join the NRA and your local Second Amendment organization. Belong to a third party? Good, get involved.
Can’t win those elections in 2010? Not if don’t try we can’t. We can stop this Leftist rush, we must stop this rush. Yes we have jobs–find the time to do the other.
Fine advice. Our Continental soldiers were gone eight years-Civil War more than three and WWll four. It is our to keep.
Keep your powder dry good people. God Bless America and damn the Left to Hell.
I personally knew Craig Robbins about 12 years ago. He was director of St. Louis ACORN then and moved on to Philadelphia about 10 years ago. Seemed like a nice enough guy, but make no mistake, he and his wife are kool-aid drinking, dedicated leftists. This would not surprise me in the least, and I’ve been wondering if I’d see his name pop up eventually.
Of course not, but those who determine what gets reported and what gets aired on tv have an agenda.
I agree. I just hope they wake up and realize what they are doing before it is too late. Some of them must have a conscience!
I love the bait and switch that would make a three card monte dealer proud.
“Private insurance won’t go away, they’ll just be a government option”.
How many employers will drop coverage, and send their employees to Uncle Sam’s insurance? And, Obama can afford to run losses (more T bill auctions, everyone) to undercut private sector medical insurers, until they go broke, and get absorbed.
That is when the rationing, and cuts in fees paid for procedures to doctors and hospitals actually start.
As a side note, I don’t know how long Ford can hold out, as I am sure GM and Audi-Dodge can run losses to undercut them, while Ford still has to honor its UAW contracts.
Seared with a hot iron.
lgm sneering at the ring true school in 5, 4, 3, 2, ……
And, if all of the problems associated with the current mess aren’t enough…
La Raza (“The Race”) is lobbying hard to include illegal aliens in whatever program that evolves. FAIR link here.
Obama should favor that. Anything that incentivizes illegal immigration. Those illegals can then same day register and vote, without ID if Eric Holder can help it, and reward their man Obama for the ‘free’ medical care.
This explains the recent trial balloons floated on legalizing pot.
Maybe some quid pro quo here. “Hey, make some comments about legalizing it, we’ll see where it goes, and I’ll dump loads of cash into your army of thugs.”
I’m sure some of them do, but they are so enthralled with BHO and protecting their investment in them, I’m sure they will overlook a significant amount to protect him.
Look at some of the issues that have become known since he was immaculated, and how little has been reported by the drive-bys. If any of them do report on an issue, it’s usually slanted in such a way as to make him a victim, blame someone else, suggest he is struggling with it, or any other excuse they can think of to cover for him.
It will take something significant before they come to their senses.
on that I wouldn’t bet…seems that they check their conscience at the door before entering Congress as they grab the handout from the lobbyists….
Unfortunately, that something will probably be another terrorist attack. This administration is doing some very foolish things and we are in danger. When we are attacked again, will the MSM continue to cover his a$$? Even then, some of them will. But I believe many will defect to the good side.
If it does get passed, I wonder how many of them get absorbed into a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac type of entity that the left can loot.
I’m not so sure even that would cause them to change. Remember the 911 commission and how quickly previous administrations were excused in favor of blaming Bush?
The problem here is many of the drive-bys are cheerleading the left (politicians and their nutball supporters) into dismantling protections put in place over the last several years.
I can’t believe the NY Times would report on Achmed blowing up something here if he was financed in a manner that the SWIFT program may have detected, or his coordination could have been discovered if his phone call would have been intercepted.
…unless it was their main office that was hit.
Even then, I suspect they would blame Bush for causing so many in the world to hate us.
You can always tell when it’s organized by an activist group–the signs are pre-printed and all the same. (Compare the Tea Bag signs, homemade usually.)
If I can figure that out, why can’t the media?
Errah, Acornunism is flush with leftist and stimulus cash so the three card monte game will continue for quite some time. Isn’t Crap n Trade, Obamacare and the specter of Stimulus II enough of a diversion that no one inside the beltway or in flyover land has their eye on the prize. God forbid Iran or North Korea unravel more and these minions have complete and unfettered license to hollow out the core of the republic completely unchecked. Oh, the stories they will tell . . . .
Everyone, please read or download Mark Steyn’s lecture at Hillsdale College–‘Live Free or Die’
Hmm. I wonder what that’s going to do to interest rates and inflation? Seems like the average mortgage rate is already higher than it was just a month ago.
What incentive would there be for employers to KEEP expensive coverage and compete with TEH ONE’s insurance plan?
I see every employer that can,dropping coverage as soon as the government plan is available and directing their employees to sign up.
Errah
That’s because liberals can’t read or write, thanks to public education. They may know how to put a condom on a banana or spearfish in Africa, but cohesive thought, the written word and mounting a poster board on a stick didn’t make their top twenty list of things to learn how to do without government assistance.
Sadly, I think you are right. Let us hope that, if we are hit, the ones hit will be those who need to be literally attacked before they will see the truth. And like you said, even then, most will just blame Bush. I am getting so sick of that mantra. When will we start blaming the current administration???
If successful, Rathke’s WARN group represents the potential to devastate state and local economies across the nation, with their assaults on Wal-mart.
Thank you, MM, for doing the job the MSM refuses to do – keeping the people informed about pro-Left activists groups like ACORN and WARN.
When June’s unemployment figures come next month topping ten percent, I wonder what Obama will do – make an ice cream run, or run away to Hawaii?
Or maybe 18 holes of golf in Florida. I don’t think he’ll go near Hawaii with Lil Kim’s threat to drop a missle on it soon.
Thanks for that link, I make a point of reading Mark Steyn on a regular basis, but didn’t catch that one and it was worth the read.
OT – Here we go again!
Bawney Fwank is asking Fwanny and Fweddy to relax some of their condo loan regulations…
Round and round and round we go but I guess running around in circles is the kind of behavior one would expect when one has their head planted firmly in their butt.
misscheryl we have to relax those pesky rules just as we did in 98. we dem’s are really starting to be blamed for doubling the unemployment rate in 1 year, quadrupeling the deficit in 1 year, destroying 2 of the 3 automotive icons of america, and causing the housing market and the financial market to collapse. we need to get that stimulus working again so we can tax these rabbits so we can pay for all the great programs we have for all the out of work idiots who are our core voting base.
It’s all about money and power, plain and simple. We hear incessant raving from the left about the “greedy” rich. Where is the railing against those “greedy” rich liberals who seem to have bottomless pockets?
We simply must STOP putting the same politicians back in office time and again! It’s insanity! They are killing America!!!!
The persons responsible for causing our problems CANNOT be trusted to correct them. WE cannot just demand change, we must cause change.
It’s WAY past time to get serious…we must unite as a nation, stop the division, and start holding politicians accountable.
Imprison them, make them extinct (not through violence, but by the vote.)
Make misfeasance and malfeasance in office a high felony, punishable by long prison terms, liquidation of assets, with NO provisions for early release or probation. Make it painful to screw the American public. The punishment must outweigh the risk!
There should be NO compassion for these disease-carrying leeches!
I’ve not done this before, but it might be needed today.
by Billy Graham
‘Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!’
(emph & bold mine)
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, ‘The Rest of the Story,’ and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord’s help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called ‘One nation under God..’
Obamacare for America NWO!
http://thelcabroadside.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/obamacare-for-america-nwo-hcan/
So, just how weakened does America have to get before we impeach this @$$hole?
Don’t any of these deep pocketed disgraces have anything useful to do with their money? Think of what they could accomplish if they did! Yes, Obama has to go in 2012 but in the meantime, we need to take back the Senate in 2010.
Astroturf?
I thought that was a Clinton thing.
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com
Most no-working,(don’t want to work), pukes support this type of socialism, and the Marxist POTUS sees a way to control 10% of the economy.
I bet this socialism/Marxist nightmare includes all the illegal aliens invading this country.
Enough with all these thugs taking over our country-
Show solidarity against the leftist thugs responsible for getting Atlanta Tea Party canceled!
Remember Atlanta!
We say “You can’t cancel freedom!
regardless of what “Simon says”!
Do these people not know how an economy works or where money comes from?
Where do they think the money to pay for all this stuff will come from if they cripple the economy and drive businesses and investment overseas?
i live in South Korea where they have universal health care and its not all its cracked up to be
first everyone has to go to the doctor for everything from the common cold to back pain
there is no over the counter medicene like we have in the US
the health care does not cover major illnesses such as cancer those still cost a ton of money out of pocket
Liberals need to be made to understand just one thing; we Conservatives do NOT need them but they DO need us.
Since we advocate personal responsibility we don’t want or need their taxes, what little they pay but they not only need our tax dollars they count on the fact that as Conservatives we won’t overuse the services we pay for thereby leaving more for them. They also know that we will likely work harder to make up for increased levels of confiscation.
I’m personally ready to go to war with the Left to put a stop to this socialist totalitarian shift once and for all.
The same phenomenon exists in the Detroit Lions fan club.
Liberals suck….
Hmmm, socialist billionaires trying to buy American politics… well, we know the democraps will sell our freedoms for nearly nothing! Bastards.
I pre-ordered your new book at Amazon. Looking forward to July 27th.
The PEW Charitable Trust was able to create through their use of funding front groups to create the appearance that the public was clamoring for campaign finance “reform”, one of the greatest assaults on freedom of speech in generations. They were entirely successful, with the complicity of Bush, the US Supreme Court, and a corrupt press. Socialists will stoop to anything in their quest for power.
It seems that Soros’s generous investment in Halliburton during the last 5 or 6 years has paid off. What? No one remembers how the Cheney chatter about Halliburton all but ceased that one fine day when Georgie boy bought shares? Means to an end, people…means to an end. And, sublime audacity and hypocracy.
Why is Soros’s businesses located overseas, protected from “fair share” taxation, but allowed to donate freely to influence American policy direction? This is just another overlooked bit of legislation that needs to be reformed, sooner, rather than later.
I would heartily support the elimination of tax-free political organizations, whose purpose is to restrict freedom and control government direction. These groups, along with lobbying groups need to be banned from direct contact with elected officials, and anyone with any contact with elected officials.
They can run media ads, and support townhall forums like the rest of America. This is a corrupt system that must be eliminated.or nothing will ever change in Washington, absent violent revolution.
An appropriate name…”PEW”…it stinks! It’s neither charitable, nor is it trustworthy. Think “liberal/progressive slush fund.”