Axelrod Rallies The Astroturf Troops

An email tip - aletter from Axelrod looking to start a chain email campaign to sell health care reform. It's legit. I know the source and it's on WH stationary. Along with the email campaign, at least we know where Davey's minions planting it around the blogs will be getting their info from. Link below to the supporting site. Sounds like he wants to spread his own "lies and distortions" the same way. Spam Wars? Pretty sucky movie franchise if you ask me.

Dear Friend, 

This is probably one of the longest emails I’ve ever sent, but it could be the most important.

Across the country we are seeing vigorous debate about health insurance reform. Unfortunately, some of the old tactics we know so well are back — even the viral emails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.

As President Obama said at the town hall in New Hampshire, “where we do disagree, let's disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that's actually been proposed.”

So let’s start a chain email of our own. At the end of my email, you’ll find a lot of information about health insurance reform, distilled into 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage, 8 common myths about reform and 8 reasons we need health insurance reform now.

Right now, someone you know probably has a question about reform that could be answered by what’s below. So what are you waiting for? Forward this email.

Thanks,
David

David Axelrod
Senior Adviser to the President

P.S. We launched http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/?e=11&ref=myth1this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we've just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on. Check it out:

I deleted all the talking points. Went on forever, no doubt at link, as well.

Comments

[JustOneMan]

Wouldnt it be ironic if a million people reported Axelrod's email to the whitehouse as one of those "viral emails of healthcare misinformation"?

Jusy sayin...

[mark l.]

47% approval.

libs don't know when to stop digging.

the funny thing about all these videos of angry people...
for every single shouter they put up, there are about 20 people sitting calmly, staring at what they are seeing.

the libs keep trying to jam the everyone who attends these townhalls thru the same "hole" of swastika waving, angry mobs, and they are going to pay the price.

can't say what obama's fate is for 2012, but at his current popularity, he has as much power as a 'lame duck'.

still waiting on that deficit revision that was due in july. it was pushed back to mid august, but if they put the numbers out now, the libs are going to fall completely thru the ice.

I was very skeptical of the gop being able to put together a coherent message that the voting public would believe in 2010, but it is now irrelevant.

jim demint and that "waterloo" statement was incredibly accurate.
obama sending axelord to astroturf is starting to look like stalin-"not one step back". These astroturfers will not distinguish between party...

the blue dogs will start to cave, and the astroturfers will go after them. god help the democrat party, becuase they are about to suffer at their own president's hands.

[SacTownMan]

Hey Nancy there's the "real" KING of Astroturf at work!

All that's left is to go send out some SEIU thugs to thump a few "Unpatriotic" skulls and call it a day!

[mark l.]

even if they propose pushing the top marginal rate to 45%, it will still not erase the size of the 'new' deficit projections, relative to their february numbers.

the only 'panacea' for the size of the debt, OUTSIDE OF CANCELLING THE STIMULUS PACKAGE, is a massive middle class tax hike.

congratulations to rahm emmanuel, and HIS legistlative victories.

[Lala]

Just watched Major Garrett asking Gibbs how the WH was getting people's email addresses. Er, er, er, er.

[Anon]

They're going to just run out the clock for as long as they can.

They know that they cannot pay for what they're enacting and they know the costs are higher than they say and the cost efficiencies are imaginary.

Their goal is to get as many freebie wealth redistribution scheme entitlements put in place as possible.

The deficits will continue to balloon until the idea of the deficit destroying the economy is no longer theoretical and only then, when the damage is occuring in real time will there be any effort made to have the federal budget conform to economic reality.

[JustOneMan]

Retail sales dip unexpectedly, jobless claims rise....

"Obama claims - Mission Accomplished - Good job Joey (Hair Plugs)"

[syn]

Mr Axelrod, please be sure to include President Obama's own words on the subject of Obamacare:

"OBAMA: “I mean, the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here.”

LEONHARDT: “So how do you — how do we deal with it? ”

OBAMA: “Well, I think that there is going to have to be a conversation that is guided by doctors, scientists, ethicists. And then there is going to have to be a very difficult democratic conversation that takes place. It is very difficult to imagine the country making those decisions just through the normal political channels. And that’s part of why you have to have some independent group that can give you guidance. It’s not determinative, but I think has to be able to give you some guidance. And that’s part of what I suspect you’ll see emerging out of the various health care conversations that are taking place on the Hill right now.”

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/kausfiles/archive/2009/08/12/will-you-won-t-you-be-on-my-death-panel.aspx

[mark l.]

the weird thing about the unemployment number...

type it into google, and we are at 9.7% by bls. This recent 9.3% is rather weak.

I figure we are going to 10.5% within the next six months, which means the dems will have 8 months to fix it.

inflation OR an oil spike will shave another another 2-5% off the messiah's approval.

combine the two together, and he is sniffing 40% approval going into a midterm.

I think the oil spike is far more likely to occur, and just as the healthcare crowds fade of in victory/defeat, the tea partiers move on to chants of "drill here, drill now".

This is like watching a game of bridge, the wh set the bid and the trump suit, and they don't have a single stopper. The only 'relief' that they might get is ted kennedy passing.

Something to be said for holding the senate, the house, and the presidency, BUT having to resort to sending out the astroturfers. Can't see how they can succeed, when the three elected bodies are failing.

[mark l.]

"Good job Joey (Hair Plugs)"...
I forgot he even existed.

What was the reason they put him on the ticket?

[mark l.]

i've been looking at the house thru the prism of 94,

but it is well worth pointing out the 82 election under reagan.

dems won nationally 54.1-43.4, but since they held the majority, the gained only(?) 27 seats, but their majority went to 269.

94 was actually less convincing as the results were gop 47.8%-44.0%, although the shift was 54 seats.

I'm seeing shades of 82, over 94, and the result could provide the largest shift in the house, in US history.

[Nishner]

There's nothing in any bill about a Death Panel. There is language about end-of-life counseling.

[mark l.]

"There's nothing in any bill about a Death Panel."

there isn't any bill, period.

[mark l.]

once a bill does materialize, you will have a price tag.

it will be paid for by taxing and moving money away from medicare, and then these old people, along with the "stop taxing us, stop spending crowd" will have fresh new material.

the wh is digging the biggest hole, ever, in which to bury their party.

[Mikey NTH]

Chain e-mail.
Have your followers send around a chain e-mail.

Yep, that's the road to popularity, everyone loves to receive chain e-mails.

[JustOneMan]

"There's nothing in any bill about a Death Panel. There is language about end-of-life counseling"

There's nothing in any bill about end-of-life counseling. There is language about a Death Panel."

[Ad rem]

Rasmussen.....47%......just keep on digging boyz......;-)

[JustOneMan]

Dan forgit to out the most important part of Axelrods letter....

“if you don’t send this letter to 10 people, your life will be cursed, your partner will leave you,your friends will leave you,you will loose all your money,your dog will die and the IRS will conduct an audit on you and all members of your immediate family”

[JustOneMan]

Sorry....here is the right version...

Dan forgot to post the most important part of Axelrods letter....

“if you don’t send this letter to 10 people, your life will be cursed, your partner will leave you,your friends will leave you,you will loose all your money,your dog will die and the IRS will conduct an audit on you and all members of your immediate family”

[Nishner]

"there isn't any bill, period"

Actually, there are multiple bills.

And none contain anything about a Death Panel. PERIOD.

http://docs.house.gov/edlabor/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200:

[mark l.]

"Have your followers send around a chain e-mail."

this is one of the biggest shortcomings of the internet.

it is great for fundraising and mobilization of people who have strong 'pre-existing' beliefs, but it does NOT change public sentiment. It just hardens the exsitng bases.

I'd be shocked if there were 50,000 people who could be swayed by an e-mail. (I have to go now, as I must foward by banking account information to nigeria, so that I can make 50 million dollars.)

[Ad rem]

47%.........I say, 47%.........for the people in the back row......FORTY-SEVEN PERCENT!

[mark l.]

"there isn't any bill, period"

Actually, there are multiple bills.

**********

if you have three quartebacks who can start, you don't have a starting quarterback.

[JustOneMan]

Nishner...if you would read the links that you posted its pretty clear the Obama wants the government to determine end of life services...

"The Secretary shall determine areas in which quality measures for assessing health care services in the Unitied Staes are needed page 623 paragraph 20

Translation - The government will determine who will be eligible for services and procedure. If healthcare providers dont follow the guidelines they will be in violation of federal mandates.

"assess the continuity and coordination of care and care trasistion for patients across providers and health care settings including end of life care" page 624 paragraph 5

Translation - The government will mandate when to pull the plug on people who recieves what level of services

[JustOneMan]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Red hot auto sales under the U.S. government's "cash for clunkers" incentive began to cool as dealer inventories tightened and showroom traffic showed signs of leveling off from its frantic pace of a week ago.

One industry analysis released on Tuesday forecast a steady decline in "clunker" related business even though the Obama administration and Congress added $2 billion to the program.

"Great Job Brownie...I mean Barry!"

[Patrick Bateman]

I suppose we will see countless winger posts about the threat to President Obama's family and children right? Right?

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/2009/08/death-to-obama-sign-holder-at-town-hall-detained-by-secret-service.php

I don't suppose we'll see anything about how this is nothing but a joke and making fun of Sara! is totally much worse and only America-hating fascists would think otherwise.

Rasumussen. The pollster who predicted a McCain win in a walk until the last couple weeks of the '08 General. Right. Tell me, when a bill is passed and every literate adult sees that none of the winger lies are actually part of it, and that, gee, this is kind of sensible, what what will your side have left?

[Nishner]

That's nonsense. Yeah, if providers don't meet certain standards, they aren't going to be part of the program. And if they don't provide proper care to patients at end-of-life, they get the boot.

And you think that's a bad idea?

[mark l.]

C4C-
it should be a great boost to 3q gdp, but it will wipe out 4q gdp.

ditto, on the pending capital gains increase in 2011. Everyone will cash out in the last quarter of 2010, and when the revenue comes in, it will be a sizable boost. Unfortunately the timing is horrible for the wh, as the report will come out 2 months after the midterms, and it will basically reset the expected capital gains from stocks back to zero.

two bubbles, timed very poorly.

[JustOneMan]

"if they don't provide proper care to patients at end-of-life, they get the boot."

Geesh...some political hack - The Secretary - will say what is and what isnt appropriate care in a life and death sitiation.

And you think that's a good idea?

[mark l.]

"Rasumussen. The pollster who predicted a McCain win in a walk until the last couple weeks of the '08 General."
gotta link on that?

he is actually the most accurate pollster of 2008, 2004, and 2000(although one could argue that zogby did a little better in 2000). the discrepancy that you see right now is probabaly due to the fact that he is doing "likely voters", where other polls are not.

If you care, here's a link where you can follow his numbers for 2008, against other pollsters.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html#polls

you can read, while sipping on your koolaid...

[Nishner]

More nonsense. It's about making sure people get proper care and aren't pushed into hellholes like some nursing homes are.

[Ad rem]

Mark.....

I think we can ,,,,"hear the lamentation of their women!"..;-)

[Anon]

Nisher, what you want, which is as much healthcare as you can consume for as long as you can stay alive with no caps on treatment or expense, will bankrupt the country. Period.

[mark l.]

patrick, there is this phrase...

"can't see the forest, for the trees". point to a guy in the crowd, and you miss the crowd.

keep pushing the 'all protesters are evil' meme'. you might be right about some the individuals, but at the expense of alienating everyone around the person. it's like swinging a sword in a very crowded room.

47% and falling...

[JustOneMan]

Nishner you prove my point....

"making sure people get proper care and aren't pushed into hellholes like some nursing homes are?"

The bill has no such language!!! So if old people dont go to nursing homes where do they go?

Thats right! To the Funeral Home!

[Nishner]

You really have no idea what I want. I don't expect a Public Option to offer endless care. It's simply to provide basic coverage for anyone that wants it. What is covered will be clearly explained, if I get sick and my condition is covered, I'll get treated, no patient dumping, no jumping premiums, etc.

If you want Cadillac care beyone what the Public Option offers, you can get it through a private insurer. Yes, they'll still exist.

[Lala]

Here's the introduction to the death panel

“They will have to give up paying for things that don’t make them healthier,” Obama said.

[JustOneMan]

Nishner---I had enough of you and your nonsense. When you cant debate the issue on facts you make shit up....

You sound just like "King Barry and his Band of Fools"

[Fishner]

"I'll get treated, no patient dumping, no jumping premiums"

None of the bills contains this language. You are spready fishy disinformation, Nishner.

[Ad rem]

Nishner....I bet you still believe in Santa Claus too.

[Ran]

Here's the thing about "AstroTurf"... It's about mindsets and paradigms. In the context of the health-care debate:

Libertarians - whether of the "liberal" or "conservative" leaning flavor - are single-minded and independent by definition. They can't be "astroturf." One can't buy their time for protests. They don't follow leaders as such, they simply want to be left alone to follow their own inner drummer. Or Sam the Dog, whatever inner crazy angel pushes them... but they'll show-up and protest with hand-made signs the same way they'll either buy or chose to not purchase their own health-care.

Statists and authoritarians - whether of the "liberal" or "conservative" ilk - are by definition either followers or those who seek power over followers... In this case, it's the crowd who feel that they can get or deliver their health care needs at someone else' expense. [Yes, I just called them parasites.] It's not inconsistent with the idea that they expect to get paid for protesting, and be provided with pre-printed signs [all at someone else's expense. Like I said, parasites.]

[JustOneMan]

The White House is now promoting SPAM!

Must be on the advice of their stellar CIO Kumar!!!

[Patrick Bateman]

"Here's the introduction to the death panel

'They will have to give up paying for things that don’t make them healthier,' Obama said."

No it's not; it's a statement of common sense. For instance, I didn't need an MRI for my back because my doc. believed that I had not herniated a disk. Therefore he did not order me one and I did not choose to get one (even though I could have). Instead he prescribed me 800 mg of Advil, stretching exercises, heat applications, and swimming and walking for 2 weeks instead of running. The Advil costs 4 bucks. The MRI costs between 500 and 2000 bucks. See how that works?

"Geesh...some political hack - The Secretary - will say what is and what isnt appropriate care in a life and death sitiation."

Are you familiar with how insurance companies make money, detective? Decisions are not made by docs but by those only concerned with the bottom line. In a program like, say Medicare, such is not the case. Stop being dishonest merely because you hate Obama and want him to fail.

"[Rasmussen] is actually the most accurate pollster of 2008, 2004, and 2000(although one could argue that zogby did a little better in 2000). the discrepancy that you see right now is probabaly due to the fact that he is doing "likely voters", where other polls are not."

Actually it wasn't. Nate Silver was. And actually, the discrepancy you see is probably due to the fact that there isn't an election coming up. As such, you have nothing to compare to.

But you know that.

In any event, still no outrage over the death threats to Obama's family. I was told on this blog that people who made naughty jokes and cartoons of the Palin family were the lowest of the low.

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-secret-service-chase,0,735045.story

Waiting for the condemnation.

Prediction: because it was bad for David Letterman to make a joke about Sara Palin's adult daughter, for which he apologized, it is ok for someone to make death threats against Obama and his family. That about it?

[JustOneMan]

"still no outrage over the death threats to Obama's family"

When you cant win a argument based on facts...make shit up..

Bateman your Aluminum Foil Hat seems to be a little to tight!

[Anon]

Medicare: broke.
Medicaid: broke.
Social Security: soon to be broke.

Why?

Because government, unlike business, has no motivation to be efficient, which is why government should be involved in only the bare minimum of activities.

[Ad rem]

Patrick,

47%.....better take 2 of those Advils......;-)

[North Dallas Thirty]

I suppose we will see countless winger posts about the threat to President Obama's family and children right? Right?

Your argument would be much stronger, Patrick Bateman, if you and your Barack Obama hadn't been screaming and waving signs like this.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/12/analysis-press-largely-ignored-incendiary-rhetoric-bush-protest/

Good thing the Secret Service is doing their jobs. Obama and his family deserve to live through the hell he's created for himself and them through his incompetence, arrogance, and stupidity.

[Ad rem]

If anybody's wondering where Nishner and Patrick are, they're probably over at Huff-Po's reading about the leaked Obama-Pharma memo. It just keeps getting better.;-)

[mark l.]

seriously patrick, don't you really think should be off alienating some more voters?

your "response" is filled with so many holes, I wouldn't even know where to begin...

my strategy? let you go on with your delusions, while simulataneously supporting your president. it would do far more damge than anything I could type.

[mark l.]

one other matter to clear up, pb...

when you family gets together over the holidays, do they still make you sit at the children's table?