Rep. Steve King Praises Lobbyists As ‘Paul Revere’ For Busing In Protesters For Anti-Health Reform Rally
Rep. Steve King Praises Lobbyists As ‘Paul Revere’ For Busing In Protesters For Anti-Health Reform Rally
On Thursday, the lobbyist-run groups Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks — which were instrumental in orchestrating dozens of anti-Obama tea parties and town hall disruptions — are planning an anti-health reform rally at the steps of the Capitol. Republican leadership, like Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), have endorsed the rally. But two of the most rabidly right-wing members of Congress, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) are amongst the most aggressive promoters of the rally, with the help of talk radio and Fox News.
FreedomWorks has launched a website called “DontKillGrandma.com” listing recommended tactics for activists to engage in while protesting health reform. For the Thursday rally, FreedomWorks says activists should engage in a “simultaneous chant of ‘Kill the Bill.’” FreedomWorks is funded by corporate money and is led by Dick Armey, the former Republican Majority Leader and until recently lobbyist from DLA Piper.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is busing people to the rally. AFP is led by astroturf lobbyist Tim Phillips and is bankrolled by gas and oil baron David Koch, America’s 9th richest person and the financier of dozens of conservative think-tanks, publications, and politicians. Like they did for the April tea parties, AFP has commissioned at least 10 buses from Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina to bring protesters — free of charge — to DC for the rally.
During a speech last night, King thanked the lobbyists for bringing in buses from “state after state after state.” He likened them to revolutionary war hero Paul Revere for answering the “call of your country”:
KING: If the Founding Fathers could stand in here tonight, the tears would be running down their cheeks thinking of what is staged to happen in this Congress. This is why we need the American people to come to this city and be here by noon on Thursday. Gather together, come to this Capitol, surround this place, bring your passion, your love for this country, bring your patriotism, and bring your signs while you’re at it. Mr. Speaker, the American people need to come here. [...]
There are buses that are coming in from state after state after state, converging on this city. People are dropping what’s important. It’s as if Paul Revere had ridden across America and said, ‘here’s the call, here’s the call of your country.’
Watch it:
Republicans may be growing concerned that very few people will actually show up to their protest. As Mother Jones notes, “As of Tuesday afternoon, the official tea party website indicated that only 25 patriots were on hand for ‘Operation House Call.’” Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) appeared to try to lower expectations for the event by repeatedly downplaying “Thursday’s event as nothing more than a large-scale ‘press conference‘ on the Capitol steps.”
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I hope the rally fails!
November 4th, 2009 at 1:42 pmBat-sh1t crazy little Shelley Bachmann has consulted her random phrase generator and come up with some doozies to describe tomorrow’s meet-up. It’s going to be the “Super Bowl of Freedom” to defeat the “Crown Jewel of Socialism”.
Well, two can play that game. Tomorrow’s meet-up will be the “Circle Jerk of Obstructionism” where her freedom-loving Americans will converge on the Capitol to hear a bunch of jerks babble while they give hand-jobs to each other.
I can hardly wait to hear how the press plays this one and the wildly-different crowd size estimates. What a freaking circus (or is it a “freak circus”?).
November 4th, 2009 at 1:43 pmSo, the rep from Georgia of all places is downplaying this? More GOP cannibalism inbound.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:43 pm.
Shorter Paul Revere:
.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:44 pm.
Funny that there are Americans who support the notion that Americans DO NOT deserve affordable health care. WOW!
.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pmFrom the Mother Jones article:
Looks like it’s a non-event.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pmCan’t wait. (Rubs hands together in anticipation) Fall break is over in most places and in these economic times, who can afford to make more than one visit to DC to shout at the “whites of people’s eyes?” It is also turning much colder on those Capitol Steps this time of year… perhaps the tea baggers are just fair weather protesters?
November 4th, 2009 at 1:48 pmYes. Because it’s common knowledge that Paul Revere took millions of shillings from Ye Olde Candle Conglomerate to disrupt the nacent American Revolution, thereby protecting the pro-business envrionment of the British.
This man needs to run in 2012…so he can lose miserably in the primaries and a less psychotic Congressman can enter the IA-5th.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:49 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
Does King fear what the Founders would say about non-land owners, freed slaves and women voting?
.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:49 pmSo is he admitting that all of those “grassroots rallys” were really bullsh1t?
November 4th, 2009 at 1:49 pmKing Dong: “There are buses that are coming in from state after state after state, converging on this city. People are dropping what’s important.”
Yeah, no sh1t.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:51 pmWhat will some of those clowns do if the bus is involved in an accident, and they sustain injuries?
Will their insurance be sufficient for any sort of emergency surgeries or urgent therapies?
What would the uninsured teabaggers do?
What if one of them involved in an accident is found to have cancer or hepatitis?
Would the “pre-existing condition” crap cause them to fully foot the bill themselves?
I have to give the repiggies credit for brainwashing these clowns into thinking that they are part of a winning sports team, or are on some sort of crusade to save this nation.
It is so pathetic to see stubborn stupid people violently fight their own best interests.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:51 pm‘here’s the call, here’s the call of your rabid, reichwinger, scum bags, slimes to hurt Americans and destroy the country.’
He forgot that part, so fixed it for him.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:54 pmWhat will some of those clowns do if the bus is involved in an accident, and they sustain injuries?
If the have no insurance coverage, there’s always Plan B — file a frivolous lawsuit.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:55 pmThe only thing about this rally resembling “grass roots” are the rethug zeealot politicians and lobbyists taking a crap on the common citizens of this country.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:55 pmKING: If the Founding Fathers could stand in here tonight, the tears would be running down their cheeks thinking of what is staged to happen in this Congress.
If the Founding Fathers were standing there, they would be crying about the offensive tactics and gross stupidity being exhibited by the teabaggers.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:56 pm…only 25 traitors were on hand for ‘Operation House Call.
Did fox report this as 2 million?
November 4th, 2009 at 1:56 pmevangenital says:
“What will some of those clowns do if the bus is involved in an accident, and they sustain injuries?”
If the bus were to go off a bridge America’s collective IQ would go up a point or two.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:57 pmDoes anyone take Steve King seriously?
Uh, besides Faux News, I mean.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:58 pmNo kidding.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:58 pmevangenital @12:
Case in point (from HuffPo, August 5, 2009):
Brilliant.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:58 pmKING: If the Founding Fathers could stand in here tonight, the tears would be running down their cheeks thinking of what is staged to happen in this Congress.[...]
Of course they would cry. Hearing idiots like you speak on the house floor would make any rational thinking person cry.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pmIf the Founding Fathers were there?
Apples to oranges.
If they actually were there, they’d be amazed by the technology involved in health care and the steps taken to cure diseases. In fact, they would likely push for more health care to the people.
Frankly, Beck, Bachmann, King…they have no CLUE about how the Founding Fathers would react. They merely speculate and automatically assume the Founding Fathers would agree with them, since they fought to free themselves from a monarchy.
However, once America was established, don’t you think that the Founding Fathers would have fought so that each person represented by government got a fair share? I could not picture such a platform of greed and ignorance succeeding in 1777.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:01 pmThis is what happens when “Psychological Inbreeding” occurs within the wingnut faction of the Republican party…You get the King’s Bachmanns, Becks, Palins, Foxxs, and Limpballs.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:03 pmDon’t they ever get tired of their worthless, boring bad theatre?
It’s only theatre, and has nothing to do with public sentiment.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:04 pmI have a feeling that the Founding Fathers wouldn’t stand there and weep. They would drag morons like King out of the hallowed halls and put him to work cleaning stables.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:05 pmI don’t think the Founding Fathers would cry Mr. King. I think after they were through slapping you silly they would tar and feather your ignorant @ss and run you out of DC on a rail. They would probably put Glen Beck in stocks in front of the Capitol Building for a few weeks so we could all throw rotten fruit at him while he cries and wets himself.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:06 pmProgressives need a pro public insurance option demonstration in DC! If only a fraction of the uninsured come, it will be an enormous success!
November 4th, 2009 at 2:07 pmBring ‘em on Dick Armey – your vitriolic minions did more to boost the favorables for health care reform in sept than anything else. Your failed bid to plant doug hoffman in ny23 was also a major fail. Keep it up, you’re doing the democrats a huge favor.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:08 pmYes, the Founding Fathers would be crying that such radical extremists like the reich-wing GOPigs are allowed to hold a public office.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:09 pmPurple State, I’m not sure.
Remember that the early US Govt and representation went to the landed gentry – the upper levels of society. It took quite a while for the govt to open to all whites in America and also to include the non-whites.
But I still have to gag that a ‘HAHAHAHHAAHHA grassroots protest HAHAHAHAH’ is being organized by big business bussing people in. Sounds like Union Busting of the 30’s (BTW – read the book “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis. Fascinating as the same threads are running through the healthcare debate 70 years later).
Did Paul Revere provide passage for people from GA to be in Lexingon for his infamous ride ?
November 4th, 2009 at 2:10 pmAlso, has the Tea Bagger Express found out that Paul Revere’s ride is a hoax ?
Paul Revere was captured by the British and didn’t complete his ride.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:11 pmTeabaggers don’t want to protest past 5 pm because they want to get back to their couches to drink Glenda’s Kool-Aide.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:15 pmJust as religious zealots pick and choose which parts of the Bible suit their stunted worldview and ignore all the parts that deal with compassion and helping your fellow man(/woman) fools like King, Bachmann, Beck and their ilk have a selective understanding of our Constitution, American History and the writings of our Founding Fathers. They choose to only believe and then exagerrate(sp?) what suits them and their warped views of patriotism and freedom. That our Founding Fathers would shackle and put these idiots on the first ship back to England is beyond their comprehension.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:17 pmDavid Koch’s father, Fred Koch, was a founding member of the John Birch Society. The Birchers seem to slowly taking over the Republican Party.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:17 pm“Pleeeez come to our rally… Pleeeeeeezzz…
Anybody?…
Anybody?”
November 4th, 2009 at 2:19 pmAll of these folks coming by bus will immediately be thrown under it if Bachmann, et al actually pass some legislation.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:19 pmHe has one thing right, for once: the Founding Fathers would be in tears, watching the right-wingers try to line their pockets with cash while preventing Americans from having good health care reform. The Founding Fathers would weep at the way Repubs & their tea-baggers are trying to destroy democracy in the U.S.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:21 pmA Patriot Acting,
Most of them, certainly Crazy Shelly, are religious fanatics. It’s a chicken-v-egg condition. Did their political fanaticism develop from their religious fanaticism or the other way round?
I think that the best answer is both. They share a special breed of insanity that enables them to actually Believe their own delusions and sell them to those equally susceptible to Believing a delusion despite their own senses.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:22 pmpete says:
“They share a special breed of insanity…”
a special breed of insanity called…Conservatism
November 4th, 2009 at 2:25 pmWhy, I wonder, is the right wing so totally anti the individual American — the “We the people” fundamental unit — and so pro the corporate enterprise instead? Don’t they realize/understand that the first step in fascistic totalitarianism is dismissal and complete marginalization of the individual in favor, always, of the corporate enterprise, that the end result is the merger of corporatism with the state, and that when such occurs, it is ALWAYS AND INVARIABLY to the detriment of the people, of the individual?
What virtue is there in Greed? The answer is simple: greed begets wealth and wealth begets power, and that’s ALL that any wingnut ever dreams of attaining.
And they dare to call themselves ‘loyal’ Americans even as they declare the rest of us — those of us who dare believe that ‘we the people’ come first (see the first three words of the Constitution), ahead of money, wealth, power, and collective greed.
I could get vitriolic here and say that King and Bachmann, among many others, are just stupid shits, but I won’t. I’ll tell it like it is: they’re traitors to the basic premise that once, long ago, tried to define America: We the people.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:26 pmFrugalchariot says:
November 4th, 2009 at 2:32 pm@41
It’s that sense of self-entitlement that drives me insane. The way these clowns run around screaming to get things their way, because they are obviously more important than you or I.
DontKillGrandma.com
Coming soon: ScrewTheSick.com!
November 4th, 2009 at 2:33 pmDumb Question:
As a cheaper and more energy efficient alternative:
why don’t they hire the unemployed in the area as protestors for minimum wage for the day ?
And as they believe we really have great insurance, why not give the protestors health insurance for a year ?
November 4th, 2009 at 2:34 pmI’m getting an upset stomach listening to the crying all the time republics. Give me a break.
You would think they actually cared if you didn’t know the truth.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:36 pmExcuse me Rep. King,
November 4th, 2009 at 2:38 pmbut my personal “founding fathers” came here to escape the oppression of an unfair ruling class and forced conversion to Catholicism.
A little bit of a stretch for you to relate to, I suppose . . . .
A Patriot Acting says:
“a special breed of insanity called…Conservatism”
Many call it “Conservatism” but I don’t think it’s quite accurate. There’s nothing conservative about these reckless radicals. Way back when I was growing up there were smart conservatives. People who exercised caution and deliberation in their words and deeds. Heck! I’m still pretty darned conservative in many ways.
The freaks who have taken over the GOP bear no resemblance to the old guard. It’s difficult to apply a good one-word definition. “Authoritarians” comes close but most people don’t know the significance of the word. I use “Reichwhiner” for the lack of an official definition.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:40 pmI certainly hope that there turns out to be more press than protesters there and that each and every protester is asked how they are currently covered health insurance-wise.
If they say that they have employer-based health insurance I want the interviewer to follow up with, “How much did your insurance premiums rise this year?”
If they say they have Medicare I want the interviewer to follow up with, “Do you realize that Medicare is a government program?”
If they say that they buy their own coverage I want the interviewer to follow up with, “What is your annual deductible?”
If they say they don’t have health insurance I hope the interviewer either asks them, “Don’t you want to be able to obtain it?” or I hope they laugh at them!
November 4th, 2009 at 2:40 pmThat’s the problem with representing people who have no real voice or money. The republics can spend money and have free time.
Working class Americans, the ones we hope to help, are too busy trying to survive in the dung heap that the republics have created for them.
The part that should be highlighted is when people who are drawing social security say they are against government run healthcare.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:40 pmFirst they sockpuppet God, then they sockpuppet Jesus and now they sockpuppet the founding fathers.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:41 pmIf they don’t have it they should be condemned for living off of the rest of us.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:42 pmIt’s their party, they can cry if they want to -
You know.. since it’s a tea party, just like little girls throw in their bedrooms – they can always just invite a bunch of imaginary friends!
Beck can just re-use the picture from last time to show the ‘millions of supporters’.. not like his viewers will even check the source anyway.. or hear every single other media source discounting it..
November 4th, 2009 at 2:44 pmIf you pay them, they will come. And spew any kind of idiotic bullshit the lobbyists want them to.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:49 pmThe 9/12 teabaggers didn’t show up to counter our health care rally last night.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:49 pmMaybe they got bussed to Virginia to vote.
mary lacewing,
I would like to see the news networks send crews to follow the FAUX crews. It would be interesting to see how much they are organizing and promoting the event in real time.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:50 pmI’m so glad they chose the term ‘Tea Party’..
It’s a tea party – and Michelle Bachmann is the mad hatter
November 4th, 2009 at 2:52 pmIt’s simpler than that, stupid troll. Areas with big turnouts, like NY-23, elected Dems. (BTW, Owen’s is the first non-Republican since before the Civil war.) while areas with low turnout elected Republicans. Low turnout always favors GOoPers because then the rabid 20% becomes the biggest single voting block.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:14 pmHyperinflation says:
Even when you’re plagiarizing Right Wing opinion sites, it’s considered honest to credit the source. Plagiarizing is very bad because it is actually theft. I realize you’re incapable of original writing (or thought) but if you’re going to quote, be honest about it, use blockquotes and include a source.
No one likes a thief, not even wingnuts.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:14 pmpete says:
I would like to see the news networks send crews to follow the FAUX crews. It would be interesting to see how much they are organizing and promoting the event in real time.
Yes, that would be interesting. I suspect that the FAUX news crews would not be comfortable having observers.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:29 pmpete says:
I would like to see the news networks send crews to follow the FAUX crews. It would be interesting to see how much they are organizing and promoting the event in real time.
Yes, that would be interesting. I suspect that the FAUX news crews would not be comfortable having observers.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:29 pmOoops – double post! Make a wish.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:30 pmDontKillGrandma.com – cheesh.
These guys know no shame!
November 4th, 2009 at 3:31 pmI think it’s fine if members of Congress obstruct health care reform: as long as they GIVE UP THEIR INSURANCE while they prevent Amercans from being insured.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:33 pmThe ‘Tea Party’ is clearly split between the “Patriots” and the “Express“.
The Patriots strike me as being a genuinely grassroots bunch whose philosophical and practical incoherence prevents them from having enough members or the skills to organize
themselves.
The Express are the useful idiots of the conservative power brokers of the GOP such as Dick Armey. Freedomworks provides the organizing, FOX the publicity for the “Express”, thus overcoming their inherent organizational disabilities.
The Express tea-party crowd thus put on a better show because al they have to do is show up at the bus stop and be given their assigned banners to be waved in front of the prearranged cameras; the purist Patriots aren’t sponsored.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:35 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Hyperinflation says:
Chris Christie’s gutsy win in New Jersey puts the arrogant big spender Jon Corzine in his place. But it is the election in Virginia that probably has more to say to marginal Democratic congressmen considering how to vote on health-care reform.
Obviously, Christie’s victory is a body blow to Obama after Corzine outspent the Republican by five-to-one and the president put on a serious push for the incumbent. Corzine’s defeat sends a message that the nation is moving sharply against Obama.
Christie and McDonnell won state offices while the Dems picked up two more seats in the House of Representatives. Governors do not vote on federal legislation. The voters have rebuked the Republicans for their obstructive tactics. Two governorships do not make a trend not just because of the paucity of numbers, but also the fact that state races are referendums on local issues. Based on the federal election results, the nation is moving further away from the Republicans.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:38 pmI hope that they send King and Crazy Shelly a bill for the extra security.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:45 pmHyperinflation’s “gutsy” plagiarism of an NY Post article was meant to put Think Progress regulars ‘in their place’.
But the troll’s world-view doesn’t comprehend that the interwebs that aren’t trucks doesn’t actually discern personal politics to deliver its results (that’s more of an Amazon thing—if you like Lyne Cheney’s book “Sisters”, you may also be interested in Hiking the Appalachian Trail’ by Mark Sanford—and even then its just an impartial filter at work); in other words it works for Dems too (who invented the internet and thus own it).
Apart from which the article doesn’t even make sense! But of course that’s the defining teabag troll characteristic’ incomprehensibility.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:57 pmpags!
sorry, my mouse slipped to “vote down” instead of UP. Sorry!
You comment: Based on the federal election results, the nation is moving further away from the Republicans.
Actually I’d suggest that the Republicans have moved away from the nation . Same ultimate effect of course. :D
November 4th, 2009 at 4:02 pm5th Estate says:
Hyperinflation’s “gutsy” plagiarism of an NY Post article was meant to put Think Progress regulars ‘in their place’.
Apart from which the article doesn’t even make sense! But of course that’s the defining teabag troll characteristic’ incomprehensibility.
You are forgiven for the vote down. Accidents happen. That brings me to the answer to your post. It makes a lot of sense from Hyperinflation’s view. But passengers on the Titanic thought it made sense when the captain and crew told them everything was fine after they hit the iceberg.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:07 pmIf the Founders were here, they’d think King was an Aaron Burr disciple.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:16 pmIf lobbyists were Paul Revere they would be running around gleefully shouting ‘Earmarks are coming! Earmarks are coming!
November 4th, 2009 at 4:34 pmFive of my ancestors fought in the American Revolution with the Green Mountain Boys. Nevertheless, I find the Republicans bring to mind a later war. When are they going to start wearing their swastikas in public?
November 4th, 2009 at 4:43 pmHeheh, I must’ve slept through this in my history class, because from what I remember about the Founding Fathers, they represented “the people” and they were pretty radical for their time; they would probably be all for expanding healthcare coverage to all Americans, as many of you have pointed out. I’m not too suprised, though, since these are the same idiots who twist the Constitution (namely the 10th Amendment) around to fit their agenda as well as the Declaration of Independence, so it’ only makes sense for them to be twisting the images of Paul Revere and the ilk to fit their viewpoint/agenda.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:52 pmIt’s all okay to level these morons with withering criticism, but don’t forget, they ARE organized, loud and get lots of coverage. They also have scared the cowardly Dems so much that the healthcare bill may now not even get a Senate vote until 2010. And that’s just what the GOP thugs want…to delay it to death. It would be nice if we Progressives were as active and organized as these teabag clowns. But nope. We are not. Rahm and Obama have effectively gutted the DNC and have run Howard Dean and his 50-State Strategy out of DC. Progressives sat out yesterday’s elections. We are pissed off and rightly so. The Dems are very close to letting this once in a lifetime chance for real reform fly right by them. They disgust me..and I’m not very happy with the gang in the WH right now.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:55 pmhellcat,
I get frustrated too but I try to keep a perspective of patience. We are just past the first draft stage and there is a lot of ironing to do on the health care bill and the merging of House and Senate versions hasn’t begun. Tactics aside, the speed of government is ponderous. I find it odd that so many people from all camps seem to think that any delay will weaken the bill when the process is designed to make it stronger.
As for the host of other matters the White House is dealing with, there are few things I try to keep in mind. They inherited a lot of problems, some of which won’t even be discovered for years. They took over from incompetents and liars who doubtless didn’t effectively brief their successors. They inherited Bushbots at every level of the government and, perhaps most importantly, they inherited a hostile Supreme Court.
I guess what I’m getting at is that I try to keep my impatience in check when there’s so much housekeeping to get done. It’s starting to look like Obama might be forced to take the risk of making recess appointments to get everyone staffed and I would be delighted to see him fumigate the DOJ. But, all of that has to be done carefully and avoid any major disasters. As long as the opposition is making stuff up I think we are on the right track but, we could lose all momentum with one legitimate scandal or screw up.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:26 pmI much prefer Stephan King over Steve King, he is much less macabre.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:02 pmOops, that s/b Stephen King.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:06 pmHeard that this will be a season full of Noreater’s. With any luck, a Noreaster will dump 2 feet of snow on their protest.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:46 pmPaul Revere was a snitch!
November 5th, 2009 at 4:00 am