FreedomWorks: Pay No Attention To...Us...Behind The Curtain
FreedomWorks released a statement earlier today attempting to downplay their role in the Great Tea Bagging Bonanza of '09. It says, "We'd like to say we are the main driving forces behind the protests. We're mainly helping other activists get in touch with each other."
We'll have video shortly.
That account is nice and humble and all, but it sort of cuts against what I reported earlier today--that FreedomWorks took the lead organizing the very first of the tea parties; that FreedomWorks, and the group Americans for Prosperity have been providing messaging and coordinating for the protesters; and that robocall efforts (from sources unclear) are underway in various parts of the country to draw people out to tomorrow's events.
The question, then, is if this much top-down organizing is necessary to initiate the protests, how much grassroots support could they possibly have? I guess we'll find out for sure tomorrow.
Late update: Video below.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Let's hope some kooky gunnuts, bigots, and tinfoil hat types show up. Great PR for the definitely-not-that-fringey GOP.
April 14, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ummm...
"We'd like to say we are the main driving forces behind the protests. We're mainly helping other activists get in touch with each other."
Shouldn't they have said ".....we are NOT the main driving forces..." ?
April 14, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not the way I'm reading it. They're saying "It's going to be such a success that we'd love to take credit for it, but we're merely helping the common folks get in contact with each other".
April 14, 2009 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
They are being clever with words. That's the way you are supposed to hear it, humility and all. But the literal meaning is the truest.
April 14, 2009 8:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would love to show up with about a dozen other people to some of the televised events in acorn costumes with big signs saying "Boo" and "Here we come to get you!"
Of course that may get you shot.
April 14, 2009 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know in Columbia, MO. it was organized by a conservative radio personality. I wonder if he was contacted by Freedomworks. Ours was relatively large at about 100. They threatened to "teabag" McCaskill, I, unfortunately could not write the article about that tea party. It would have been the best lede I'd ever written, way back before the joke began recently.
April 14, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't mind FreedomWorks involvement as much as Faux News. Fox is basically co-sponsoring the events now, rather than just simply reporting on it as news. I can't believe Fox is getting away with it. They would have been up in arms if CNN was pimping the hell out of the anti-war or the Pro-Immigration rallies like Fox is with these teabagger parties.
April 14, 2009 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Playboy reported on this astroturfing stuff a long time ago. Like how the chicagoteaparty domain was bought by a right wing guy back on 03-Aug-08.
April 14, 2009 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
There will be counter-demos in San Francisco and San Jose tomorrow.
Stay tuned...
April 14, 2009 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
... actually counter-demonstrators are largely set on routing the racist Minutemen group that plans to attend the teabagger festivities. So observer2's first comment above is probably dead on as for the goon squads coming out to these things.
I think the right-wing has protest envy.
April 14, 2009 8:16 PM | Reply | Permalink