A few weeks ago I noted the President’s support for an Organizing for America letter-writing campaign for health reform. This involved a web form and a few talking points which at least 72 papers around the country were fooled into reprinting as letters to the editor. Now I’ve I received notice of a follow up campaign by OFA, this time promoted by Vice President Biden. He writes in part:
Believe me, senators and their staff read the letters page — because they know just how influential it can be. Your letter could make a tremendous difference….
It’s just the first step, but one letter from a constituent is worth a hundred paid advertisements. So please make sure your friends and neighbors understand the benefits this law will bring to ordinary Americans — take three minutes and write a paragraph or two now:
Thanks,
Vice President Joe Biden
While this campaign may be new, the talking points that appear in the sidebar of the OFA website are not. They appear in this March 24 e-mail sent out by the President:
The next day OFA put out a message indicating that showing support for reform was their top priority. That is presumably what led to this current letter-writing campaign.
So far, the following newspapers have published some or all of the White House talking points as letters to the editor:
- Ukiah Daily Journal
- Times News
- Times Gazette
- Foster’s Daily Democrat
- Morning Journal News
- Americus Times Recorder
- Merced Sun Star
- Baltimore Sun (and another one here)
- San Gabriel Valley Tribune
- News Times (and another one here)
My favorite though is this one at the Daily Chronicle…
- Headline: No More Tea Party Talking Points
It’s impossible to disguise this kind of campaign for long. I spoke with an editor at the Baltimore Sun who received 59 OFA generated letters practically overnight! That’s on top of the dozens more that poured in later. Since he can’t devote the time it would take to separate the genuine letters from the talking points, the Sun is simply forced to ignore them all.
While I’m pleased that the campaign is backfiring at the Sun, I suspect some of the smaller, local papers will be fooled into publishing White House talking points once again. Personally, I don’t believe the editors at these papers want to be part of the White House message machine. If only there was some way to warn them.
Hmmm…
A few days ago, I used OFA’s website to mail the following letter to 118 local papers around the country:
Subject: The White House is Using Your Letters Page for Free Advertising
Message: I received an e-mail from Vice President Biden today asking me to use this web page to generate letters to the editor: http://my.barackobama.com/SenateThank4
The form is sponsored by Organizing for America, a political arm of the Obama White House. Along with the form there are suggested talking points:
- Passing health reform is a historic victory for all Americans – for families, seniors, young people…
[Etc., etc., etc.]
The e-mail from the Vice President said in part “letter from a constituent is worth a hundred paid advertisements.” Just thought you should know that the White House is trying to use your letters page as free advertising.
John Sexton
I think that’s called being hoist on your own petard, but I prefer to call it fun with Astroturf.
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40 Comments
Biden is a walking zipper accident. Come on, who takes him seriously?
Tax payer funded no doubt.
Agreed. Take a second look at the picture though, it looks like he's trying to squeeze on out.
You can read the editorials and they all sound the same . Now I know why.
I read the open letter, calling people who oppose the health care bill as enemies. The Presidents own web site has called me an enemy of the State.
Have other Presidents called ordinary citizens enemies before? I cant recall.
I am the enemy, I read, I think, I vote, and I write checks to politicians." Computer Commandos" take note all your noise on the websites means nothing if you don't open up that checkbook and contribute.
Agreed, and to think, he's still smarter than his boss.
As a modern liberal he doesn't have to worry about being caught. He knows the MSM will never betray their own side. He's safe.
Then along came a FOX……..
I live about 30 mikles south of American, georgia. I just emailed them to let them know that they we're punked by Obama..lets see what happen…lol
This was an incredible story, I took your advice & 'Cut & Pasted' your letter & sent my own, to all my local newspapers, then it occurred to me I can use that web link for All My own purposes, instead of the extra $100 I spent on my phone bill last month faxing everyone re HCR, I can use this site instead! How Ironic.
Apparently I have poor Grammar, just another stupid person who just cant see the wonders of socialism.
LOL LOVE IT! Great Idea!!
[...] Blowing the Whistle On Organizing For America’s Manipulation of the Media. Posted in: Government Corruption ← Waxman Cancels Healthcare Show Trial Be [...]
Or to be more interesting you might consider using thehttp://my.barackobama.com contact information being provided by their registar, godaddy.com
Administrative Contact:
Admin, Admin admin@barackobama.com
Obama for America
233 N. Michigan Ave
Suite 1100
Chicago, Illinois 60601
United States
312-819-2008
Everyone with a brain takes him seriously, that lets you and the teabag for brains crowd out.
How does a guy that was destroyed in the first round of Democrat primaries become a heartbeat away from the office that he was soundly rejected for?
Does this say anything about the quality of Democrat rationality?
Yeah the teabag crowd, the homosexuals. That's what the vulgar term means…
You're right, brains the size of a peanut.
It's a crying shame that the President and Vice President of the United States of America continue to lower themselves and have nothing better to do with their time. It would be asking to much I assume that they would work on the economy, unemployment, Iran, North Korea, and terrorist. I'd settle if they would choose one of these projects to their time. All I've seen is the Man-Child running around promising this and that and claiming this and that and none of it mean a hill of beans. Asselrod and Pluff are giving some pretty stupid instructions for the Man-Child if you ask me.
It's a crying shame that the President and Vice President of the United States of America continue to lower themselves and have nothing better to do with their time. It would be asking to much I assume that they would work on the economy, unemployment, Iran, North Korea, and terrorist. I'd settle if they would choose one of these projects to their time. All I've seen is the Man-Child running around promising this and that and claiming this and that and none of it mean a hill of beans. Asselrod and Pluff are giving some pretty stupid instructions for the Man-Child if you ask me.
Wow! Coming from a simpleton like you that's a bold statement.
I swear, Biden will always be the most entertaining politician to watch. He has no Brain-to-Mouth filter and he thinks he will never be called on his insidious activities. I just can't wait to see that look, if you have kids you will know it, of "Holy Crap I was caught! Quick, gotta think of a lie to get out of it."
I still say he looks like Walter.
(Reference to a Jeff Dunham puppet……lol, puppet. Ol' Joe doesn't just LOOK like Walter, I think they have the same lifestyle)
It must really be tough for you. With these delusions and all….. Have you tried switching your meds?
HA! I knew he looked familiar! Walter is MUCH more charming though.
[...] Algumas semanas atrás eu notei o apoio do presidente para uma Organização para a América carta de campanha para a reforma da saúde. Isso envolveu um formulário web e alguns pontos falando que pelo menos 72 jornais de todo o país foram enganados em reimpressão de cartas ao editor. Agora eu recebi um aviso de acompanhamento da campanha de [. . . ] URL do artigo original http://bigjournalism.com/jsexton/2010/04/16/turning-the-tables-on-organizing-for-america-aka-fun-wit... [...]
[...] Blowing The Whistle On Organizing For America’s Manipulation Of The Media [...]
They haven't 'called' citizens enemies before….they just treated us that way. The admin. is declaring war on us and assuming we'll not notice it. ….
Contribute to WHO? Another crooked politician wannabe?
Rather than being "fooled" by these letters, I have no doubt that my local leftist/progressive propaganda outlet, commonly called "The Oregonian", would deliberately print the left wing talking point letters described in this editorial. Is has been apparent for decades that the leftist bias in this "newspaper" extends from the front page to the gardening section, and certainly to the editorial page. This so-called editorial page always print the left-wing talking point letters and only prints the right leaning letters that were obviously written by the crazy wacko types. The rational and reasoned right leaning letters go into the trash (as do the leftist raging loonie letters, of which I am sure there are legion in this town). But there is no leftist media bias……noooooo……..
Nope — Even Richard Nixon never stooped that low.
[...] » Blowing the Whistle On Organizing For America’s Manipulation of the Media – Big … [...]
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I think that Obama has done a great job in bringing the US population public health insurance. I think that it is an integral part of the UK and other nations' public life. In many ways, access to healthcare is a basic human right. I have been following developments at the insurance index that lists health insurance sites at http://www.dozeninsurance.com recently. I feel that Obama is doing a good job for the USA overall, it has only been a year. So let's stop giving him a hard time and let him get on with his job. After all, he is a doing a lot better than the previous President ever did.
I think that Obama has done a great job in bringing the US population public health insurance. I think that it is an integral part of the UK and other nations' public life. In many ways, access to healthcare is a basic human right. I have been following developments at the insurance index that lists health insurance sites at http://www.dozeninsurance.com recently. I feel that Obama is doing a good job for the USA overall, it has only been a year. So let's stop giving him a hard time and let him get on with his job. After all, he is a doing a lot better than the previous President ever did.
I think that Obama has done a great job in bringing the US population public health insurance. I think that it is an integral part of the UK and other nations' public life. In many ways, access to healthcare is a basic human right. I have been following developments at the insurance index that lists health insurance sites at http://www.dozeninsurance.com recently. I feel that Obama is doing a good job for the USA overall, it has only been a year. So let's stop giving him a hard time and let him get on with his job. After all, he is a doing a lot better than the previous President ever did.
I think that Obama has done a great job in bringing the US population public health insurance. I think that it is an integral part of the UK and other nations' public life. In many ways, access to healthcare is a basic human right. I have been following developments at the insurance index that lists health insurance sites at http://www.dozeninsurance.com recently. I feel that Obama is doing a good job for the USA overall, it has only been a year. So let's stop giving him a hard time and let him get on with his job. After all, he is a doing a lot better than the previous President ever did.
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