Of course, the Obama side has no problem setting up a top-down organization and making it appear to be grass-roots. Just look at this “playbook for thwarting town hall protesters” from Heatlh Care for America Now, a union-backed, left-wing group that’s backing Obamacare.
The playbook, calling people opposing Obamacare who attend town hall meetings “extremists,” suggests several ways to block legitimate questions from the audience, er, “limit the other side’s opportunities for disruption”:
SNIP
c. Choose a venue that is difficult for the opposition to access without being noticed. …
d. Select a strong moderator to move the agenda in a disciplined way. …
… SNIP…
f. Plan for disturbances and assign marshals. …
g. Collect signs and leaflets that are not provided by you or your organization. …
h. Assign people to greet the media and to say close to reporters both as they enter and leave the event. I’ts 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.
[MY COMMENT: Any reporters who can be this easily manipulated need to turn in their press passes, become honest people, and join the congresscritters’ staffs. Jeepers.]
Sounds like somebody’s afraid of the people’s First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances. And we thought the left celebrated freedom of speech.
