OIY!!! The Liberal [Character] Assassination Ring: The new left-wing conspiracy

The Village Soup ^ | March 10, 2009 | Ben Smith

[2ndDivisionVet]

The vast new left-wing conspiracy sets its tone every morning at 8:45 a.m., when officials from more than 20 labor, environmental and other Democratic-leaning groups dial into a private conference call hosted by two left-leaning Washington organizations.

The “8:45 A.M. call,” as it’s referred to by members, began three weeks ago, and it marks a new level in coordination by the White House’s allies at a time when the conservative opposition is struggling for a toe-hold and major agenda items like health care reform appear closer than ever to passage.

The call has helped attempts to link the Republican Party to radio host Rush Limbaugh, and has served as the launching ground for attacks on critics of Obama’s policy proposals. It springs from a recognition of what was lacking in the Clinton years, said Jennifer Palmieri, the senior vice president for communications at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, one of the groups hosting the call.

“[CAP President John] Podesta’s and my experience was in the White House during the Clinton years, and we didn’t have a coordinated echo chamber on the outside backing us up,” she said. “There’s a real interest on the progressive side for groups to want to coordinate with each other and leverage each other’s work in a way I haven’t ever seen before.”

The call is hosted by Progressive Media, a project of the CAP Action Fund and the Media Matters Action Fund. The project began last year as a launching pad for attacks on John McCain, but failed to raise money for television advertisements, and served in the later days of the presidential campaign as a platform for disseminating opposition research critical of his policy plans. White House officials do not take part in the calls.

The calls are led by its top staffer, Tara McGuinness, who will also head Progressive Media's "communications research and analysis war room" to wage spin and policy wars throughout the day, Palmieri said.

The call has proved particularly effective at coordinating attacks on critics, said Jacki Schechner, the national communications director for Health Care for America Now, a labor-backed alliance of groups that support Democratic efforts to expand health care.

“There’s a coordination in terms of exposing the people who are trying to come out against reform —they’ve all got backgrounds and histories and pasts, and it’s not taking long to unearth that and to unleash that, because we’re all working together,” Schechner said.

When a new group called Conservative for Patients Rights, for instance, launched an ad campaign featuring former health care executive Rick Scott, “There was a discussion about what do we know about this guy and in a very quick period of time we were able to come up with his background,” she said.

Scott, as progressive groups quickly informed reporters, had reportedly been forced to resign as head of the company became known as Columbia/HCA amid fraud charges, and the company eventually paid a massive settlement in the case.

When Betsy McCaughey, best known for her attacks on Clinton’s 1993 health care plan, published a column criticizing Obama, groups on the call coordinated attacks on her recalling questions about her 1993 article and noting her seat on the board of a medical device maker, in which she also owned stock.

The results of the new coordination are perhaps most obvious in the ongoing effort to saddle the Republican Party and its allies with radio host Rush Limbaugh’s hope that Obama “fails.” The Center for American Progress’s blog seized on Limbaugh’s “fail” comment early, as did congressional Democrats, and participants in the call drove it well beyond its obvious political range.

Media Matters, for instance, launched a “Limbaugh Wire” http://mediamatters.org/limbaughwire/; and even the League of Conservation Voters Tuesday released a video in which Limbaugh’s attacks on conservation and global warming theory are played over the talking heads of Republican leaders.

“We know the oil and coal industry are going to spend $20 million this year trying to get their message out there, so us coordinating to get our message out in terms of trying to advance a progressive agenda is a huge opportunity,” said Navin Nayak, the director of the global warming project at the League of Conservation Voters.

Though White House officials do not participate in the calls, Palmieri said, the new infrastructure is closely tied to the White House. Podesta directed Obama’s transition, and Americans United for Change exists largely to run ads promoting the White House agenda. Some on the left, however, remain skeptical of the White House’s embrace.

“When something works for us we'll pick up on it anyway, like the Rush Limbaugh story -- we don't need to be told,” said Jane Hamsher, the creator of the liberal blog Firedoglake. “I think we serve everyone better if we maintain our independence and preserve our ability to pick up on popular sentiment like that, rather than just bang on the same drum everyone else is.”

[2ndDivisionVet]

Isn't that special?!

[devane617]

No doubt there is a big effort to smear anyone on the right, and supports capitalism.

[combat_boots]

Funded by.............

Soros.

From the WH staff meeting to these folks to national news in approximately 8 hours.

[screaminsunshine]

Withou the 100% cooperation of 90% of the american media they would not have a chance. Of course a gullible and stupid populace created by the teacher unions helps also.

[goodnesswins]

And....do WE Conservatives have anything similar????

[WashingtonSource]

Is that world-class liar and hypocrite David Beelzebub Crock of S— Brock part of this? It’s right up his alley, so to speak: using lies to destroy other people.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

PINGY DINGY

[cripplecreek]

Like everything else. I say throw all the dirty little secrets out on the table and honest people will forgive. When you do that you take the left’s weapon away and leave them with nothing buy an annoying shrill screeching.

[Bhoy]

“And....do WE Conservatives have anything similar????”

WE’VE GOT EACH OTHER & WE’RE RIGHT. AND WE’VE GOT FREE REPUBLIC.

NOW GET OUT YOUR TEA PARTY SIGNS & LET’S DO IT! LET’S SHOW THEM WHO WE ARE.

It’s unbelievable that the Democrats’ idea of “ruling” is to manage the spin.

I’m going to go paint my sign. See ya on the street.

[denydenydeny]

When a new group called Conservative for Patients Rights, for instance, launched an ad campaign featuring former health care executive Rick Scott, “There was a discussion about what do we know about this guy and in a very quick period of time we were able to come up with his background,” she said....Though White House officials do not participate in the calls, Palmieri said, the new infrastructure is closely tied to the White House.

Lovely. When the Nixon White House used to do things like, this it was "the dark night of American history."

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"The call has helped attempts to link the Republican Party to radio host Rush Limbaugh, and has served as the launching ground for attacks on critics of Obama’s policy proposals. It springs from a recognition of what was lacking in the Clinton years, said Jennifer Palmieri, the senior vice president for communications at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, one of the groups hosting the call....The results of the new coordination are perhaps most obvious in the ongoing effort to saddle the Republican Party and its allies with radio host Rush Limbaugh’s hope that Obama “fails.” The Center for American Progress’s blog seized on Limbaugh’s “fail” comment early, as did congressional Democrats, and participants in the call drove it well beyond its obvious political range. "

Pointing and yelling at the decoy for distraction. In counter-intelligence the term is "disruption agent" for what Carville, Begala, and Rahm Emmanuel have coordinated with the anti-Rush Limbaugh strategy. In a criminal enterprise it would be a clown carrying balloons or a fat lady screaming and yelling she was having a heart attack or pointing at the decoy claiming he had snatched her purse. In this case, DNC operatives in the media whooping up hysteria about Rush Limbaugh as if this relates to anything going on right now. They want people to obsess on Limbaugh and not look at the stock market or the statist power grab currently going on in Washington.

In The Manchurian Candidate, it's James Gregory, as the Joe McCarthy type character (Senator Iselin), yelling and holding up a list of alleged Communists in the Defense Department. Once the misdirection is achieved, it is believed most people lose their train of thought and forget about what preceded it. In this case we know who cooked up, planned, and orchestrated the misdirection operation.

[Ev Reeman]

Liberals can never win an argyment against a conservative and they know it. They can never defend the indefensible no matter how hard they try but they are relentless nevertheless. So they dont bother to win arguments anymore. Instead they ridicule insult and when that fails they libel and slander and if that fails they resort to physical violence. Liberals especially the ones on the far left are the most intolerant bullying fascists on the face of this earth.

[cripplecreek]

It would be a real shame to see it end the same way.

[elpadre]

“a recognition of what was lacking in the Clinton years,...”

not so - the clinton WH had their dirty tricks squad designed to destroy Clinton's critics - and they were good - remember??

Also several weeks ago we heard that Emmanuel had a morning conference call with Stephanopolis, Podesta, and several others I don't recall.

Do you suppose there are two groups as work to the detriment of America?

[Lets Be Frank]

Fascists

[SnarlinCubBear]

Just part of Alinsky’s “rules.” Read Phyllis Schafly’s website newsletter - very concise.

In the chapter called “Tactics” Alinsky says “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it and polarize it.”

What do you want to bet that’s what is being discussed on these calls? Then, they spring into action with emails, you tube speeches, bloggings....

“Keep constant pressure on the opposition.”

“Organization is power.”

O’s minions.

[Ev Reeman]

Apparently there is already word out that the Obambi WH has already amassed a dirty tricks squad to help them destroy the lives of those who disagree and protest a la Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon.

[rdb3]

Isn't that special?!

Very.

Amazing << Hear this. Feel this, and tell me that this isn't music.

Oh, dear...

[SnarlinCubBear]

Sure - just part of his “community organizing” tactics.

He’d better STOP being an organizer and get down to the business of the Presidency. This is getting old very FAST.

[FlyingEagle]

This sounds like something Hitler would do. Must be right out of his playbook. National Socialist Communist Thugs Conference Call. They probably twitter each other all day long too about who they are harassing besmirching shafting and raking over the coals.