Pages

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Destroying ALEC - Stealing A Victory? Really?

First a little bit about the author of the piece I am about to trash:

About George Landrith
George Landrith is the president of the Frontiers of Freedom – a public policy think tank devoted to promoting a strong national defense, free markets, individual liberty, and constitutionally limited government.

Hmmmm.
About the American Legislative Exchange Council
The State Budget Reform Toolkit has been published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as part of its mission to discuss, develop, and disseminate public policies, which expand free markets, promote economic growth, limit the size of government, and preserve individual liberty.

These right wing extremists need to get a new mantra –
Did Paul Weyrich hand out the same talking points to all the extreme right wing groups???  Say this – and people will think you are legit – HAH!

Anyhow.
George Landrith is the president of the Frontiers of Freedom


In 1999 the Frontiers of Freedom had a “Litigation Working Group” meeting that included:
Mark Behrens
Crowell & Moring

Victor E. Schwartz
Crowell & Moring

Bill Guidera
Microsoft Corporation
All ALEC-ers.

The 13 person working group also included a representative from the following ALEC private sector member
UST Public Affairs Inc .

So it’s probably safe to bet that there is a little bit more overlap than just sharing similar mantras.

At the “Litigation Working Group” they had interesting talking points – for a litigation group.  Here are samples:

This one notes ALEC – probably cause Behrens and Schwartz were in the room:
The Private Attorney Retention Act - which would prevent State Attorneys General from hiring their buddies or contributors to take cases on a contingency fee basis by making the process open and limiting the fees that State government can pay in a contingency arrangement -- should be promoted in the States. Both Texas and North Dakota have passed the PARA . ALEC has a good model statute.

This one notes the right-wings hatred for litigation attorneys
One of the biggest problems the Center-Right faces is the astronomical tort fees that a small number of trial lawyers will be collecting from the tobacco litigation and other copy-cat suits against an ever expanding list of industries. These fees (billions and billions of dollars) will be "reinvested" in government to promote or buy their [litigation attorneys] agenda and stop needed reforms . The incentive for these sorts of class actions suits is so great that unless the incentive is removed, virtually every industry will be attacked.
Those damn lawyers – going after the tobacco companies - for no good reason.  Those lawayers were only interested in making money to buy the fees they earned to buy the government - sounds like what Koch and their Aspen Summit buddies are doing, not the lawyers.  And if this fairy tale ever came true - what reforms would those lawyers stop that would be so scary to this group?
The extreme right was a bunch of whack-a-doodles – even back in 1999.

But there are these peculiar minutes from the litigation working group:
The Left is quite good at working the press and meeting with them over lunch or dinner to give them their spin on issues and events . We should do the same thing   

We should systematically generate op-ed articles, news stories, and radio and television interviews

We should work with friendly Members of Congress to generate floor speeches that promote our message.

We should systematically generate op-ed articles, news stories, and radio and television interviews

And that is exactly what Mr. Landrith did on Friday May25th and he filed his op-ed under “National Security – a strange tag indeed – because his little piece is about Van Jones and the destruction of ALEC.
The destruction of ALEC = the saving of America.
Strange filing system that Mr. Landrith has.

Filed under "National Security"
WTF? 

Here’s some snips:
It was also revealed that Van Jones was an active and self-described communist and revolutionary

This may explain his disregard for the American values of Free Speech and honest and fair elections.

Communist – really?  That was 20 years ago – he was in college and it was during the Rodney King fiasco.  While Van was maturing this guy was evidently waning.
(Weyrich and McCarthy in the same entry – god help me!)

It always amazes me how America’s “free speech” is threatened when a rightie feels threatened.  They really do think “this land is my land, this is not your land,  - this land was made for me and me”.

The real issue for Jones and his Color of Change organization is making sure that political operatives are left free to cast fraudulent ballots in elections to benefit Obama’s reelection, help Nancy Pelosi regain the Speaker’s gavel, and maintain Harry Reid’s grip on power in the Senate.

“Political operatives” are “left” free to cast fraudulent ballots?
Oh. My…………… WHAT IN THE HELL DOES HE MEAN BY THAT – Do any of you know a political operative who is going to try and cast a fraudulent ballot?
This guy is a whack-a-doodle.

Nonetheless, Jones shamelessly asserts that ALEC is to blame for Trayvon’s death because ALEC supports model legislation that allows law-abiding citizens to protect themselves from violent aggressors.

    to protect themselves from a bag of Skittles and an ice tea.

Jones’ tactics are the equivalent of a high school head coach hiring someone to sabotage the other team’s bus to prevent them from showing up for the scheduled contest. And if the other team somehow manages to arrive for the game, the dishonest coach pays off the referees and scorekeepers to steal a victory despite what actually happens on the field. Such an action would reveal that the coach does not believe his team can win by outperforming the other team. It would also suggest the coach expects to lose a fair competition – so he underhandedly attempts to prevent his opponent from showing up for the contest and if the opponent does show up, he corrupts the system so he can steal the victory anyhow. This is what Van Jones is trying to do.

Had to put that whole paragraph out there – snipping it would have absolutely wrecked it.  This nut job considers what ALEC is doing “fair competition” – secretive meetings, where they pass secretive legislation – written by who knows who, usually corporate reps. 

Secret meetings – secret legislation (rule book) – seems more like ALEC is sabotaging the bus and paying off refs and that ALEC DOES NOT BELIEVE in their team.  Cause up ‘til now – ALEC hasn’t had an opponent – oh my….now they do. 
Oops.………..

But if Van Jones gets his way, those who disagree with him will be silenced and our elections corrupted and stolen. This reveals the poverty of his ideas and the frailty of his arguments. This is why every American should oppose his efforts.

So he is basically saying that I am promoting corrupted and stolen elections?
Nope – I think that is what happened in 2000 and 2004 when the Repugs stole the elections.

He is really concerned about losing “his voice” – These right wing  whack-a doodles must be getting really scared.

God – this guy is younger than me and he sounds like a paranoid, scared old man – “national security” – jeez….

Maybe this guy doesn’t believe in “his team” anymore.
Just slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan
Don't need to be coy, Roy, just listen to me
Get off the bus, Gus, don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free


I wonder if Edelman (ALEC”s new PR firm) wrote this for him?

No comments:

Post a Comment