They're baaaaaack.

[madamesilverspurs]

Americans For Prosperity, the folks who brought us those lovely red buses to foment fear against the idea of health care reform, are doing their nasty thing again. They're paying for campaign ads. They have one airing in Colorado targeting Representative Betsy Markey (D)(CD-4). Likely they will be airing ads promoting her(R)opponent. It's also likely that they will be targeting the senate race, seeing as how Ken Buck is one of their darlings.

The current ad is, for those who are even slightly informed, infantile in both content and presentation. Sadly, there is no shortage of those who will lap it up and regurgitate its content at every opportunity. The next couple of months are not going to be pretty.


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[derby378]

1. What Obama said about AFP earlier this week

Right now all around this country there are groups with harmless-sounding names like Americans for Prosperity, who are running millions of dollars of ads against Democratic candidates all across the country. And they don't have to say who exactly the Americans for Prosperity are. You don't know if it’s a foreign-controlled corporation. You don't know if it’s a big oil company, or a big bank. You don't know if it’s a insurance company that wants to see some of the provisions in health reform repealed because it’s good for their bottom line, even if it’s not good for the American people.

A Supreme Court decision allowed this to happen. And we tried to fix it, just by saying disclose what’s going on, and making sure that foreign companies can’t influence our elections. Seemed pretty straightforward. The other side said no.

They don't want you to know who the Americans for Prosperity are, because they're thinking about the next election. But we’ve got to think about future generations. We’ve got to make sure that we’re fighting for reform. We’ve got to make sure that we don't have a corporate takeover of our democracy.

So, Austin, the bottom line is this: We’ve traveled a long way over the last 19 months, in large part thanks to folks like you. We have had historic challenges and we’ve had historic responses. But right now the choice is between whether we go back to those policies that got us into this mess, or we continue with the policies that are getting us out of this mess.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/09/remarks-president-a-dnc-finance-event-austin-texas

[pnorman]

2. But, but, but....

....Obama COULDN'T have said that! He's a TOOL OF THE SPECIAL INTERESTS, isn't he? And Gibbs will soon be on Faux Noise, won't he?

I'm CONFUSED!

[derby378]

3. All I know is he got AFP and Glenn Beck riled up with that speech (n/t)

[lbrtbell]

4. Your sarcasm ignores the truth

Obama has let HCR be watered down beyond recognition, refused to sign executive orders re: DADT and the 99'ers, and has generally shown himself to be utterly without a spine.

And now Social Security is getting closer to the chopping block. If you think he's going to show any more spine than he did on HCR, you're crazy.

I don't care what Obama says. It's what he does, or fails to do, that's making me lose respect for him. And all the tired excuses are getting old.

[Whisp]

5. ...

*makes farting noise

[pnorman]

6. I'm not only sarcastic, but I'm crazy! Oh boo hoo!!

[pnorman]

7. Personal sarcastic/crazy comment:

I cast my first Presidential vote for a Democrat in 1952, but I'm essentially a 'third party" sort of guy, living in a FIRM "two party" system. But I have NEVER seen since FDR, a`President more capable than Obama of operating in that sort of system! And NEVER since FDR has`there been such heavy artillery directed at a`President. Please consider that before adding your own fire.

Until he gets validation from the upcoming mid-term elections this November, he can do very little of consequence. Is it asking for so much to support him until then? Go ahead and piss off Gwen Beck, I DARE you!

[gratuitous]

9. "We tried to fix it . . . The other side said no"

And damn if this administration is going to spend any of its political capital, because that might rile up someone who's not going to support them anyway. Powder: Dry as a bone. Political capital account: Bulging at the seams. Supporters: Disenchanted by repeated failures of nerve. Folks who are going to be won over by sensible politicking: Snickering at the administration, emboldened as ever.

[patrice]

8. A major Republican opinion setter, here in Kansas, is telling them to go away:

http://sunpublications.com/201007284685/steve-rose-memo-archives/kansas-chamber-go-away.html#pc_1176#comment-1182

There are important issues having to do with, in this case, the county's bond ratings, if it defaults on debts due to the tax cuts that AFP and the Kansas Chamber want.