My FIRST ACTION as Dem President would be to DISBAND THINK TANKS!

[KoKo]

I can't tell you how afraid I am of these people. They are filled with the LEGACY of Fathers who couldn't get their sons and daughters into Industry, Medicine or to give up their lives for low paid salaries writing books to "publish or perish" in the Universities.

These THINK TANK PEOPLE RULE OUR LIVES!!!! THEY RULE! They are Out of Control...and do what their "bosses and Patrons" tell them to. Whether it's Drug Lobby, Pentagon Armaments, Media Dergulation, Foreign Policy, Tax Give Away Policy or whatever...they "snap to the whip!"

We need to GET RID OF THEM...send them into the back rooms...Let them be only ONE amongst voices of the AVERAGE PERSON...the AVERAGE AMERICAN.

I'm sick of them all the time on C-Span and in the Editorial Pages of Washington Post and New York Times, LA Times and fed out through "AP and Reuter's Wire Service!" I'm sick of their cockroach infestation of C-Span and "Moonie Washington Times" and running through my Local Newspapers with the "Wire Feed" and "Regurgitation" from the Main Stream Media...which is NO LONGER MAINSTREAM but Washington Innner Beltway Driven!

I'm so SICK of folks who live lives that WE DON'T having ALL THE POWER!

PLEASE...DEAR GOD...GET THEM OUT!!!!!!

[Ignacio Upton]

1. How about we just wiretap the Heritage Foundation and CATO Institute?

;)

[KoKo]

2. Wiretapping them would lead to stuff.........

that would go to the "back rooms" here on DU...:D

[tocqueville]

3. get only a warrant first

[Ignacio Upton]

8. True

Unlike Bush, we'd stay within the bounds of FISA. I'm sure that we could get a warrant based on their complicity with the NeoCons. That is, if we have a Democrat President.

[Critters2]

16. Here's an interesting fact

Cato opposed the war in Iraq. Always has. Generally, it's a pretty isolationist bunch.

I just found that interesting.

Carry on.

[Ignacio Upton]

32. They also support privatizing Social Security

and support rolling back labor laws, and support hring cheap labor at the expense of American citizens and legal immigrants, as well as outsourcing. The Cato Institute is an enemy.

[Critters2]

37. I didn't say otherwise

I just find it interesting that its positions aren't totally that of the Repugs. Interesting, is all.

[enlightenment]

4. All of them, or just the conservative ones?

There are some very good liberal think tanks out there -- trying to do good things. Not all their members are children of privilege. Some are pretty damn smart -- and when they get together their 'smartness factor' increases exponentially and sometimes they figure out how to fix things.

As to all those OTHER think tanks, I'm with you there!

[NewJeffCT]

5. I would use executive orders to roll back Bush

environmental initiatives, as well as try to reinstitute the fairness doctrine.

[Cocoa]

6. disbanding them would be unconstitutional, I would think

maybe a better step would be not to fill the government with them like Bush did.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. I would disband tanks period, especially the ones that carry

radioactive munitions.

[KoKo]

9. Sadly, lol's...they all carry "behind their papers" RADIOACTIVE MUNITIONS

their whole reason for being is MUNITIONS/BOMBS/ARMAMENTS against a NEW COLD WAR...the UNSEEN TERROR...(that they ALL BLAME on DEMS..even our OLWN DEMS!!!) Sheesh...they make me sick. A bunch of weenies who RUN AMERICA!!!! PLEASE! GET RID OF THEM!!!

[sakabatou]

10. Aren't there good think tanks?

My mind's drawing a blank to names.

[Lars39]

11. DU on a good day acts much like a think tank.

:)

[sakabatou]

12. True

[blondeatlast]

22. Aha, but our dear Admins pay taxes...

unlike the Heritage Foundation.

That is why I say downthread that we need to eliminate their tax-exempt status.

[Lars39]

33. I like that solution.

It would definitely be a start. :hi:

[0rganism]

40. Sure there are. here's a couple for starters

Economic Policy Institute: http://www.epi.org
Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org
Public Campaign: http://www.publicampaign.org/

[kevsand]

13. Why stop there?

It's their pretending to be "think"-ers that's so infuriating.

Let's disband Oral Roberts U. and Baylor and all the universities and colleges, for that matter, and send all the so-called academics who've never had a "real" job out to the countryside to work on collective farms. I mean, it worked for China, right?

Of course, we'll have to get around some pesky Constitutional issues, but by then Bush will have prepared the public to abandon the Constitution altogether.

Oh wait a minute... damn! Then we would be just like them. Having a conscience is such a drag sometimes.

Okay, how about this? First, we kill all the lawyers... ;-)

[Jack Rabbit]

14. If I were the next Democratic President, my first action would be

. . . to grant a private interview to the dean of the White house press corps, Helen Thomas.

[Skinner]

15. Not a big fan of the constitution, I take it? (nt)

[KoKo]

18. Well...let's just say that I don't think "Founding Fathers" thought "Think

Tanks" would take over American Political Action to the exclusion of the "Rural/Agrarian" folks they were from. Let's put it this way: "the founding fathers escaped Political/Religious Doctrinaire Ideology" came to this "WILD AMERICA" and became "planters" and "commerce advocates."

Growing up RURAL..I kind of identify with the "Rural" Founders. In that they were Elitists (coming out of Brit Elitism) and I'm Episcopal (very elitist mindset) but growing up with Baptists, Lutherins, and some Catholics in an Agrarian part of America...I bring a perspective not in "VOGUE" these days...but to the HEART..yet maybe something VANISHING.

SO...to answer your question....OMG...YES...THE BUSHIES ARE TRASHING THE CONSTITUTION!!! No matter how old you are or what your background...one can't avoid the fact that these are ROYALISTS...the very people the American Revolution FOUGHT AGAINST!

Maybe you think..I'm dealing in MUCHO HYPERBOLE? But, I answered you in an honest...from the gut way. From My Own Background, roots, grounding and education.

:shrug:

On Edit: I could do a huge long post on this...that no one here would read...but I tried to put my "position" on this simply. I try in all my posts to put my perspective out there in not such a long form that DU'ers would "tune out" because it was too academic for a long read.

Gotta judge whatever it is folks will read ...in "speed read" :-(

[Cleita]

17. Not real think tanks. What you want to ban are the

ideology tanks. There is no real thinking or research involved. These tanks only accept documents and present conclusions that fit into their narrow view of how things should be. They probably should be called liar's tanks.

[KoKo]

19. I don't think there are any what you call "real" think tanks. What I

would think of as a "real Think Tank" might have been where these "Power Houses" started. Back in the Universities..where they sat over card tables and (before smoking bans) in the smoke filled rooms arguing and hammering out talking points...sort of like the Literary folks back in Dorothy Parker's day in the old Algonquin Hotel in NYC where the Elite of the Literary Movement met once a week to go at each other with "thought pieces" where they would critique each other.

The stuff that's going on now...is like another GOVERNMENT in ABSENTIA where the ELITE THINK TANKS RULE. They have huge funding from Millionaire/Billionair Donors who seem to be mostly Repug/Libertarian and our "so called Dem Think Tanks" pale in comparison being seemingly some split off from their roots of Repug/Lib so that they are DLC Clones or Corporatists/Globalist proponents.

I think ALL the THINK TANKS should go BACk to the Universities and FUNDING SHOULD BE CUT OFF from anyone but those who sponser them within the University guidelines. There is probably some regulation that might need to come into play here to get them back in their "University Boxes" but I would be ALL FOR THAT.

Let THE PEOPLE SPEAK...not these ELITIST THINK TANKERS!!!!

Yeah...I do get worked up about this. Been watching C-Span too Long...:D

[Cleita]

20. But still, there is a freedom of speech issue here, whether you

like these elitists or not. Actually, when I was a bartender, the saloon was close to UCLA. Between the professors and students there were many lively political discussions in the place. I really miss it. I suppose it functioned more like the salons in Europe at the turn of the century. The Republicans always lost the debate too. LOL

[KoKo]

24. Disbanding Think Tanks means cutting off Lobbyist and Mellon-Scaife

funding "OUTSIDE" the University Sanctions.

Let the "Thinkers" present themselves as "Harvard, Yale, UCLA, Boston College, University of Vermont, SC or Arkansas "Thinkers" rather than misnomer names like "Heritage Foundation," "Cato Institute," "Center for American Progress," "American Enterprise Association," yadda, yadda, yadda.

THE BIG THINK THANKS HAVE TOO MUCH POWER....Don't want any "little ones" to COME UP and CONTROL GOV'T like Grover Norquist and his ilk. Don't want other Countries outside America to have as much influence in the Tanks as they do now. Let's get them back into the universities and let them feed into the SYSTEM.

As it is now...the Mainstream Media i.e. NYT's/WaPO and their like take the Think Tanks "Talking Points" and Steno it into our Local Media. They are FEEDs for the Corporatists and Special Interests to influence our National Thought!

That's not FREE SPEECH...it's PAID SPEECH by the MANY to CONTROL..the FEW...:shrug: Do you see what I'm saying here? THEY control us....through our media.

[blondeatlast]

23. Quite true and an excellent clarification. nt

[blondeatlast]

21. Just eliminate their TAX-EXEMPT status.

If that happened, there wouldn't need to be any more action on your part whatsoever.

Otherwise, I'm in complete agreement with you.

[cosmicdot]

41. I'd go as far as suggest ending the tax-deductible donations, too

Using your thought to think aloud ..........


Let Holly Coors and Richard Mellon Scaife lose a few tax loopholes.

How did FDR ever Think Tank the New Deal with only a Cabinet, etc.???

Donate and get a tax deduction and a copy of Ann Coulter's latest book to help boost her sales.


I ran across a post about the Panel set up 'to study' the war in Iraq ... the article says this panel will work with 3 Think Tanks ... wonder which ones??? Who gets to choose them? Do they get some of the allocated funding GOP Cong. Wolf projects as $1.3 million????


Who benefits? Follow the money. Always good advice.


I think most progressives would donate whether a tax deduction comes or not, but would the Coors or the Mellon-Scaifes??? What a deal to get a tax benefit while helping to over-throw Bill Clinton, the New Deal, etc. What a system! What a country!!

Poor folks don't have many seats at these 'democratic' (small 'd) discussion tables of policy thinking. Is under-representation in this (4th, 5th?) branch of government ... 'democratic'?

Of course, there are organizations out there trying to help the have nots.

Corporations send bunches of monies to their favorite tax-exempt (ahem, 'nonpartisan political') organizations, too. They have a big say.


Organizing under IRS 501(c)(3) code seems to be abused.
Why does every Gary Bauer and James Dobson, Tom, Dick and Harriet need one? They sure are popular amongst the Beltway insiders.

How to fix it from abuse?

501s almost seem like a racket as they are used by some ... set oneself up in a cozy tax exempt; donation-tax-deductible 'business' ... er, I mean, non-partisan educational organization.

Live and work at home, yet appear BIG on the Internet.


They're PR firms basically, aren't they? Hill & Knowlton isn't tax-exempt.

How many think tanks does it take to run a country anyway?? or to screw in a light bulb?





from the IRS website:

To be tax-exempt as an organization described in IRC Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for one or more of the purposes set forth in IRC Section 501(c)(3) and none of the earnings of the organization may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political candidates.

The organizations described in IRC Section 501(c)(3) are commonly referred to under the general heading of "charitable organizations."

http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html


Maybe the code needs reform??? and/or better enforcement, more transparency??? take corporate money out of it????

Equal time would certainly help ... just not having someone from AEI appear in the corporate media. Even then, who decides what is 'equal time'?

bona fide charities and educational organizations are one thing ... but, Heritage, as an example, is something entirely else ... it manufactures a product packaged as propaganda and disinformation ...


"The Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and contributions are tax-deductible for income, gift, and estate taxes."

Neat-o Isn't that what free speech is all about!!


From Heritage's website re "Fundraising":

"Other Ways to Increase Income"

Combined Federal Campaign

To become eligible for donations through the Combined Federal Campaign, you must be a charitable organization recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(C)(3). You also must meet a series of eligibility and accountability standards.

“Federal employees and military personnel designate a specific amount each pay period to be donated to the charity of their choice. For application purposes, Heritage’s CFC# is 0881.”

More money! Yeah!! and, from our Civil Service. Wonder if Dick Cheney contributes to Heritage, and gets a tax-deduction, too? Lynne works at the American Enterprise Institute. They just live win-win lives. The money just flows in and out. Newt is a Fellow at AEI AND Hoover, and has his own tax exempts to boot.

contributions can be made in the form of
stock certificates, too …

“Stocks can be electronically transferred or you can send us the actual stock certificate.”

Does this make some Think Tanks stockholders and tax exempt???


http://www.heritage.org/about/
http://www.heritage.org/About/Community/fundraising.cfm#8
http://www.heritage.org/Support/faq.cfm

from Heritage's website:




501(c)(3)s must be neat thing to set up ... pay a salary and expenses (like a Connecticut and K Sts. NW office or one a block from the Capitol ... folks like Newt Gingrich get money to help support their hitting the pundit talk circuit and be unencumbered for appearances here, there and yonder ... what a sweet deal ... wouldn't it be nice if we all had paid unencumbered time to participate??

Tax exempt organizations like the Council for National Policy (where the wealthy corpo-crats meet up with the Christian Reconstructionists-Diebold financial backer Howard Ahamson and Jerry Falwell, etc.) meet, organize, and conduct business in total secret. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/22/155525/061 ...

Ultra-right-winger and Think Tanker Paul Weyrich said:

"We are no longer working to preserve the status quo. We are radicals, working to overturn the present power structure in this country."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/22/155525/061

Send your tax deductible dollars now ... Yee-hi ...

Ever visit the Council of Conservative Citizens' website cofcc.org to see what American values they promote? imho, Just change the letters to all "Ks" ... "The Conservative Citizens Foundation is a 503(c)(3) organization."


CATO Institute money (Charles Koch), also, supports the Aspen Institute.

This is how ideology and propaganda are 'worked' into political thought ... I've caught, at least, 2 BBC World News reports where they used CATO personnel as experts. Another Scaife funded organization, The Hoover Institution located at Stanford Univ., “Fellowed‘, packaged, and delivered Kindasleazy Rice.


It just goes on and on ...

There's the good, the bad and the ugly ...

but, certainly, something needs fixing.

[Kansas Wyatt]

25. Here is a novel idea

Why doesn't Congress just act like America's think tank, and come up with what is best for 'We The People,' instead of think tanks and lobbyists outside of Congress just telling Congress what to do?

What a minute, isn't Congress suppose to do that anyway?

[blondeatlast]

27. Things that make you go hmm...

I've often wondered if there is an official job description for senators and representatives.

Good point.

[KoKo]

28. Yeah....what do those "aides" and such do anyway? And, why don't

these "elected" come to congress with their own ideology...opps...wait...I forgot the Repugs groom their own out of the "Think Tank Culture." What was I thinking! Gasp........

I was being snarky...I agree with you...what's going on up there on Capitol Hill that these Tanks and Loybbists rule it all? :shrug:

[notadmblnd]

26. don't forget to recind executive orders and signing statements

nt

[KoKo]

29. That would be my third ..recinding all Bush Exec Actions. But Freedom of

Information Act would be my second Presidential Action...and I'd use all the powers Bush usurped to put an end to the powers he took but to disband Think Tanks #1, and bring back FOI Act that Reagan took away #2 and to rescind every thing Bush did since the Supremes's installed him as #3... But, I'd do them all in one stroke of the pen! :D

It will never happen...sadly...but it would be great to see.

[mitchum]

30. Well, I would burn corporate lobbyists at the stake...

but that's just me

[NCarolinawoman]

31. After I got rid of the military-industrial complex,

I would go after Mega-Malls and McMansions.

Way too much green-space is taken up by these things; not to mention how they contribute to our energy crises.

And yes, it's time to get rid of think-tanks. I can't keep them straight anymore. Too many initials to keep track of.

[Atman]

34. There isn't anything wrong with "Think Tanks"

Anyone can sit around and think up stuff anytime they want. They can pay others to think up stuff, too. Be thankful for people sitting around trying to solve problems! But think tanks aren't the problem. The problem comes from think tanks that are actually little more than lobbying organizations. They can think all they want. But when they're done thinking, they should be required to write up their ideas and present them to the appropriate committees and/or work their way through the system as required by law, just as if you or I (read: Joe Citizen) were petitioning for something.

Which just further opens the can of worms...are they already working within the law by thinking up stuff then going through K Street to get their brilliant ideas enacted into law? Or, in a more sinister vein, can certain think tanks be shown to be in violation of RICO statutes, or somehow in collusion in a nefarious way, be it for power, profit or whatever?

As another posted said, DU acts much like a think tank, in that lots of minds are looking at individual issues and adding their two cents. Two cents here, two cents there, some throw in several cents...sooner or later you have some bankable ideas. But when you make the leap to expecting Congress to have the intellectual honesty, willpower and concern for the wellbeing of anyone but themselves necessary to actually legislate a workable solution, well then...I don't hold out much hope for anything to change any time soon.

And knowing how Congress is likely to make matters worse anyway, we're probably better off not making a stink about think tanks right now. After all, we're gonna need some serious thinkin' to help get us out of the BushCo mess.

[stevietheman]

35. That's unconstitutional. However, we can push for more transparency...

and openness with such institutions, or create/expand more progressive ones.

Let's give their "marketplace of ideas" a run for its money before we even go near the possibility of censoring people's views.

[Touchdown]

36. I would make a law that Fox news stop calling themsleves...

"News". They can continue to broadcast, but only if they change their name to "Fox Propaganda" (no other euphamism). Accuracy demands it. CNN will have to change their name too.

If they refuse? Revoke AOL/TW and News Corp.'s corporate charters, split up the empires, and deport Rupert Murdoch.

[SoCalDem]

38. They are a "part" of the triad..

They "cook up the nonsense", publish their bullshit papers & books, then the friendly (most of them) media is only too happy to invite them to discuss their latest book.. Of course prior to publishing their nonsense, they have given smae "insight" to their political cronies, so the policy matches the on-air hype. If there is no equal opposition being aired, it's little wonder that ordinary people believe the nonsense..

Media is the place to start.. Cato/Heritage/AEI and the rest have been "in business" since before reagan (some of them) , but until talk-radio & cable news, they were fairly localized and outside government few even knew who they were.

Long time Democratic "operatives" have dismissed them and written them off as kooks.. That's what's allowed them to get stronger... All it took was 3 Bush1 terms, a diminished Clinton administration, and 2 terms of the idiot son-of-Bush to make them the juggernaut they are today.

Democrats are loathe to spend money on this sort of thing, but they lost control of the message, thinking they would always have the control over congress.... That was a costly mistake..

[0rganism]

39. So you'd do away with freedom of association? No thanks.

I understand your annoyance at the lobbyist-controlled faux information sources, but you don't have to disband the think tanks to fix the problem.

1. Bring back media anti-trust regulation, which has basically been discarded over the last 25 years
2. Campaign finance reform, leading eventually to full public financing of campaigns
3. Make full use of existing liberal think tanks to counter the conservative ones, and found new think tanks

Personally, I believe "think tanks" are an asset to democracy, as they provide an independent means by which policy can be analyzed and explored in detail. Partisanship is a natural consequence of their indepence, not the reason for their existence.

[DanCa]

42. Might I suggest disbanding RW wing radio as well.

*sigh* I know it'll never happen but I can dream can't I? There's no law against that yet.