Volunteers fanned out across the Birmingham area and Alabama Saturday to pump up enthusiasm for President Barack Obama's budget proposal in much the same way they did to win over voters during the presidential campaign.
About 30 volunteers in Birmingham canvassed shopping areas and other high-traffic locations to talk about the need for health care reform, an education overhaul and environmentally friendly energy development.
"If we don't change these three things in the next 10 to 15 years, America is over as we know it," Chris DeHaven, told the group of volunteers before they went their separate ways.
Obama's plan faces criticism from Republicans and others who say it's too expensive. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report Friday saying Obama's agenda would cause huge budget deficits, forcing the country to borrow $9.3 trillion in the next decade.
Those who gathered at Kelly Ingram Park in downtown Birmingham were urged to enlist others who share Obama's vision and to stay away from trying to convert naysayers.
"We're looking for supporters," said DeHaven of Hoover, one of the event's organizers. "We're not looking for a fight. That will come later, when we have an army."
A sitting President of the United States is "organizing a political organization loyal to him, bound by a pledge, outside the government and existing party apparatus. The historical precedents are ominous."
What is so ominous about an organization? Americans, Alexis de Tocqueville famously observed, "constantly form associations.... If it is proposed to inculcate some truth or to foster some feeling by the encouragement of a great example, they form a society."
Certainly, thousands of organizations seek to influence the political debate. There's Newt Gingrich's American Solutions or the left-wing People for the American Way, for instance.
Political parties are another example of an association, of course. Before, during and after political campaigns, the Democrats and Republicans promote their agendas. As legal entities, they have their own constitutions, their rules of business, their chairmen and officers. They have to be accountable to both the government and their members.
But there is a new organization on the political scene -- "Organizing for America," announced by President Barack Obama in late January but officially unfurled last weekend.
Obama describes OFA as a "grass-roots movement" but OFA is a "project" of the Democratic Natrional Committee.
A visit to the OFA website reveals that supporters are not simply asked to sign up, they are asked to take a pledge. A pledge to support -- not the flag, not the constitution, not the country, not even the Democratic Party, but Obama and his "bold plan." OFA does not use the Democratic Party logo but the "O"-shaped logo of the Obama campaign in which the red white and blue of the flag are abstracted to soft pastel colors.
(Celebrities like Ashton Kuchner and Demi Moore did not wait until the official launch to "pledge to be of service" to Barack Obama, of course.)
You will not find any mention of OFA`s governing structure, their budget, their bylaws, or their officers at the OFA website. Donations to the website go to the DNC, but OFA is managed out of the White House. If you click on the comments button, you are taken to a link to the White House email.
Those who take the pledge are asked to "talk with people about the President's plan" and to "ask them to sign their names to the pledge" in support of Obama's policies.
So we have a Movement -- this is their term, not mine -- organized by, and loyal to, a sitting President. Pledge canvassers, armed with your name, will ask you to pledge loyalty to the President too. A president whose term has already become a permanent campaign, is signing up ground forces in a mass organization pledged to personal loyalty to their Leader.
Does anyone know of any historical precedents for this in the United States?
Did Mitch Stewart, youthful director of OFA, who asks Obama's acolytes to organize "neighborhood by neighborhood" study anything at school about Mao's "Red Guards?
How about Fidel Castro's "widespread system of neighborhood informers"?
Or Hugo Chavez's use of "neighborhood committees"?
Did Stewart learn anything about democracy at all?
Do any of Obama's pledged servants understand why a sitting president has no business creating and deploying his own supporters to help organize their neighbors?
Keep in mind that these acolytes have renounced any thought of questioning the actual policies of the maximum leader. Whatever he says, they are for it. They have given their word.
And they are coming to have a talk with you.
As Thomas Lifson wrote, "This is not the way a democracy is supposed to operate."
#1
That is a direct following of the "Communist Manifesto" to get "Personal" control of the populace, by swearing oaths to the PERSON, and not to the Government.
Another very valid reason to impeach Obama.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/23/2009 21:28 Comments ||
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#2
Needs a catchier name than "Organizing for America", how 'bout the "Committee of Public Safety" or the "Revolutionary Guard".
The Obama White House will declassify and publicly release internal memos that will reveal the "ugly" Bush interrogation techniques. Senior Obama officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Newsweek that the three internal memos will lay out details of the "enhanced" interrogation techniques approved by the Bush administration against "high value" al-Qaeda detainees.
"The memos, written by Justice Department lawyers in May 2005, provide the legal rationale for waterboarding, head slapping and other rough tactics used by the CIA," the report added.
One senior official was quoted as saying that the memos were "ugly" and could embarrass the CIA.
Most Americans aren't going to care one way or the other. The MSM and the Journolist will care, of course, and they'll lead a charge, but they'll be mystified when it doesn't gain public traction. But for most Americans, the fact that suspected terrorists got roughed up in CIA custody won't be seen as anything to be concerned about.
The memos are to be released following President Barack Obama's executive order on January 22 banning aggressive tactics.
Although deputies to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. contend that there is no longer any reason to keep the interrogation memos classified, some intelligence officials are against a public release, saying it might compromise "sources and methods".
Former president George W. Bush and his administration were under criticism for the use of so-called torture on so-called 'enemy combatants'.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2009 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
#1
I'll be concerned about it after the MSM starts routinely showing the jumpers from 9/11.
#8
One thing to remember is to focus on Congress. The MSM will want you to keep your eye on BO this way you will not see what is behind the curtain. What is behind the curtain? 535 folks who need an old fashion ass woopin or better yet to get kicked out of office. BO and Biden is scary enough but Pelosi as number three gives me the creeps.
Posted by: Art ||
03/23/2009 10:48 Comments ||
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#13
Saw BO interviewed on TV. He said he had a lot of daily difficult decisions to make that were the legacy of the previous administration. I don't know about you guys and gals but personally I don't like the blame game or whining. Suck it up Pres. and get on with doing the job of President.
#14
#11, Almost makes me wish for another 9-11 If we can GUARANTEE SuperZero will swing from a nearby tree, if no guarantee, forget it.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/23/2009 12:45 Comments ||
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#15
Bman is right, next step is outrage from the press and the left, followed by war crime trial at the UN in NY.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
03/23/2009 14:00 Comments ||
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#16
This is all distractions because people are now looking at Obama and losing faith.
In order to shock they are gonna have to talk about what some of our "friends" do because waterboarding and sleep deprivation just don't shock people anymore.
#17
More deconstruction: turn people against business, banks, one branch associated with the military, get rid of it all, THEN take over those sectors. Next it will be that we have to do away with elections, or better Rahm Emmanuel with control of the Census and his mafia connections will "magically" see to it that he's re-elected. Four more years should take care of America. Yup.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/23/2009 19:27 Comments ||
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#22
Who the heck does the CIA actually support? Other than the CIA, of course. All through the Bush administration it seemed we kept hearing stories about how the CIA was doing its level best to undermine the administration. Silly me, I thought that meant they were supporting the Democrats. Now the Democrats are turning against the CIA. I'm so confused.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
03/23/2009 21:01 Comments ||
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#23
#22 Who the heck does the CIA actually support? Other than the CIA,
I believe you may have answered your own question.
#1
He signaled that he would like to see changes in a House resolution that would tax the bonuses at 90 percent, saying we cant govern out of anger.
No, we shouldn't govern out of anger. But we should impeach the idiots who voted this sloppy "legislation" into existance. And if they didn't read it, all the worse. It's their job, and it's why they have staffs who are compensated with taxpayer money. Git a rope.
#2
You're sitting here. And you're you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money
Most of us are certainly not "laughing" about our 401k's or the years necessary to posssibly realize a recovery. But then again, he's never been the advocate of the intestment crowd. He's the champion of the Chicago southside down and outters. Why should we expect any seriousness from him.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Translation by Brigitte Dubiel
Good! The sorcerer, my old master
left me here alone today!
Now his spirits, for a change,
my own wishes shall obey!
Having memorized
what to say and do,
with my powers of will I can
do some witching, too!
Go, I say,
Go on your way,
do not tarry,
water carry,
let it flow abundantly,
and prepare a bath for me!
Come on now, old broom, get dressed,
these old rags will do just fine!
You're a slave in any case,
and today you will be mine!
May you have two legs,
and a head on top,
take the bucket, quick
hurry, do not stop!
Go, I say,
Go on your way,
do not tarry, water carry,
let it flow abundantly,
and prepare a bath for me.
Look, how to the bank he's running!
and now he has reached the river,
he returns, as quick as lightning,
once more water to deliver.
Look! The tub already
is almost filled up!
And now he is filling
every bowl and cup!
Stop! Stand still!
Heed my will!
I've enough of the stuff!
I've forgotten - woe is me!
what the magic word may be.
Oh, the word to change him back
into what he was before!
Wish you'd be a broom once more!
He keeps bringing water
quickly as can be,
and a hundred rivers
he pours down on me!
No, no longer
can I let him,
I must get him
with some trick!
I'm beginning to feel sick.
What a look! - and what a face!
O, you ugly child of Hades!
The entire house will drown!
Everywhere I look, I see
water, water, running down.
Be you damned, old broom,
why won't you obey?
Be a stick once more,
please, I beg you, stay!
Is the end
not in sight?
I will grab you,
hold you tight,
with my axe I'll split the brittle
old wood smartly down the middle.
Here he comes again with water!
Now I'll throw myself upon you,
and the sharpness of my axe
I will test, o spirit, on you.
Well, a perfect hit!
See how he is split!
Now there's hope for me,
and I can breathe free!
Woe is me! Both pieces
come to life anew,
now, to do my bidding
I have servants two!
Help me, o great powers!
Please, I'm begging you!
And they're running! Wet and wetter
get the stairs, the rooms, the hall!
What a deluge! What a flood!
Lord and master, hear my call!
Ah, here comes the master!
I have need of Thee!
from the spirits that I called
Sir, deliver me!
âBack now, broom,
into the closet!
Be thou as thou
wert before!
Until I, the real master
call thee forth to serve once more!â
#14
Personally, I think Obama gets some Botox injections and does a little coke before public media appearances. If you look at his "public" face, and his face, body stance, attitude, lack of his usual media "glibness" it's quite startling--he is old, tired, haggard, sour, dour, angry, grumpy, etc. . . . then . . . . "wah-lah!" he is Mr. Charming with a 20-something face and SOOOOO much energy and chattiness. Hmmmm . . . makes sense. His grandfather's best friend was a coke seller and Obama admitted to using it. Never said he stopped using it . . .
Nero while Rome burns.
Also, he isn't stupid. He is committed rather to vaporizing the US economy so that he can retool it to fit his Marxist aspirations.
#15
Also, he isn't stupid. A couple of definitions of "stupid" include "foolish" & "senseless." These traits can exist in the intelligent & highly educated.
#17
Also, he isn't stupid. He is committed rather to vaporizing the US economy so that he can retool it to fit his Marxist aspirations.
You are assuming that Bammo is actually running things, which I doubt. The guy has no experience running anything. A four year term as president will be the longest he's ever held a job. He needs a teleprompter to find his own member to take a leak. Add it up. He's just the face.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Obama White House will declassify and publicly release internal memos that will reveal the "ugly" Bush interrogation techniques. Senior Obama officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Newsweek that the three internal memos will lay out details of the "enhanced" interrogation techniques approved by the Bush administration against "high value" al-Qaeda detainees. 
