TBD on Ning
Exploiting 9/11, Glenn Beck, Extremists And Corporate-Backed Groups Plan Anti-Obama March
This Saturday, right-wing protesters will gather in Washington DC for a march to oppose health reform and President Obama. The event, scheduled intentionally on September 12 to coincide with the anniversary of the day following the September 11 terrorist attacks, was conceived largely by Fox News’ Glenn Beck. However, most of the day-to-day organizing has been orchestrated by a now familiar set of lobbyists and Republican operatives who helped plan anti-Obama “grassroots” tea party events since February. In addition, a set of far-right groups are supporting the event, bringing along their members to join in on the Obama-bashing.
In the past, Beck has said he “hates” the families of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Nonetheless, Beck hosted a special program earlier this year announcing his initiative called the “9/12 Project” — an effort to ostensibly recreate the patriotic unity after the September 11 attacks. But far from calls for common ground, Beck explained that the purpose was to demonize his political opponents, declaring that his movement would “surround them.” He has also implored listeners to attend the rally because they “may be the only thing that stands between freedom and slavery.” The 9/12 project website, owned by Beck’s media company Mercury Radio Arts, directs readers to Beck’s radio newsletter.
While Beck and his allies in right-wing media have provided a platform of constant publicity and coverage for the march, FreedomWorks, led by former corporate lobbyist and Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX), has turned the gears to make the event possible. The official website for the protest, 912dc.org, is owned and operated by FreedomWorks and most of the logistical work for the march is being coordinated from its offices in DC. Starting in August, Beck began directing viewers to the FreedomWorks website at the end of his Fox News show. Billed as a “grassroots” rally, the event is actually sponsored by organizations run by partisan GOP operatives and corporate front groups:
– Gold Sponsor Tea Party Patriots is a website run by FreedomWorks staffers. When Tea Party Patriots list serv members objected to the 9/12 march symbol, they were rebuffed and told that all final decisions were made by FreedomWorks.
– Gold Sponsor Our Country Deserves Better is a Republican PAC that also operates the Tea Party Express, a bus tour arriving in DC for the 9/12 march. Our Country Deserves Better/Tea Party Express, which has ran an advertisement comparing Obama to Hitler, is managed by the GOP consulting firm Russo, Marsh & Rogers.
– Bronze Sponsors The Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute are phony think-tanks dedicated to churning out academic-appearing reports to discredit global warming. Like FreedomWorks, both organizations are funded by David and Charles Koch of the Koch Industries oil empire, one of the largest privately held companies in the world.
– Bronze Sponsor American Conservative Union is run by David Keene, a lobbyist for a firm that represents private health care companies, including the insurer HealthFirst.
– Bronze Sponsor The Senate Conservatives Fund is a Republican Party PAC run by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).
Many of these groups — each of which paid up to $10,000 to FreedomWorks to participate as sponsors — were pivotal in providing assistance (talking points, event lists, signs) to attendees of rowdy town halls in August and anti-Obama tea party protests. Encouraging anger and intimidation against lawmakers supporting health care reform was part of the strategy.
But for the 9/12 march, there appears to be a shift towards a more radical coalition. The official sponsorship list reveals a subterranean, extreme element of the American right in attendance. The National Association for Rural Landowners, a bronze sponsor, references the incidents at Waco and Ruby Ridge to call for attacks on “government entities” and liberals. In a YouTube video posted in July, the group makes the case for a secession, followed by a violent civil war. Similarly, another 9/12 cosponsor, FreeRepublic, is a forum for various radical right causes. As ThinkProgress reported, the shooter at the Holocaust museum found a welcome audience for his writings on the website.
Despite the inclusion of such anti-government extremists, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) plan to attend and speak.
In the past, Beck has said he “hates” the families of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Nonetheless, Beck hosted a special program earlier this year announcing his initiative called the “9/12 Project” — an effort to ostensibly recreate the patriotic unity after the September 11 attacks. But far from calls for common ground, Beck explained that the purpose was to demonize his political opponents, declaring that his movement would “surround them.” He has also implored listeners to attend the rally because they “may be the only thing that stands between freedom and slavery.” The 9/12 project website, owned by Beck’s media company Mercury Radio Arts, directs readers to Beck’s radio newsletter.
While Beck and his allies in right-wing media have provided a platform of constant publicity and coverage for the march, FreedomWorks, led by former corporate lobbyist and Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX), has turned the gears to make the event possible. The official website for the protest, 912dc.org, is owned and operated by FreedomWorks and most of the logistical work for the march is being coordinated from its offices in DC. Starting in August, Beck began directing viewers to the FreedomWorks website at the end of his Fox News show. Billed as a “grassroots” rally, the event is actually sponsored by organizations run by partisan GOP operatives and corporate front groups:
– Gold Sponsor Tea Party Patriots is a website run by FreedomWorks staffers. When Tea Party Patriots list serv members objected to the 9/12 march symbol, they were rebuffed and told that all final decisions were made by FreedomWorks.
– Gold Sponsor Our Country Deserves Better is a Republican PAC that also operates the Tea Party Express, a bus tour arriving in DC for the 9/12 march. Our Country Deserves Better/Tea Party Express, which has ran an advertisement comparing Obama to Hitler, is managed by the GOP consulting firm Russo, Marsh & Rogers.
– Bronze Sponsors The Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute are phony think-tanks dedicated to churning out academic-appearing reports to discredit global warming. Like FreedomWorks, both organizations are funded by David and Charles Koch of the Koch Industries oil empire, one of the largest privately held companies in the world.
– Bronze Sponsor American Conservative Union is run by David Keene, a lobbyist for a firm that represents private health care companies, including the insurer HealthFirst.
– Bronze Sponsor The Senate Conservatives Fund is a Republican Party PAC run by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).
Many of these groups — each of which paid up to $10,000 to FreedomWorks to participate as sponsors — were pivotal in providing assistance (talking points, event lists, signs) to attendees of rowdy town halls in August and anti-Obama tea party protests. Encouraging anger and intimidation against lawmakers supporting health care reform was part of the strategy.
But for the 9/12 march, there appears to be a shift towards a more radical coalition. The official sponsorship list reveals a subterranean, extreme element of the American right in attendance. The National Association for Rural Landowners, a bronze sponsor, references the incidents at Waco and Ruby Ridge to call for attacks on “government entities” and liberals. In a YouTube video posted in July, the group makes the case for a secession, followed by a violent civil war. Similarly, another 9/12 cosponsor, FreeRepublic, is a forum for various radical right causes. As ThinkProgress reported, the shooter at the Holocaust museum found a welcome audience for his writings on the website.
Despite the inclusion of such anti-government extremists, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) plan to attend and speak.
Tags: Glenn Beck
Views: 21
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark Mentzer on
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You'd think FOX would fire the asshole by now. I mean he's already lost over 60 advertisers.
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Permalink Reply by ZenDog on
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I'm tempted to suggest we blow the fuckers up - all of them. But somehow I'm sure the surveillance industrial complex would manage to benefit from it, and that would just be wrong somehow . . .
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Big Brother IS Watching
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Ya, I know. I've been aware of it for awhile. At the moment he's consumed with a high degree of denial. That denial is evidenced in the disappearance of one Ms. Annie Le from Yale.
Then again, we don't really know a lot about big brother do we . . . like how many personalities does he have anywayz . . . which one is dominant, things like that . . .
And just think, some want to privatize everything . . . -
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They should all move to Texas and secede.
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Permalink Reply by John Turberville on
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I'm for letting the "Red States" secede. They can create their very own NEOCON empire. As a matter of fact, I'd like to see the results of an unobstructed NEOCON movement on the non rich believers.
I can see wages the same as China's for their lower working classes. The "NEOCON
Masters" would lull them into submission with more propaganda. They would finally get to"see" REAL
fascism. We're so divided anyway, I just dont think it's going to be possible to become united again without a major catastrophe. Even then, it would probably just be used as an excuse for another political aganda. -
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Some how I think you really do miss just how truly screwed we may really be at this point.
THINK ABOUT IT.
McCarthy was just ONE GUY.
We've got a problem. -
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Please Zen tell us more. What really is the problem?
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Just think for a minute about the difference between McCarthy of 60 years ago, and the far right wing today.
McCarthy had his adherents, sure, in various portions of government as well as the private sector.
Same as today, only the group is much bigger, it benefits from some enormous resources and you've enumerated some of them above.
It also benefits from the technological advances made in the last 60 years, and the process of deregulatlion that has taken place since Reagan -- both of which facilitate the dissemination of lies.
You wouldn't expect a corporation like Microsoft would have any part in any of it would you? Of course not. And yet consider one of their slogans . . .
Life Without Walls
Isn't that the sale of the concept, via suggestion, that Big Brother really is alright? That it's all ok, because, you know, you trust us . . .
So does that mean that the ad agency crafted an ad campaign with ulterior purpose and slid it under the Microsoft radar? Or does it rather indicate that Microsoft is an example of one more corporation that stands to benefit from the sum of conflict that smothers this country? and do so by increasing demand for technology as we perpetuate our conflict. -
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Consider the networks -- they benefit as well. The more conflict that there is, and the more resources everyone has in the pursuit of conflict, means --
more attention getting headlines filled with drama
more money spent creating and airing messages from every side
not to mention some interesting new spins on ancient story lines that can be incorporated into prime time entertainment
and who knows, as long as we are engaged in keeping so many secrets, and in telling so many lies, who is to say you won't be tuning in every night just to - you know - receive the little bit of behavioral advertising that has been so carefully crafted just for you . . . -
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just for you and of course, everyone else Big Brother has been able to program to receive it that is . . .
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ZD, I see what you're talking about. Good points and very well written as usual.
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