Saturday, August 22, 2009

No Religion but Obama-cism

After observing Obama on the campaign trail and during his first months in office, we have concluded that our President lives and governs according to his own set of
Ten Commandments.”




From:  Patriot Update


They're certainly NOT the Ten Commandments you learned in Sunday School. In fact, many are the direct opposite! To prove that our conclusions are correct, you will find a link to source documentation for each commandment.


I. Thou shalt have no God in America, except for me. For we are no longer a Christian nation and, after all, I am the chosen One. (And like God, I do not have a birth certificate.) SOURCE
 
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, unless it is my face carved on Mt. Rushmore. SOURCE
 
III. Thou shalt not utter my middle name in vain (or in public). Only I can say Barack Hussein Obama. SOURCE
 
IV. Remember tax day, April 15th, to keep it holy. SOURCE
 
V. Honour thy father and thy mother until they are too old and sick to care for. They will cost our public-funded health-care system too much money. SOURCE
 
VI. Thou shalt not kill, unless you have an unwanted, unborn baby. For it would be an abomination to punish your daughter with a baby. SOURCE
 
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery if you are conservative or a Republican. Liberals and Democrats are hereby forgiven for all of their infidelity and immorality, but the careers of conservatives will be forever destroyed. SOURCE
 
VIII. Thou shalt not steal, until you've been elected to public office. Only then is it acceptable to take money from hard-working, successful citizens and give it to those who do not work, illegal immigrants, or those who do not have the motivation to better their own lives. SOURCE
 
IX. Thou shalt not discriminate against thy neighbor unless they are conservative, Caucasian, or Christian. SOURCE
 
X. Thou shalt not covet because it is simply unnecessary. I will place such a heavy tax burden on those that have achieved the American Dream that, by the end of my term as President, nobody will have any wealth or material goods left for you to covet. SOURCE

Saturday, August 15, 2009

"Just Do It!"

From a very astute American:

Every responsible health care suggestion put forth over the last 20 years has been shot down by Democrats because they are not political solutions, i.e., they actually improve the situation for Americans, but they don’t pay off supporters or create a new, reliable voting block.
 On the other hand, every single Democratic bill or plan isn’t a practical or logical solution. Theirs are political solutions.

The mis-named “Stimulus Plan” was a perfect example. It wasn’t designed to “stimulate” anything, which is why it did not. It was a political bill packed with paybacks to special interest groups, and bribes for future votes. We are talking about a ¾ trillion-dollar waste of taxpayers’ money.

What an unimaginable waste of the citizens’ trust!

I can only conclude that those who are insisting that the Democrats “do something” are non-taxpayers who have visions, [as promised by Mr. Obama] of free medical care, [free housing, free cars, free everything] dancing in their heads. Everyone else, except for the members of Congress, the UAW, [the NEA, and the unions in general], all of who are interestingly and strangely exempt from the bill’s provisions, will get absolutely shafted if the Democrats “do” anything.

Responsible stewardship is nowhere to be seen from [the] party in power. Their supporters sound alarmingly like a “Nike©” commercial – “Just do it!”

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I regret I cannot give proper attribution to the above; it was an anonymous post on USA Today. The commentary is simple, straightforward, and clear in its message. We should hope and pray for the same measure of directness and honesty from our selected representatives in Washington!

The more we have seen and heard of the various “plans” being batted about, the more fear has grown throughout the population. True, those of us who are most fearful of what may be finally concocted by the current administration, and possibly imposed on us despite our protests and refusals, are those of us who know that the price will be placed directly at our feet: increased taxes to pay for services we do not want, and reduced access to the type of coverage we may want for ourselves.

Despite these very real concerns from a great number of the population, those who did not vote for Mr. Obama, now being augmented by many who did vote for him for the wrong reasons, the current administration still appears to be bent on utilizing “just do it” as a reason to push these plans on us all.

All of these behaviors on the part of our selected officials lead to one thought: who do they think they are? On what basis do they feel they truly know what is best for us, despite our protests? When did our Republic transform itself into a pseudo-dictatorship?

My answer:

They think that they received a mandate to rule by their electoral win on 11/04/08.

They think they have been given carte blanche to impose whatever they wish because supposedly “everyone” is behind them.

They want to believe that the 47% of the population that did not vote for them were merely “wrong, and did not realize what they were doing.” Those fantasies are the only manner in which they are able to continue to operate in the manner in which they have been, despite strong evidence to the contrary.

We the People have the opportunity to “respectfully disagree” with them in 2010. I truly hope that the majority take that opportunity to heart.









Copyright, MCzwz, All Rights Reserved. August 2009.


“Respect” and Town Hall Meetings

The aspect that has struck me the most about reports of recent Town Hall Meetings is the insistence on "respectfulness" from the attendees. This demand has been made not only by our "selected officials" but has also been reiterated by several news commentators, including some I have come to respect for their opinions.

I find the demand for "respect" incredibly inappropriate on all their parts. On what basis are they—the news commentators as well as the public officials—demanding this "respect?"

Those of us who are fortunate enough to attend a Town Hall Meeting are those in this country who are simply fed up, tired, exhausted of hearing the bromides and pabulum, the blather from those We the People have selected to represent us – to serve us – their constituents.

They are no better than we are – they are, in essence – us. They are the same folks as we are, from the same general types of backgrounds, neighborhoods, regions, and states. The only difference is they have been selected by vote – not crowned, anointed or elevated – to be our voices in the government.

In other words, they are merely representatives of the governed, and by our selecting them, we thereby give our consent as the governed, to their representation of us. That consent can be withdrawn in many ways, prior to the next opportunity to vote.

That consent, however, does not mean that they suddenly become our “betters”; nor does it mean that we, the governed, are now beholden to them in any way. Our votes selecting them to be our representatives do not automatically imbue them with a sudden aura of being “more deserving" of anything, including our "respect."

“Respect” should flow in two directions, not merely in one. We the People who have voted for our selected representatives are also owed “respect” by those selected representatives.

Our selected representatives and certain news reporters must remember the fundamental reasons for the ire expressed so vocally in some Town Hall Meetings. Some of our selected representatives and news reporters, such as Mr. Dingle, Ms. Sibelius, Mr. Kondracke, Ms. Boxer, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Obama, Mr. Reid, and even, strangely enough, Mr. Krauthammer, seem to have forgotten the basic reason for the “excited” behavior witnessed at some Town Hall Meetings. The reason is very simple: We the People finally have center-stage and a “captive audience” to whom we can speak out directly; we realize we must take quick advantage of the opportunity, lest it be taken away.

These “meetings” are arranged under the premise that We the People will finally be provided personal, direct, unfiltered communication with our selected representatives. After years – in many cases – of sending letters, faxes, e-mails, and receiving nothing but “auto-replies,” those who can make the time, find the funds and energy to take advantage of the opportunity to express their concerns, fears, and doubts directly to a selected representative of We the People doubtless come prepared, with a list of grievances.

Some of the People have come to the meetings with a literal list – generally called "notes" and generally utilized even by the greater majority of "experienced" public speakers. In today's climate, however, if one of We the People utilizes the same methodology, we are to be denigrated and insulted by those very representatives who are selected to listen to us.

The list of grievances many of We the People have has no doubt been greatly lengthened in the past several months due to the amount of unknown facts relative to the biggest issue before us as a country at this moment: “health care reform,” so called – though, interestingly enough, suddenly transformed into "health insurance reform."

Is it any wonder so many of We the People have so many doubts, concerns, and questions?

This is one other item that Mr. Obama spoke of during his year-and-a-half long campaign, but one that was overshadowed – even for those who may not have been assimilated by the “Hope-n-Change” mantra – by the many other disturbing aspects of the most recent "change" of guard in our Nation's capitol.

We the People tend to be slow in general in fully understanding the machinations of our selected representatives. In this instance, however, even the slowest among We the People can understand the impact such a full revision (or "change," if you will) of an entire system as health care would have on all of We the People whether we want that “change” or not.

The reactions from We the People seen at the Town Hall Meetings represent the frustrations, anger, fear, and concerns that have built up in a great number of We the People during the past many months of simply being aghast at the behavior of our selected representatives.

We the People spoke out in conventional ways -- letters, faxes, e-mails – against the bail out of Fannie, Freddie (and the million dollar “gifts” to their CEOs), TARP, etc., proposed, and implemented by President Bush – We the People were ignored.

We the People spoke out in conventional ways – letters, faxes, e-mails – against the “stimuli” proposed and implemented by Mr. Obama – We the People were ignored.

We the People spoke out in conventional ways – letters, faxes, e-mails – against the auto industry bail-out, against the premise of “too big to fail” – We the People were ignored.

We the People spoke out in conventional ways – letters, faxes, e-mails – against incomprehensible bills that our own selected representatives admitted they had not read and did not understand, yet allowed to pass – We the People were ignored.

We the People spoke out in conventional ways – letters, faxes, e-mails – against the insidious “cap-n-trade” bill – We the People were ignored.

It would appear, then, that conventional ways of communicating with our selected representatives have become extremely ineffective.

We the People are merely ignored.

This behavior – ignoring their constituents without penalty – has clearly made our selected representatives bold in their hubris, permitting them to feel that they have established such control over their constituents – We the People – by merely ignoring our conventional communications that they could simply continue the same behavior even in “Town Hall” venues.

It is incredible, I think, that our selected representatives appear not only shocked that We the People dare to question them at Town Hall Meetings, but appear to feel insulted, as well.

That very same hubris has denied them the ability to understand the level of frustration, fear, anger, and concern that We the People have reached. It has become more and more evident that the desire of the party in power is to simply make We the People accept all declarations from on high – even a total “change” of our health care system – without daring to question. It is just as evident that they have convinced themselves – through their years of ignoring our conventional communications that We the Peopleall of us – had accepted all that came before without question.

It appears to have been beyond their scope to realize we were just ignoring them, for the most part, as long as they did not blatantly appear to wish to destroy our country.

Because We the People are now speaking out in apparently non-conventional ways, – questioning, emphatically expressing our fears and concerns – We the People are branded “disrespectful mobs,” "Astroturf," “fake,” and as merely expressing "manufactured outrage” by the very representatives selected to represent us, work for us, and listen to us. We are admonished, not only by our selected representatives but also by television personalities, (as intelligent and perspicacious as some may be), to be “respectful” to our selected representatives, under all circumstances.

[As an aside, it is no wonder that our selected representatives prefer to characterize the sincere and honest anger, fear, and concern expressed by We the People as “manufactured.” Did they not “manufacture” their supposed “outrage” at the “earmarks” in TARP – after they approved it? Were we not expected simply to accept that anger and outrage as “real,”– which we did? Are we not due the same consideration?]

None of the above, however, explains to us, We the People, on what basis we “owe respect” to those who do not wish to listen to our concerns and fears; who clearly feel we should be supplicants for their ear; who feel that We the People are beholden to them for all we have; who feel they not only know better than we (according to Ms. Pelosi) but, obviously, feel they are better that we.

That is not the basis of “respect!” That is certainly not the basis on which to attain mutual respect.

Our selected representatives are being faced with a situation, that, were it not for the increased apathy of a great number of We the People during the past generation or so, they would have had to face throughout their entire careers: a concerned, informed, and very vocal constituency.

Perhaps, had We the People been more demanding of our selected representatives all along – we would not, today, be deathly concerned by our selected representatives not listening to us – ignoring us once again – on an incredibly important and very personal issue that will inevitably affect our entire lives, from birth to death.

In the past several weeks, however, it has become more and more apparent that We the People can no longer express ourselves directly, vehemently, and passionately without fear of reprisals.

We can clearly no longer express ourselves without fear of being berated, insulted, and denigrated by those very selected representatives on whom we allowed ourselves to depend, expecting them to work in the best interests of all.

We are clearly witnessing the death of our Nation.





Copyright, MCzwz, All Rights Reserved. August 2009.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Rules for "Mobsters"

The following is a copy of ane-mail that was acquired by a group trying to help We the People stay informed and aware of what we're up against if we disagree with anything this Administration wants to do. This is a fairly long document but well-worth reading; we must stay aware of how We the People are being represented as far as the left is concerned, simply because we disagree with them!

The text below details the description the left wants to disseminate of those of us who attend "Tea Parties" (aka anti-tax increase rallies) and who go to "Town Hall" Meetings to express our Constitutional right to Free Speech and lawful protest against government decisions with which we do not agree.

The premises expressed in the e-mail text below make very clear that no longer is it the Constitutional right of We the People to speak out against government plans and decisions. No longer is it the Constitutional right of We the People to have the opportunity to speak our minds directly to our elected representatives.

Rather, it appears that someone, somewhere, somehow, has decided that it is We the People who must merely sit quiet and accepting as we are told by our betters (according to Ms. Sibelius and AARP) what we need to know, what must think, and with what we must agree.

Well . . . a whole great big section of We the People heartily disagree with that premise and we are not afraid to express our disagreement!

We the People who are not in total willingly-blind lockstep agreement with the current Administration's policies are to be demonized, insulted, misrepresented, lied about, have our characters assassinated, and, in sum, completely disregarded. We are not to be characterized as Americans who disagree, but as "radical right-wingers," a term heretofore applied to neo-nazis and that ilk. (The implication being that We the People are just as "dangerous" as they are.)

The administration's supporters, however, have determined that, since there appears to be an ever-growing number of those of us who disagree and are speaking out, they must employ harsher tactics to maintain the impression of full, complete, and total agreement with their plans. Please note that "HCAN," the group pushing "health care reform" most strongly, is directly affiliated with ACORN, particularly, and SEIU, the group that did so much to throw so much doubt on the voter registration process in the 2008 Presidential election process . . . with help, don't forget, from the "new" Black Panthers. The SEIU made themselves known very recently with their beating of an entrepreneur vendor at a Town Hall Meeting in Florida.  (He was selling "Don't Tread on Me" items.)

None of these tactics should surprise us, however. They were clearly explained in Mr. Obama's own writings; examples of the methodologies to be applied against disagreement were given in the left's treatment of Mr. Wurzelbacher during the campaign; and, most recently, in their treatment of Governor Palin, her husband, and her children.  Similar tactical instructions are included in the e-mail reproduced below.

The "guidance" described below reflects the extent to which the liberal left will go to denigrate, lie about, and completely misrepresent Americans who do not agree with them. Not only do they wish to completely disregard, ignore, and ultimately destroy the 47% of us who voted against this administration on November 4, 2008, but also they also now want to completely silence us through intimidation and fear tactics.

One has to wonder, however . . . why should it be necessary for the "community organizers" on the left to be so concerned about keeping the other side quiet if -- as they contend -- the "majority" of the American people are supportive of their plans?  If that were true, there would be no concern on their part should a "buncha loony conservative extremists" be vocal in their opposition, would there?

Their caustic, extreme, and harsh reaction toward fellow Americans merely reinforces the fear they constantly attempt to hide: the fear that their "message" is understood to be merely what it is -- scare tactics, threats, intimidation.  Above all, their reaction is reflective of their fear that We the People are coming to realize and understand the future they want for us . . . and we are rejecting it wholeheartedly:  We will not be made into mindless, unthinking mannekins waiting to be "given" everything we are "told" we should have.

If you care more about our country and our future as a country than about being smeared by the left, please pass this on to everyone you know, from "both sides of the aisle," as they say. We all must be aware of the tactics being used these days, more overtly than ever before, and be ready to guard against them, respond to them, and stand up fearlessly for our beliefs.


© MCzwz, 2009. All Rights Reserved

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From: “MsBlazenGold”

To: “GOPDivagurl”

BCC: “MasseurMikeMZ”

Sent: 8/7/2009 7:14:52 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time

Subj: INTERCEPTED - Obama THUG Plan - Health Care Protests -


Good Morning,

Some of you attend the townhall meetings and other meetings that are taking place across the country. These are the types of talking points being sent to the left in order to stop the hard-working American people from being heard. Remember, we are going against the Chicago Mob. At this time, they have now taken over our nations Capitol and are trying to implement their Marxist ideologies into legislative policies.

Mark Levin suggested that anyone who goes take a video and stay within your groups. Always have the sounds on and have your people prepared. Do not let these thugs get the upper hand. Talk to the media in order to get the truth out. God Bless You One and All.

Be Blessed


Source: www.aipnews.com/talk/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=6859&posts=1#M19964

-----------------------------------------
INTERCEPTED - Obama THUG Plan - Health Care Protests -



From: Margarida Jorge

To: HCAN Field Partners

RE: HCAN—Responding to Right-Wing Attacks in the Field -

August 4, 2009



Since early February, we've seen increasing numbers of militant right-wing activists attending public meetings across the country targeting Members of Congress and [Alleged] President Obama. Now in the August recess, the “tea-bagger” protesters and right-wing activists are showing up in larger numbers with a mission to be as disruptive as possible in the hopes of rattling Members of Congress and halting health care reform through pure spectacle and obstruction.

Our response is shaped by 3 things: Our targets are Members of Congress who must vote “yes” for this bill. Our targets are not the rightwing extremists. The targets of these attacks are Members of Congress. Those Members are also our targets. We need to use these attacks as opportunities to work with the Members in ways that build our relationship in the field and bring us together as allies in health care reform. Members may be more receptive to partnering with us if they know we will help them combat the opposition.

Our core message is effective, and we should always come back to it. Our campaign plan has always anticipated opposition. No matter what the right-wingers bring up to distract the debate, we should always circle back to our key message. We are on the side of quality, affordable health care for everyone, and we are against turning over health care reform to the insurance companies and lobbyists who got us into this mess to begin with. We need to educate the press and the public that the protesters are aligned with the corporate lobbyists and insurance companies who are trying to stop reform.

Our ability to put the extremists into perspective helps us frame our narrative. We should be prepared to respond to the other side, but we don't need to be reactive or feel pressure to answer their accusations point by point. Instead, we should treat them as agents of the insurance lobbyists who want to maintain the status quo. We can dismiss their radical rhetoric by circling back to the basic things that we know most people care about—affordability, access, and quality.

In many cases, protestors will show up at events or meetings you don't organize but are participating in as an attendee or sponsor. You can still influence the outcome of these events or meetings, and it’s important for HCAN organizers and leaders to be ready to encounter these protesters in order to make sure that our volunteers and activists respond appropriately as well as capitalize on opportunities to also move our message, work with Members, and educate the public.

Who are these people?

The people who show up are far right-wing ideologues recruited by paid organizers. Much of this recruitment and organizing is funded by industry lobbyists and public relations firms to engage radical right-wing groups. Many of these groups are motivated by far right ideology in general - not by health care as an issue. They are held together by a common vision of the world that centers on defeating Obama and his agenda. We can expect to see anti-abortion groups, pro-gun groups, insurance company employees (mandated by employers to come out), militia groups, and anti immigration groups.

What are their goals in turning out disruptive mobs?

Their goal is to stop Obama, influence the media, and scare Members of Congress into thinking that there is more resistance to health care reform than really exists. The attendees are not reflective of the middle or average Republican Party member. Insurance industry lobbyists and public relations firms recruit mostly right-wing extremists who are willing to employ militant tactics in order to demonize Obama by tapping into fear and anger in the electorate. The fear comes from both aggressive communications tactics and rhetoric: anti-tax, anti-abortion, anti-immigration, and other themes that resonate with the farthest right wing of their party.

What is the strategy of the lobbyists and right-wingers who are orchestrating these protests?

The most important thing to remember about this type of mobilization is that it is foremost a media strategy, not an organizing strategy. These angry mobs are not trying to persuade Members of Congress or the folks who are attending the event about their point of view.

Their goal is to disrupt the event as much as possible in order to:

1. Prevent our message from getting out.

2. Scare Members of Congress into silence and submission.

3. Paint a picture for the media that conveys widespread disapproval for health care reform in order to influence the narrative.

4. Create as much tension as possible at these events so that the average spectator is completely turned off and disengages totally from this issue.

What can we expect them to do?

They will be loud: They will “Yell, stand up and shout out, and rattle” the Members of Congress. They will be disruptive and not follow the agenda. They won't wait for an opening to speak. They will just interrupt and shout from the minute the event opens until it ends.

They will paint a picture: They will carry a lot of signs. They will have gimmicks and props to get attention from the MOCs and from the media.

They will look bigger than they are: They will spread out and distribute their signs widely. They will also get in front of any TV camera or press people in order to make sure the story that is reported is their story.

They will seek confrontation: The right-wing protesters will foster confrontation at every turn because that’s what draws media and distracts the public. They will use any means to do this including abusive language, arrests, props, and physical violence. Be prepared.

How should we prepare to encounter the right wing protesters at MOC events?

1. Contact friendly MOCs and let them know you are coming to make sure our side is heard and that the event is positive. Provide constructive support for Members of Congress who are holding public events to promote health care reform by turning out constituents and anticipating problems ahead of time.

2. Ask the Member’s staff what would be most helpful and talk through a strategy for making sure the right messages don't get drowned out by chaotic protesters.

3. Inoculate your staff and your volunteers by telling them what to expect and what purpose lies behind the right-wing demonstrations. The more that the attendees know what to expect; the less startled they will be by the irrational tone and militancy of the protesters.

4. Bring more people than the other side has. Their side will be smaller but noisier. You must bring enough people to drown them out and to cover all our bases so as to marginalize their disruptive tactics. You don't want to get into a screaming match, but it must be obvious to everyone—including press—that you represent the majority.

5. Arrive earlier than the other side does. We need to stack our folks in the front to create a wall around the Member, and we need to stake out the best spots for visibility and signs. Reconnaissance on the venue and an understanding of the staging will be important here. Make sure you do your homework so you can position your folks most effectively.

6. Be more visible than the other side. Bring more signs and leaflets, and whenever possible, post your signs all over the place so that you visually out-perform the other side. Make sure you have people holding signs in every place where a TV camera is likely to be and that next to every right wing sign, there’s one of your signs with your message.

7. Have a real plan for the media. Remember, this is a communications strategy that the right wing is using and our goal is to stop them from hijacking and changing the message and tone of these events. Assign 3-5 people to speak with the reporters who attend and make sure the reporters understand the scope and message of the event. If you let the media just report on what they see, they will invariably focus on the mayhem. That is a far juicer story than affordability and the public health insurance option.

Don’t wait for the reporter to approach you. You must approach the reporters and be assertive in shaping the narrative that they write.

Have someone assigned to greeting the media or checking in media as they arrive. That way you will know who they are and be able to work with them both during the event and afterwards. Also, plan to record both the events you attend and the events you organize. TV stations will use amateur footage to round out their stories, and the other side is recording and posting video online. We need to be able to give the press video of successful events too.

How should we interact/what do we say to the other side?

1. Do not debate on their “policy” points. Remember, they are seeking a platform to distort the truth about reform by making health care about abortion, rationing, euthanasia, etc. Rather than try to reply with the truth (which won't move them anyway) we should respond with our message and at every turn re-focus the agenda on communicating with the Member of Congress.

2. Interrupt them when they get disruptive and refocus the meeting: Line up a number of people who feel comfortable interrupting and prepare them with statements like: “Excuse me, I came today to listen to Representative XXX explain how this bill is going to make health care more affordable for me and my family. We’re being gouged by insurance companies that just want to make more profits while we struggle to keep up with premiums and co-pays. Representative, how are you going to fix that?”  “I’m retired and can’t afford my prescription drugs because I’m on a fixed income. Representative, how is this bill going to affect me?”  “I want to hear the Representative speak. He’s the one voting on the bill. Representative, how will this bill help people who already have insurance at work?”  “What I'm worried about is how we're going to keep the insurance companies from continuing to charge people more for being sick and keep them from taking away coverage when we need it most. What’s the plan for that?”

3. Don’t get into a shouting match with them. Instead, prep people on our side to keep raising the questions that we want answered. Repetition is the key. We need to arm our side with questions that play to the strength of our message and make sure we keep bringing them up over and over so that the press recognizes those central themes. We should also phrase those questions strategically to help move the message.  “Over the last XX years, insurance company profits have risen XXX %; in this bill you would regulate insurance companies so that they can no longer deny people with pre-existing conditions and would have to play by fair rules. Isn't that right, Representative XX?”  “Isn't it true that this bill would guarantee everyone a choice of public health insurance option that will lower cost overall in the system?”

4. Address the MOC directly with a positive message: Remember, these Members need cover and they are getting beaten up by right wing zealots in these meetings. We want to let the Member know that we appreciate his efforts to hear constituents and that we, the majority, agree with him.

5. We should demonstrate that we are the majority by chanting: When the other side gets too loud, we should shut them down with chants that counter their message like “Health Care Can't Wait!” and “Health Care Delayed is Health Care Denied” and prep people to chant at key points when the other side gets most disruptive.

6. Follow up with the Member one-on-one: This experience may have been trying for your MOC. Make sure that you thank him and that you let him know that the majority is with him. He needs to know that we will provide cover and support him at every turn for his leadership on this issue.

Organizing your own events with a Member of Congress

One advantage to organizing your own Town Hall or public event with Members of Congress is that you will have much more control over the event and limit the other side’s opportunities for disruption. Still, you should take precautions to make sure that you can keep meetings you organize under control.

Here are some basic tips:

a. Talk to the Member of Congress ahead of time so that you agree on a format that is comfortable for the Member and that you can troubleshoot roles or concerns that the Member may have about the event. It is important to know how much time the Member will have, when he will arrive, what staff he’s bringing, and how many questions he'll answer so that you can anticipate any issues that may arise and can plan your program appropriately.

b. Know who you are turning out to attend the event. Make sure you turn out a substantial number of people from your base and that everyone signs a sign in sheet upon entering the event. Give everyone name tags so they are easily identifiable. If you want to ensure greater control over turnout, you can ask attendees to rsvp or even issue tickets to the event and require presentation of the ticket at the entrance.

c. Choose a venue that is difficult for the opposition to access without being noticed. Get to your location early and make sure you set up the venue in a way that ensures that the attendees you want are at the front and that any protesters who come are sequestered as far as possible from the stage. Make sure that you have signs and visuals up and that you adequately understand the layout of your venue so that you know where the entrances are, where the press will be positioned, where your speakers will be, etc.

d. Select a strong moderator to move the agenda in a disciplined way. Make sure you select someone who is comfortable interrupting rowdy protesters, who can command the attention of the room, and who understands how to de-escalate tensions and re-direct people to the agenda.

e. Lay out goals for the meeting and establish ground rules for conduct in the meeting at the beginning of the event. Among these ground rules should be a protocol for asking questions. One way to do this is to ask people to submit questions ahead of time on cards, to permit only one question at a time, and to limit the topic of questions.

f. Plan for disturbances and assign marshals. Make sure that you assign marshals to take care of moving the crowd, keeping people organized and orderly, and acting as security should any need arise to ask noisy or disruptive protesters to leave. If you have cause to think that you will need more back-up, notify the police ahead of time.

g. Collect signs and leaflets that are not provided by you or your organization. Another way to limit protesters’ ability to hijack your event is to confiscate signs or leaflets that they may bring into the venue from outside. The best way to do this is to make a blanket rule that no one can bring signs or leaflets and to advertise this fact as you do turn out in the weeks preceding the event. You can distribute your own signs in the event and offer them one as they enter if you choose to allow them to enter.

h. Assign people to greet the media and to stay close to reporters both as they enter and leave the event. It’s important that you take away right-wingers opportunities to talk with reporters by making sure that your staff or leaders are in constant contact with the media who attend. You should set up a special table or area for the press to sit during the event and that area should be close t the stage and away from any areas of the venue where protesters may gather. Also make sure you have materials ready for the reporters so that they know the purpose and message of the event.

Divorce Agreement

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists, Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce.  I know, we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but, sadly, this relationship has run its course.  Our two ideological sides of America cannot, and will not ever agree on what is "right," so let's just end it on friendly terms.  We can smile, chalk it up to irreconcilable differences, and go our own ways.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide the country by landmass: each taking a portion.  That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement.  After that, it should be relatively easy!  Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like {to} redistribute taxes {in order for you to} keep them, {so we'll just stop participating in that nonsense}.  You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.  Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA, and the military.  You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore, and Rosie O'Donnell. (You are, however, {solely} responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We'll keep the Capitalism: greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart, and Wall Street.  You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies, and illegal aliens.  We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEOs, and rednecks.  We'll keep the Bibles {Churches of various denominations, prayers, “In God We Trust,” and Fox News} and give you NBC {CNBC, ABC, CBS, CNN; although we retain the option to watch for the entertainment/time filler value on slow real news nights} and Hollywood.

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.  You can have the peaceniks, and war protesters.  When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values... You are welcome to {radical} Islam, Scientology {and Tom -n-Katie}, Humanism, and Shirley MacLaine. You can also have the U.N., but we will no longer be paying the bill {for the privilege of being consistently insulted, threatened, and reviled}.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks, and oversized luxury cars {or even the small cute, sporty ones, if that’s the type we want and can afford to have}. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare, if you can find any practicing doctors.  We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem.  I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya {sic}, or We Are the World.

Since it often so offends you we'll keep our history, our name, and our flag.  {We’ll continue to fly our American Flag high and proudly. You can alternate every “flag du jour” you want.}

We'll practice trickle down economics, and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot.

Would you agree to this?  If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots {so that they, too, can sign the Divorce Agreement}.

In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,


John J. Wall
Law Student and an American


P.S. Also, please take Barbara Streisand & Jane Fonda along with you.


{Edited and emphasis added by MCzwz}


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Agreement Signatures:
 
MCzwz