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Obama-approved: Only liberals can organize protests
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Since at least May, this newspaper has received suspiciously uniform letters to the editor expressing support for Democratic health care reform plans. The letters come in the same format, use the same talking points and often contain the exact same language. We have found that they came (and are still coming) from Organizing for America. That's President Obama's own campaign organization. Its Web site is www.barackobama.com.
That's interesting because last week White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed thousands of Americans who have protested against Democratic health care plans. He said these citizens displayed "manufactured anger," and he warned of "the AstroTurf nature of so-called grass-roots lobbying."
Sen. Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also tried to discredit the protesters by suggesting that the rallies were organized by special interest groups. Top Democrats have even complained that groups opposed to health care reform sent out e-mails suggesting topics for people to talk about when they go to town hall meetings -- just what Organize for America has done all summer.
But Obama's group is doing more than that. On Monday, we received an e-mail from Organize for America Director Mitch Stewart. It encouraged us to go to Sen. Judd Gregg's office and express our support for health care reform.
"We'll provide everything you need: the address, phone number, and open hours for the office, information about how the health care crisis affects your state for you to drop off (with the option of adding your personal story), and a step-by-step guide for your visit," the e-mail helpfully explained.
Great! We'll just take Organize for America's talking points, stroll down to Sen. Shaheen's ... oh, wait. Her address isn't listed. Nor are Paul Hodes' and Carol Shea-Porter's. Organize for America wants us to bring its pre-written statement of support only to Judd Gregg's office. Hmm...
Columnist Jonah Goldberg has noticed the same hypocrisy. Top Democrats organize their own people to petition the government, but complain when the other side does the same thing. It's old hat, except this time the hypocrisy is particularly egregious because President Obama is denouncing the exact same tactics in which his own organization is engaged!
Now that we all know his own organization has spent the entire summer feeding people talking points and organizing them to protest in favor of health care reform, will President Obama dare tell the citizens of New Hampshire when he speaks here today that people protesting against his health care reform proposals are not to be taken seriously because the protests were organized?
Would he really so brazenly insult the people's intelligence? We shall see.
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Andrew Cline has been editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader since October of 2001. His writing has appeared in more than 100 newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Review.
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