And kudos to Gloria Borger at CNN for telling it like it is:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/04/borger.health.shouting/index.html?iref=topnews

They're doing a lot more than just trying imply that they're doomed to fail by linking them to the Palin crowd nuts. First, they're not just comparing them "the protesters to the right wingers who attended McCain-Palin rallies in the Summer and Fall of 2008," they're tying to point out that, for all practical purposes, they're the exact same people.

Second, and far more importantly, they're trying to force a change in the way the teevee MSM has been reporting this story. They're tying to force them to acknoweldge and report on the astroturf angle. I suspect they tried very hard to get the teevee people to do this behind the scenes and off the record, but failed becuase those silly factual details were distracting from the MSM's ability to tell a good story about juicy, sweet, delicious, ratings-enhancing conflict between salt of the earth rural yokels and effete urban elitists. So now they're settling for plan B--better a "some people say" reference to the truth than none at all.

But I have to admit, whatever else they may be, these people aren't "outside the mainstream of the Republican Party" as it exists today. I'd have to say that they are the mainstream of the Republican Party as it exists today.

From SourceWatch:

CPR is founded by this guy:

"Conservatives for Patients Rights is a front group organized in 2009 by Richard Scott to fight U.S. president Barack Obama's proposals for health reform. According to the Politico news site, Scott has raised $20 million to fight health care reform.[1]"

"CRC Public Relations -- the conservative PR firm previously known as Creative Response Concepts -- works with Conservatives for Patients Rights. CRC is the firm "that masterminded the 'Swift boat' attacks against 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry," reported the Washington Post. [2] "

"Maggie Mahar at the Century Foundation's Health Beat blog reports that Scott previously started the for-profit hospital chain in 1987 that later became the $23 billion Columbia/HCA. He was ousted from this post in 1997 after an FBI investigation of Columbia/HCA that led to 14 felony convictions and $1.7 billion in criminal and civil fines for Medicare fraud.[5]"

Creative Response Concepts, an Alexandria, Virginia-based public relations firm, "has many links to the Republican Party and the conservative movement," Eric Boehlert wrote September 10, 2004, in Salon.

"Among its clients are the Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee. Its client list also includes the Christian Coalition, National Taxpayers Union, Media Research Council [sic] and Regnery Publishing. Regnery is the firm that published Unfit for Command, the SBVT screed against [John] Kerry's military record," Boehlert wrote".

"Rick Scott is a multimillionaire former hospital CEO who, in 2009, emerged as a prominent leader of the opposition to U.S. President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plans. Scott founded a group called Conservatives for Patients' Rights and put $5 million of his own money towards a television advertising campaign aimed at trying to build resistance to any proposal for a government-run health insurance program. Creative Response Concepts is running the campaign.[citation needed] "

So he's a multi-millionaire former hospital CEO who defrauded Medicare?

The big question is where did this $20 million in funding come from? United Healthcare, Aetna ... who? Or is it just GOP funding????

They're doing a lot more than just trying imply that they're doomed to fail by linking them to the Palin crowd nuts. First, they're not just comparing them "the protesters to the right wingers who attended McCain-Palin rallies in the Summer and Fall of 2008," they're tying to point out that, for all practical purposes, they're the exact same people.

Second, and far more importantly, they're trying to force a change in the way the teevee MSM has been reporting this story. They're tying to force them to acknoweldge and report on the astroturf angle. I suspect they tried very hard to get the teevee people to do this behind the scenes and off the record, but failed becuase those silly factual details were distracting from the MSM's ability to tell a good story about juicy, sweet, delicious, ratings-enhancing conflict between salt of the earth rural yokels and effete urban elitists. So now they're settling for plan B--better a "some people say" reference to the truth than none at all.

But I have to admit, whatever else they may be, these people aren't "outside the mainstream of the Republican Party" as it exists today. I'd have to say that they are the mainstream of the Republican Party as it exists today.

Instead of calling them "special interests" groups, why do Democrats have such a hard time just saying "insurance companies."

Looks like the Democratic party is fully intent on using the fringe aspect of the protesters against them and their allies of convenience in the GOP.

They'll have an uphill battle in doing this but I think that's what should be done.

But it shouldn't be that hard. Can you imagine how these "protesters" would have been treated by the media had it been President O'Riley, R, and Republicans with big majorities in both chambers? They'd be treated as a ludicrous joke, and we'd hear nothing but eulogies about the Democratic Party.

Better late than never, I guess.

What we've got to do is simply outdo them. Get more people out to stand up and stop them.

This is not on the DNC website. Where is the original?

Weimar Democrats=>Brownshirts

Duh!

The problem with this pathetic whining is that the DNC and the DSCC/DCCC are, themselves, just cringing liberals funded by K-Street. Big Lobby derives most of its income from the bi-partisan government concessions slavishly protected by "Hold Harmless!" Democrats who "Jes' He'p Ever'body!", well, anybody with big-bucks, but, now, whine when it comes down to ... zero-sum.

When Democrats took over in 2006, they were ecstatic when K-Street expanded by hiring washed-up "politicos" like Martin Frost.

Only, bi-partisan lobbies get more for their money from a monopoly on government held by the Federalist-Whig GOP. There is just no good reason they should hire corrupt Democrats and set-aside money for the race-tokens they despise.

So, they are perfectly happy to fund Brownshirts. They will probably get a better return on their money from that than the DNC gets from expensive entourages for their own fat, lazy big-wigs. None of that trickles-down to local parties through a stable of consultants and patronage-chain of retirees.

We can ridicule the far-right wing-nuts. But, that does nothing about the fact that the soft center of the Democratic Party is selling out the electorate to K-Street -- always the highest bidder, what with their pipeline to the Fed and a revolving door of bi-partisan crony capitalists at the Treasury Department and, of course, on the key Senate and House Committees.

Wishy-washy Weimar Democrats, Limosine Liberals, Arlen Spectors, and the like attract Brownshirts.

This is not new or mysterious. Weimar Democrats legalized what used to be "policy rackets" and claims-processing "mills" as soon as the organized crime figures involved hired a lobbyist for the benefit of Democrats and got religion to cover their rears with the GOP.

Now, the bi-partisan concession-tenders in DC get to live with what they did: That would be to provide every comfort for themselves and their cronies, two-bit shit for the rest of us. They do not even know what insurance is. Why should they? They are covered. Insurance is a financial institution, not an industry. And, Gramm-Clinton, Bernanke-Geithner do not believe in regulating financial institutions, just bailing them and their cronies out of duly registered, up-lawyered Ponzi-schemes.

Fight of the Century!

"Rabid Right Wing Extremists Funded By K-Street"

versus

"Cringing Liberals Funded By K-Street"

All they need is a beer hall.

Oh, a scary press release. Printed words. Watch out, Repugs! There's a not nice press release about you.

That's garbage! These nuts do not care about harsh language. They need to be confronted by our side every time they disrupt these town hall meetings. We outnumber them.

Remember, Brownshirts only respect force. I'm not saying to hit them, not at all. Just show up and stand up to them.