A Smiley Face on Social Security: COMPASS

[chomskysright]

A Smiley Face on Social Security


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58188-2005Feb27.html?referrer=email
By Al Kamen
Monday, February 28, 2005; Page A15

We were simply overbooked Thursday afternoon and couldn't make it to an important White House meeting on ginning up popular support for the administration's thoughts on Social Security. Fortunately, Lisa McGreevy, executive vice president of the Financial Services Roundtable, sent an e-mail summary of the highlights.

"This afternoon," she reported, "a number of us were a part of a WH meeting to hear about their plans to move the Social Security reform debate forward. Deputy chief of staff Karl Rove and NEC head Al Hubbard spoke to the group about the President's strong belief and commitment to taking on this battle."

Rove deputy " Barry Jackson also addressed the group and addressed the importance to the WH effort of the CoMPASS. CoMPASS is tasked with raising between 15 and 20 million for the grass roots and grasstops part of the reform effort. In addition, CoMPASS is the umbrella organization which will be coordinating business community activities. Trade Associations are being asked to join CoMPASS. The Roundtable is a member of CoMPASS and is participating on the steering committee.

"As part of CoMPASS' outreach efforts they have created Generations Together as the 'face' of the public campaign," McGreevy said.

With $20 million, that'll be a happy face.

[chomskysright]

1. anyone know about this COMPASS gp?

[CitySky]

2. "grass roots," my fanny!

"Grass roots" in my vocabulary does not equate with Rove-bots trying to raise $15-$20 mil for the initial campaign.

[november3rd]

4. Compass

I don't know about compass, but something tells me that if you start searching here: http://www.cse.org/, you'll be on the right track!

[peacebird]

5. Coalition for the Modernization & Protection of America's Social Security

http://www.prwatch.org/node/3310

"If you're having trouble keeping track of all the players, our very own SourceWatch can help. It will tell you that the Alliance is sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Business Roundtable, among other pro-business groups. It shares its executive director Derrick Max and a number of its members with the Coalition for the Modernization and Protection of America's Social Security (COMPASS). In fact, the Alliance and COMPASS both count as members of the United Seniors Association, a corporate-funded lobbying group that recently changed its name to USANext."

:puke:

[chomskysright]

7. great info! am passing to AARP

[peacebird]

8. AARP needs to fight hard on this

They screwed the pooch on prescription drugs - I was never sure if they actually believed *'s bs on that or if AARP let it's own ties to drug industry color its response...

BUT they have to keep swinging hard against this "reform".

[Klapaucius]

6. My guess.

is that it will likely be an astroturf campaign.

They'll fake up some grassroots support for their 'reform'. Fake letters to the editor from the supposed 'grassroots' which support their position. You'll see a bunch of them which look very similar, or make the same points in the same order, or sometimes, what even amounts to form letters, in different papers in different geographical areas. They'll also get some support by getting folks to buy into some sort of set of bogus numbers generated with unrealistically optimistic projections. Also, look for polls with phrasing which skews the poll in the direction that they want to take it. I am not a pollster or statistician, but I'm sure that somebody on DU has a background in it, and can spot it.

Bet on it to be Republican funded at some level, which may not be immediately apparent, with ties to questionable groups, like a fund managers interest group, or some PR firm commonly used by financial services companies, the ones most likely to benefit from this so-called reform. Also look for studies commissioned. Most likely they'll also have ties to various RW groups and will be funded or underwritten by RW thinktanks and spun by RW pundits and bloggers.

I first saw this with some of the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) generated by Microsoft, as they were involved in the DOJ case against them. People found what amounted to form letters ( to the editors of various papers) supporting Microsoft's position in the case. I will not deny that Microsoft has done some good things, but they've also done numerous questionable things that border on the illegal, if not unethical.

K.

[icymist]

12. Right on the mark. We Dems must be on the look-out for the fake.

After 'Jeff Gannon' can we expect no less than to plant false 'news' story's? If we consider the press to already be inaccurate and one-sided, then there is no fear to oppose these Bastards. We must watch them, always, and be fooled no-more.

[november3rd]

9. more about ComPASS

http://sev.prnewswire.com/advertising/20050217/DCTH01617022005-1.html

Here's the press release on "Generations Together."

[november3rd]

3. Propaganda

I guess the propagandafficionados are going to have a feast on this one.

I noticed Jeff Gannon has a new website. I wonder who's funding that.

http://www.jeffgannon.com/

There strategy has nothing to do with the fiscal merits or social value of privatization "reform." It's strictly a movement of funding bloggers, talk radio hecklers and publicists to brainwash the public with a corporate media blitz.

"Faith" based.

[november3rd]

10. Generations Together

Here's more propaganda :

http://www.generationstogether.net/

Maybe I'll join and see what I can dig up on these deceivers.

[chomskysright]

14. here's contact info for AARP:[e-mail]

[peacebird]

11. my letter to "IN The Loop"s Al Kamen

Hi -
It would have been useful had you taken the time to identify CoMPASS. It is important to know whether a group is paid to deliver a message to benefit their corporate backers or whether a group is trying to look out for the interests of the people. Your article didn't give this basic information.
Try going over to PR Watch (Center for Media and Democracy)to find out more about CoMPASS. Your readers might benefit from you giving the bits you print a more critical look.
http://www.prwatch.org/node/3310
Thanks for your time,
Marianne

Reporting - it's more than just stenography.

[chomskysright]

13. tell us what 'in the loop' is about....other letters?

[peacebird]

15. In the Loop is a column in the WaPo

Supposedly feeds us insider tidbits from the "corridors of power"
- keeping us "in the loop"...