Some of you may remember the Ellie Light episode. More than seventy newspapers across the country all accepted and published the exact same letter-to-the-editor defending President Obama.
For the last year or so I have been receiving about once per week emails from people I do not know. Emails which (1) strongly defend President Obama and/or (2) strongly criticize his political opponents. All of them include a list of links to articles on the internet – most frequently the Huffington Post.
Do I agree with them? Not at all. But I have to admit they are clever and well written. I have a grudging respect for good propaganda.
Obviously anyone has the freedom the write such emails and send them to whomever they wish. But what troubles me is:
Who is behind them?
How did I get on their email list?
I might have an answer to the second question. When the Democratic National Committee was asking people to sign an online petition blasting Rush Limbaugh for his “hope he fails” comment I went ahead and signed it as well – taking the opportunity to leave my opinion that Limbaugh was correct and the petition was absurd. But in so doing might have inadvertently placed myself on a Democratic email list.
One last thought. I find it curious that someone is sending out these left wing propaganda emails – but I am not receiving anything like them from critics of President Obama.
A few samples:
—–Original Message—–
From: Arthur Plum [mailto:arthur.plum@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:17 AM
To: Richard Wright
Subject: Joe Stacks, Anti-tax Hero, or Terrorist
If someone flew an airplane into a building full of people to protest the Afghan war, it would be called an act of terrorism. However, when Mr. Joe Stack flew his plane into an IRS building and killed people, the news media calls it. “the accident,” and “the incident.” The local Texas prosecutor declared that Mr. Stack was not a terrorist. But what should you call it when a man pens a manifesto proclaiming, “violence is the only answer,” then kills people because they work for the government? Mr. Stack’s wife apologized on the news to “everyone affected by the incident,” but was careful not to use the term “victim,” when referring to the people her husband murdered.
From: Gerard Butler [mailto:gerardbutler00@rocketmail.com]
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 6:48 PM
To: Richard Wright
Subject: Republican Opposition to Financial Reform Bill
Editors,
On the day that Goldman Sachs deliberate fraud became known, betting against its own shareholders in a scheme that greatly contributed to the 2008 financial meltdown, the Republicans announced that they will collectively prevent the Wall Street Reform bill from coming to the floor for debate. They say the bill is a bailout. It’s not. It is a bill that would help prevent exactly the type of fraud perpetrated by Goldman Sachs against the American taxpayer. It should now be clear who the Republicans are working for.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/goldman-sachs-fraud-expla_n_540938.html <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/goldman-sachs-fraud-expla_n_540938.html>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/unified-gop-to-block-sena_n_540823.html <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/unified-gop-to-block-sena_n_540823.html>
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002472-503544.html <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002472-503544.html>
From: Ken Shilling [mailto:kenshilling@rocketmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 3:06 AM
To: Richard Wright
Subject: Health Care Bill: The Morning After
Editors,
Critics called it “a cruel hoax and a delusion,” a socialist program that would compete with private insurers and kill jobs. If it passes, Americans will feel “the lash of the dictator,” and “end the progress of a great country.” One New York Repubican Representative said, “Never in the history of the world has any measure been brought here so insidiously designed as to prevent business recovery, to enslave workers.” We were told that to cooperate with it would be “complicity in evil.”
Am I describing the outcry against Obama-care? No. Those quotes are from promenent Repubican opponents of Social Security in 1935, and Medicare in 1965. Same party as today, though. Same fear-mongering, same predictions that the sky would fall if America extends a hand to its most needy. And now today’s Republicans must slouch back to their districts and expain why a bill that prevents insurers from refusing to cover you, or canceling you if you get sick, is somehow the work of the devil. They’ll find a way.
Ken Shilling
Feel free to publish this letter.
Ken S.
kenshilling@rocketmail.com
Below are supportive links:
http://www.larrydewitt.net/Essays/MedicareDaddy.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/opinion/19kristof.html
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/07/29/medicare-44/
http://vodpod.com/watch/2106493-history-of-republicans-against-medicare
Anyone else seeing these?
