Americans for Prosperity writes Facebook message offering financial rewards for publicizing tea parties.
Americans for Prosperity writes Facebook message offering financial rewards for publicizing tea parties.
The right wing and Fox News are trying to paint tomorrow’s tea party protests as an organic uprising, when they are in fact being spearheaded by high-powered business interests. Now, organizers are doling out generous financial incentives to publicize the tea parties. In a Facebook message today, Erik Telford of Americans For Prosperity told supporters, “I wanted to make you aware of an opportunity. Americans for Prosperity Foundation and Heritage Foundation have teamed up to launch the Stop Spending Our Future project, which offers four contests and $5,000 in prizes“:
1) Spread the Word| Capture the stories of five people at one of the Taxpayer Tea Parties happening all over the nation on Tax Day, April 15. The person that captures the best testimonial will receive $1,000.
2) Make a Video| What’s your biggest frustration about the government’s appetite for more spending in the midst of the tough economic climate? The top 5 submissions will each receive a prize in the amount of $500.
3) Write a Letter | Explain how you feel about the debt via a letter that your child, grandchild, or great-grandchild will open 30 years from now? The top 5 submissions will each receive a prize in the amount of $250.
4) Give It a Name| Convey the threat of government over-spending and/or excessive debt using 10 words or less. The single best idea-as voted on by visitors to this website-will receive $250 and be the basis for a new video.
“Stop Spending Our Future” has also launched a promotional video using young children decrying the “Troubled Assets Relief Programs” and other “bailouts.”
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now they have to pay people. Such a sucksess.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:12 pmThis isn’t a Boston Tea Party, it’s a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pmThey’re lucky I wasn’t invited.
Otherwise it’d be a “Pee Party”.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:14 pmnauseam*
April 14th, 2009 at 5:16 pmso… you get money for bringing them the best anecdotal “joe-the-plumber” BS stories that they can repeat ad naseum?
April 14th, 2009 at 5:17 pmWell, these Republican think tanks are sure good at capitalizing on the apparent ease of getting the uninformed to do whatever they want. Even if this was a legitimate protest, none of it is going to benefit the people who are actually hurting. If they cared about that, they would have done this 10 years ago.
I’d never dream of having my kid (not that I have one) talk about this from any angle either. Seems very inappropriate.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:18 pmdeebaser, looks like I am not the only one whose comments are popping up in reverse order…
April 14th, 2009 at 5:20 pmThis is going to be awesome when no one shows up to these things. Im calling it right now: the largest crowd you’ll hear about from these “500 protests” is going to be 5,000.
Having political nonsense during the workday should garauntee some lulz though.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:20 pmGive It a Name| Convey the threat of government over-spending and/or excessive debt using 10 words or less.
– -”Picking Up the Tab for Tomorrow”
April 14th, 2009 at 5:21 pmQuick question: Do you think the tea baggers know just how silly this makes them look? It seems like a collection of nutjobs who could benefit from both the lower taxes Obama has promised and the stimulus package designed to get them back to work. Are they really that brainwashed as to turn away from the very policies designed to assist them?
I am having trouble understanding what their issue is.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:22 pmHow did these ‘parties’ become such anti-Obama, right wing hypocratic crap? If they had truly sprung up as grass roots organizations protesting outrageous spending, then they would have been non-partisan events and would have stared back when Bush turned a surplus into a deficit.
If they were grass roots organizations protesting undo taxation, they would have started BEFORE Obama’s tax breaks and would be anti-Bush, PRO Obama.
The fact that they are neither of the above simply PROVES that it is not grass roots and has NOTHING to do wih taxes. It is simply, once again, the ’small minds’ being duped by the slick and greedy scumbags.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:24 pmThe Republicans have already set up the lie that Democrat’s are going to infiltrate the tea parties as skin heads and ne’er do wells.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:25 pmMan, I wish someone would spike their tea with laxitives.
@10 StratRat Says:
I think it’s becaue they are not whom they would have us think they are. I still think they are mostly rich greedy people that put everything into the corrupted stock market, and now they are sore.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:26 pmI realize there are not a lot of people here who understand economics. I will explain for you. This process is known as “marketing”. It’s something our side does all of the time. We have little kids finger paint the world without green solutions, the President picks the best one (typically apocalyptic) and then brow beats us into climate controlling the earth. I’ll take 72 and sunny, please! A bribe is when you’ve done something wrong or need something abhorrent committed. It is a bad thing. Incentive is good. It is what makes us all go to work. Our employers don’t bribe us, they can hire anyone. They give us an incentive to do our job. It’s called a paycheck. Entities can only be successful, therefore providing your paycheck, if they successfully market their good or service. Often times they offer “incentives” to sweeten the pot of doing business with them. Think car companies, “$2,500 rebate on 2010 models”.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:28 pm4) Give It a Name| Convey the threat of government over-spending and/or excessive debt using 10 words or less. The single best idea-as voted on by visitors to this website-will receive $250 and be the basis for a new video.
________
Oh, now that’s interesting.
I wonder what would happen if, say, a whole bunch of progressives began flooding that site with pro-stimulus 10-word messages.
And I wonder what would happen if, say, a whole bunch of other progressives began voting up those pro-stimulus messages and one of the progressives won?
Do you think said progressive would get the $250?
April 14th, 2009 at 5:29 pmdrew3rd… Sure it isn’t a “bribe”, but it sure as hell isn’t “grass roots” either.
Astroturf needs incentives, media promos, and $500 fund raisers. Grass roots efforts by their very definition do not have those resources.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:30 pmSome tea-baggers might be agressive investors that liked the profits corruption reaped, like the Madoff scheme – it’s been very good for them, up to now that is…
A more sinister outlook is that these people would hasten the fall of the middle class, the very people they pretend to represent.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:31 pmTHESE “TEA-BAGGERS” ARE REALLY TAKEN THIS TO THE EXTREME. NONE OF THESE PEOPLE WERE PROTESTING WHEN BUSH WAS SPENDING LIKE A MADMAN.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:32 pmIn other words “Our ideas suck so bad we have to pay people to do this for us.”
April 14th, 2009 at 5:34 pmdrew3rd Says:
I realize there are not a lot of people here who understand economics. I will explain for you. This process is known as “marketing”. It’s something our side does all of the time. We have little kids finger paint the world without green solutions, the President picks the best one (typically apocalyptic) and then brow beats us into climate controlling the earth. I’ll take 72 and sunny, please!
April 14th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
____________
And this is exactly the problem with your side. You view everything through the appletini-colored lenses of marketing. It is, as you say, something your side does all the time. Foreign policy, climate science, economics, torture, evolution, health care – it doesn’t matter what the topic is.
It doesn’t matter what the facts are.
All that matters is how you can spin it into a marketing campaign. No matter how extensive the facts are, say, indicating the need to take swift action to combat anthropoegenic climate change, you people have to spin it. You have to make it an us-or-them, win-or-lose marketing campaign, with moronic catchphrases that say nothing, mean even less, and manufacture a debate out of thin air.
Admittedly, it’s something we in the reality-based community need to get better at. We tend to think the facts stand for themselves. Unfortunately, the strength of fact pales in comparison to the conservative marketing machine.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:38 pmReward yourself and post a YouTube response ridiculing [sp?] the neocons and their silly, little, faux protest.
You know it’s feeling more like a pajama party to me…you?
April 14th, 2009 at 5:39 pmHell, can I enter?
April 14th, 2009 at 5:39 pmI think I could write a pretty good testimonial for $1,000… probably be about as accurate as the ‘real’ ones as well.
if you can’t beat’em, buy’em.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:40 pmI have a feeling they are just gonna be left . . . ‘holding their bags’.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:40 pmMay I ask a simple question — where was all this protest when George W. Bush cut taxes while waging two wars, which was never done in our country’s history, particularly when one such war of choice was nearing a $700 billion price tag? And where were these tea parties when the Bush administration was awarding no-bid contracts as part of that war of choice, including multiple contracts worth billions to a company whose former CEO just happened to be the current Vice President. I could swear there were no tea party protests or outrage then. Also, the tea parties that have thankfully already come and gone are remarkable in their whiteness — they resemble a Palin-McCain rally absent the drooling woman in the red T-shirt stating that Obama was a Muslim (or absent as far as we are aware).
April 14th, 2009 at 5:40 pmMake sure you mention that most of the existing debt was racked up by your drydrunk frat boy excuse for a president GW Bush, you betcha!
April 14th, 2009 at 5:41 pmOops, should have read the “current Vice President at the time.” Mercifully, he not the current VP.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:41 pmNot to be confused with ‘licking their bags’.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:41 pmHere. Here’s my entry.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I heard an interview with one of the “grassroots” organizers about how Fox, et al or just jumping on the band wagon. For my $.02:
April 14th, 2009 at 5:43 pm1) Why are tax protesters protesting spending when no one has or will raise the taxes of anyone except fairly successful people and then on slightly the income over the threshold? Are they saying to not raise taxes or simply no taxes? Because if taxes aren’t being raised on the protesters then why are complaining especially about spending which might get you a job?
2) It is obvious that the GOP is using these folks to be in the spot light, but most importantly in the basest sense of the GOP they are looking to make a buck. The GOP does nothing that they cannot profit off of. Here they are looking for an opportunity to register more wingnuts in the base with the hopes of tapping into there pockets for the next election and get them to vote for the GOP or buy their books or whatever they’re hawking.
I can just hear the first speaker…”Are we gonna stand by and let these people lower our taxes?”
April 14th, 2009 at 5:44 pmSecond line will be…”Not while someone else is paying me to say different!”
April 14th, 2009 at 5:46 pmStrawman alert @ drew3
Usually when a troll signs in and goes on an Intro to Business screed, it means they’re blogging for $0.10 a post and proud of it.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:47 pmThose kids sure are smart about economics. /snark
April 14th, 2009 at 5:48 pmIt seems like this is all taking place in a universe long long ago. The snake oil wagons are coming… Huh?
April 14th, 2009 at 5:48 pmWow- these people have no shame, even paying the public to criticize the President of the United States. Americans for Prosperity are apparently total trash, totally anti-American. Anti-American, and out only for their own prosperity. What a sad, ironic title for their group.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:49 pmHow many tea baggers realize they’re protesting against the tax increase for those making +$250,00 per year? Of course, most tea baggers will be among the 95% who received a tax break under Obama’s plan.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:50 pmwell at least we know that war mongers love tea.
there are all levels of soul development on this earth and we in america have some real low levels of soul deveopment.
these folks could care less that we have 50 million people without heath care insurance and millions more with pre existing conditions.
or we have destroyed iraq as a stable society.
or that we are imperialists.
the list is long.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:59 pmSimply subtract the collective number of actual protesters from the number of protesters and “protest organizers” and the remainder will be your answer.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:00 pmHow much expendable money do you suppose these rat bastards have, and the best they can do is 4250 or 4500 there. Reminds me of the miserly old lady down the street who offered a shiny penny for mowing her lawn. Pathetic.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:00 pmOh my – Tea and Spam? Sounds delicious.
I’m rolling out my astroturf and spreading a picnic blanket!!
April 14th, 2009 at 6:01 pmOops obviously I meant $250 or $500, damned shift key!
April 14th, 2009 at 6:01 pmAhhh, that’s why these antitax rallies turned into Anti-Obama, skin head, KKK, birther conspiracy, Joe the Plumber idiot get togethers. They had to get a broad variety to have enough people even show up.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:02 pmWAYNEBRO #30,
Very funny Roseanne Roseannadanna impression.
Now for BillO doing Akyroyds “Jane you ignorant …”
Funny stuff.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:02 pmEvery time a left blog posts a blog entry like this, they point to it as ‘evidence’ of a persecution conspiracy. I wish the left blogosphere would just ignore the Tea Tantrums. Really. Just resolve to report on items that are genuinely newsworthy.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:05 pmIt’s genuinely news wothy when the far right crazys might incite someone to violence. Oh, they already done that…multiple times?
I think it’s newsworthy and should be denounced for what it is.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:07 pmActually that number would once more comprise only “protest organizers”.
And that’s the irony.
The only people dumb enough to be suckered into protesting this are the ones who don’t have a prayer in hell of ever earning enough money to see the increase.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:08 pmPaying people to publicize.
Kind of makes my concern (that they are gonna hire actors to attend) a little more realistic.
Even at that, they estimate attendance at “10s of thousands” in 500 cities. Lets say 30,000 people divided by 500 cities giving a crowd of 60 people per city. Will they even need a parade permit ?
And how does that compare to the number of folks at the Obama swearing in at DC ? And to the folks at DC plus all the folks across America who watched it on TV or streaming video ?
April 14th, 2009 at 6:08 pmDumb Question:
as this is modeled after the Boston Tea party:
in the 1770s, did England deliver tea in premeasured packets ?
April 14th, 2009 at 6:09 pmDear Grandchild
I’m sorry that our nation was so stupid as to let GW Bush steal the office of President and let him lead us in an illegal war that bankrupted the nation and let deregulation of the lending institutions which lead to a near depression. Yet we never had the nerve to charge him with his WAR CRIMES.
Thank goodness the nation recovered their senses and elected Barak Obama and saved the nation from certain doom. This of course lead to the total destruction of the Republican party, which you will read about in history books.
Love Granddad
April 14th, 2009 at 6:09 pmRich H at 45 — actually the “never mind” schtick was Emily Latella, another great Gilda Radner character — a great comedienne who left us far too soon.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:09 pmHeck! I’ll join whatever “grassroots” movement pays me the most.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:11 pmIf you haven’t seen it, Cenk at the Young Turks played a great clip of a “marketing guy” at a tea-bag planning event. Or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JteMzV81Ij8&feature=channel_page
April 14th, 2009 at 6:12 pmIf the righties spout propaganda and no one calls them on it, are you tuned to Fox?
April 14th, 2009 at 6:13 pmYour “concerns” are duly noted.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:14 pmYa know, Hitler was a “conservative”, too…
Just sayin…
April 14th, 2009 at 6:17 pmCan you imagine what the sheeple would be willing to say/do if the tobacco industry threw in a bunch of those cool windbreakers they give you if you smoke a whole lot of cigarettes?
April 14th, 2009 at 6:18 pmdrew3rd Says:
I realize you are a MORON who THINKS he is smart but I dont believe the concept exists you could illuminate for me in any way. I think you are too stupid to understand the concept of ICE.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:22 pmHopefully the Teabag Organizers will devote the same level of research and attention to detail. that Sen. McCain used, when he catapulted Joe the (Not) Plumber to National Noteriety.
For Example…they should make sure the winning Children haven’t recently got health insurance thru the Expanded CHIPS program.
If the Tax Protesters are Actually receiving A Tax Cut, then MSNBC will have its Own Field Day.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:24 pmNoMoreBush,
your right (but I guess you knew that). Anyhow, I just looked up Emily Litella on Hulu and was rewarded with her take on Violins on Television. I’m still laughing. And to think I saw this when it first aired, I should have known better.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:26 pmYea. And wouldn’t it be great if the other news stations started actually reporting the facts?
Facts like these idiots are protesting a 3 percent tax increase on the NON working class 1 percent of Americans, instead of presenting the news in their mindless “he said\she said” format.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:28 pmThese Teabaggers are just another Hate Group.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:30 pmBest Testimony: Must contain the words “Muslim” and “socialist.”
Biggest Frustration with Government’s appetite for more spending amidst a tough economic climate: Must contain homemade signs with Obama’s countenance photo-shopped onto the bodies of historical communist political leaders. Must also contain photo-shopped Obama heads on the bodies of infamous fascist political leaders, whether they were appropriately labeled fascist or not. (Beck’s crowd will be there)
A letter about how you feel about a debt that your children and grandchildren will inherit: Must exclude any reference to the spending between 2001 and 2009. You are also not allowed to include how much more we wasted than we would have otherwise via crony no-bid contracts. You should also forget how much less that debt would be 30 years from now if billionaires had to pay the same percentage of their income as you have to.
Convey the threat of overspending or excessive debt in 10 words or less: One of those words, and the only word cannot be “Republican.”
April 14th, 2009 at 6:31 pmAnyone who has seen Alexandra Pelosi’s HBO Documentary “Right America: Feeling Wronged” will appreciate the Danger Republicans face…. with this Unscripted free for all Tax Protest.
This could backfire big Time…if certain Politically Incorrect film footage makes it to the Evening News.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:41 pmHey, bush paid off the insurgents in Iraq…they figure it’ll work again.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:45 pmThanks.
You think I got a chance at the 1000 bucks?
:\
If so I’ll send it in.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:45 pmWaynebro,
You’d really have to feign republican stupidity, angst, homphobia and racism, but I think you’ve got a shot.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:02 pmuhh thanks.
:|
I think.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:04 pmNow I’d like to talk about all the complaints about Sax and Violins on Television. What’s wrong with Sax or Violins? I happen to think music is a beaut….what’s that? ….oh….I see…yes, ….that’s very different.
:|
Never mind.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:12 pmIt was an endorsment all the way.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:12 pmThe rich should be made to pay their fair share of taxes, so they will not have money to waste on phoney think tanks, like Americans for Prosperity.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:12 pmThank you very much.
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April 15th, 2009 at 4:54 am“grassroots”
I do not think this means what YOU think it means.
Somehow, in the grassroots movement that elected Obama, I never received, nor expected to be paid.
In fact, it cost me, since I donated over a thousand dollars to the Ohio Democratic Party.
Stupid conservatives, ever devoted without even trying, to remain WRONG on damn near EVERYTHING.
April 15th, 2009 at 5:21 amThis could backfire big Time…if certain Politically Incorrect film footage makes it to the Evening News.
I’d say there’s about a 1000% chance.
Get yer popcorn ready…
April 15th, 2009 at 5:24 amYou just gotta love those rightwing rubes.
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