Yesterday’s anti-tax tea parties are another example of the right-wing attempting to mimic the progressive movement’s grassroots groundswell of support while simultaneously trying to protect special interests and
defend the failed policies of the past 8 years.
In packaging the tea parties, the organizers sought to capitalize on the widespread short-term frustration that goes along with tax day. It’s safe to say that no one, not even the most patriotic among us, enjoys paying their taxes and filling out form after form on the previous year’s activities (it’s hurting my head just thinking about it). Instead of accepting it as par for the course and presenting solutions for the future, right-wing organizers took advantage of people during a vulnerable time and used it as leverage to stage fake opposition to President Obama’s plan to reinvigorate the economy and get this country moving again.
For the marketing of the tea parties, the organizers pulled out all of the stops and tried to bring in every constituency they could. The front page of the tea party website lists a plethora of reasons for becoming involved in the events, ranging from taxes, healthcare and charitable giving to immigration, child pornography and abortion.
Additionally, six of the reasons for getting involved in their protests display a classic case of selective amnesia:
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spending trillions of borrowed dollars, leaving a debt our great-grandchildren will be paying
run up trillions of dollars of debt and then sell that debt to countries such as China
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consistently give special interest groups billions of dollars in earmarks to help get themselves re-elected
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want to take your wealth and redistribute it to others
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punish those who practice responsible financial behavior and reward those who do not
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admit to using the financial hurt of millions as an opportunity to push their political agenda
While these are all valid reasons for frustration, where were they the past 8 years when government ran up massive debts, gave handouts to special interests and redistributed wealth to irresponsible corporations? Clearly, this is not a valiant attempt by non-partisan “good government” reformers.
Although these events were marketed as non-partisan grassroots activism and an organic groundswell of support, they were the result of a coordinated effort by right-wing groups, big-time donors, inside-the-beltway lobbyists and Republican officials and operatives.
The widespread dissemination of these events can be attributed to Fox News and their cacophonous
propaganda machine. The latest report by Media Matters, carefully documents the instances of Fox’s incessant promotion of the tea parties by Glenn Beck, Greta Van Susteren, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and various other pundits. Along with promoting their appearances at these events alongside Republican officials (as if they were country music singers at a state fair), Fox pundits spent much airtime promoting the times and locations of the protests. They posted a search tool on their website to find local events and hosted a virtual tea party for those who couldn’t make it to a live event. In fact, after one of many discussions on the protests, Bill Hemmer suggested the viewers visit their website for more information,
If you want to know more about the tea-party movement, if there is one happening near you, head to our website FoxNews.com/americasnewsroom. We have an entire section devoted to the growing tea-party movement. That’s our America’s Newsroom website online. All the information you need to know. Check it out right now.
Right-wing activists are praising themselves for their success in generating activists, however, it’s not difficult to spread messages and stage events when you have special interest money and a whole news network behind you.
In contrast to these forged grassroots events, the Rebuild and Renew America Now! (RRAN) coalition is mobilizing national, state and local activists around the country to promote a positive message of turning the page on the failed policies of the past and moving towards tax fairness and investments for long-term growth in healthcare, education, clean energy and job creation.
Since the RRAN campaign was announced just over a month ago, activists have made over 75,000 calls into Congress and held over 330 events in 46 states in support of the President’s budget and vision to restore tax fairness, create sustainable jobs and invest in healthcare, education and clean energy.
Yesterday, progressive activists mobilized at post offices around the country urging tax filers to call their members of Congress to reinstate tax fairness. This tax day mobilization comes on the heels of the latest report by U.S. PIRG, which found that over 80% of large U.S. corporations evade taxes by hiding their profits in off-shore tax havens, which has led to $100 billion loss in revenue. The RRAN coalition stands with the President and his plan to end corporate tax evasion and restore tax fairness.
Right-wing activists would have you believe that yesterday’s events are the culmination of widespread dissatisfaction with President Obama’s economic vision and the act of paying taxes. In actuality, most Americans are rooting for the President to succeed and approve of his plans to get America back on the right track. In addition, a recent Gallup Poll found that 61% of Americans believe that they are paying a fair amount under the current income tax system, and their largest fear stems from the economy and jobs.