The Right-Wing Republican Agenda—Big Picture
The right-wing Republican (GOP) agenda, strengthened by the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling, favors the wealthy and corporations. This agenda, ensuring that the nation's wealth and consequent control remains in the hands of the very few, has failed 97% of Americans and led to The Great Recession. It enables corporations' unbridled profiteering and eliminates regulatory policies that protect the rights of all Americans. Promoted via aggressive disinformation campaigns, notably modeled by Rep. John Boehner, the House Minority Leader, the GOP's agenda enables a plutarchy, marginalizes the U.S. federal government, and undermines the U.S. Democratic Republic.
Stop moneyed interests from buying elections.
In January 2010, the right-wing Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United vs FEC, ignoring a century of legal opinion on campaign financing. This decision enables corporations to a) covertly donate unlimited funds to tax-exempt political organizations for campaign ads and b) thereby, potentially buy elections.
The Disclose Act bill was introduced by Democrat's and was blocked by the Republicans in September, 2010. The Disclose Act is designed to counter the Supreme Court ruling.
Break the GOP legislative blockade and move America forward.
"John Boehner is the quintessential example of shameless government figures guiding the fortunes of the rich and powerful."—Bob Herbert, The New York Times, Op-Ed Columnist.Financial reform, reducing greenhouse gases, and regulating business to protect the environment and to protect the rights of Americans is inconvenient for corporations and reduces profits. Yet right-wing Republicans are opposed to these protections and even want to repeal them. As one example, California's Proposition 23 is heavily backed by oil companies, including Koch Industries. Prop 23 would repeal AB-32 Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in 2006. One of their arguments is that AB-32 will cost 1M jobs, but they don't mention AB-32 has "catalyzed billions of dollars in private sector investment in clean energy in the state—creating jobs, businesses, and new technologies that are leading the nation toward a cleaner energy future." In other words, while requiring stringent emissions standards for oil companies, it will also reduce profits for the oil industry, as AB-32 supports a new energy economy, so oil companies want it repealed. Promoted and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican, AB-32 is the type of reform that right-wing Republicans oppose.
The GOP agenda, strengthened by the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling, favors the wealthy and corporations. The economic basis of the GOP agenda was aptly named "trickle-down economics", which concentrates 98% of the nation's wealth in the hands of the very few, leaving a mere trickle for everyone else. It's an agenda that has egregiously failed 97% of the American people, and led to The Great Recession, creating major economic problems in the U.S. and worldwide. It marginalizes the federal government, enables corporations' unbridled profiteering, and eliminates regulatory policies that protect the rights of all Americans. Promoted via aggressive disinformation campaigns, notably modeled by Rep. John Boehner, Sarah Palin and Greg Beck, the GOP's agenda enables a plutarchy, undermines the U.S. Democratic Republic, and manipulates uninformed voters. The GOP's objective is to regain control of Congress to continue its long-term agenda, along with its failed policies. Because they're not thinking critically, uninformed voters are easily manipulated by GOP disinformation to become the right-wing Republican's essential power base.
According to Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer in a letter sent to his constituents:
"Shortly after President Obama was inaugurated, House Minority Leader John Boehner scolded his colleagues [who] were working with Democrats to solve America's problems by saying, 'They ought to get the idea out of their minds that they are legislators. But what they can be is communicators.' Rep. Boehner has gotten his wish, and the Republican Party has repeatedly communicated misleading statements and at times outright lies to the American people."
Captured on video or in print, here are two example's, among many, of Rep Boehner's disinformation:
Regarding heath care reform's "Public Option", Rep Boehner is either out of touch even with his own constituents, or he's lying (there's a brief ad before the video)
Rep Boehner on CO2 and climate (such ignorance drive's right-wing anti-clean energy politics).
GOP disinformation also leads the uninformed voter to believe that today's financial crisis, high unemployment, and extraordinary debt—plus a "government takeover" complete with irresponsible spending and tax increases—was accomplished in a mere 15 months by the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats. This disinformation is not just "spin" but deceptive, sometimes intentional lies, and often Orwellian, stating the opposite of what's actually happening. And it's directed at the American public via the mass media.
There are many examples displayed in any right-wing web site, blog or publication. Here are two, one at Liberty Central's site: Obama tax increases. Of course, informed readers know the tax increase only applies to the nation's wealthiest 3% (over $250k per year). Another example at Citizen's United (along with many more). These ads disguise the right-wing agenda with patriotic themes and "mom and apple pie" values; yet, they are Orwellian and disinformative. They are, curiously, very similar in method to Dustin Hoffman's and Robert Di Nero's movie, "Wag The Dog".
This disinformation can't easily be construed as people exercising their right to free speech, as there exists legal precedent (Schenck vs U.S., Brandenburg vs Ohio, and the Espionage Act) that attempts to define constitutionally protected speech. This legal precedent does not support spreading disinformation via any public medium, when the apparent intent is to undermine America's Democratic Republic form of government. And the long-term right-wing GOP agenda appears to support enabling a plutarchy, the antithesis of the U.S. Constitution and of our Democratic Republic. Neither can GOP disinformation be dismissed simply as being "politics as usual", as it's a transparently adversarial collaborative attempt to discredit the Obama Administration and transfer GOP responsibility for its past policy failures to the Obama Administration. The GOP disinformation campaign denies responsibility for the last 28 years of failed GOP policies, so the GOP can regain political control and continue to advance their long-term agenda.
Prevent giving Congressional control to right and ultra-right extremists
On August 30, 2010, the respected magazine, The New Yorker, exposed the ultra-right and billionaire Koch brothers as major contributors to the Tea Party movement. In addition, they are founders and backers of conservative organizations with innocuous "mom and apple-pie" names, established to undermine Obama's reform agendas. The AFP is one such example:
Americans For Prosperity (AFP), What they say they represent and What AFP really is.In fact, many right-wing tax-exempt organizations, such as Citizen's United and Liberty Central (click "skip signup"), are receiving covert campaign ad donations, far exceeding funding levels ever before experienced in any election. Some are even out-spending the candidates they support! When you dig down into what these people say, you'll discover a theme of Orwellian disinformation, that is, they tell you the opposite of what's true; and they mislead by taking statements out of context.
Nationwide, right-wing extremist candidates, such as Rand Paul, Sharon Angle, and Christine O'Donnell—about 70 nationwide— are running under the Republican banner for House and Senate seats. These candidates are backed by AFP, Citizen's United, Liberty Central, and other similar right-wing tax-exempt organizations.
According to the New York Times:
Tea Party Set to Win Enough Races for Wide Influence—"Enough Tea Party-supported candidates are running strongly in competitive and Republican-leaning Congressional races that the movement stands a good chance of establishing a sizable caucus to push its agenda in the House and the Senate"—Kate Zernike, NY Times, October 14, 2010
The right-wing GOP also has a plan to regain control of Congress on November 2nd. 2010. It can be read an the John Boehner for Speaker Web site. The right-wing extremists, Republicans and Tea Party candidates combined, are unified in mounting a forceful assualt on Democrats, democracy, reform, and legislation that protects individual rights and the environment.
Whether you're a moderate Republican or affiliated with any other party, do you think it's a good idea to elect a strong Democrat majority in Congress on November 2, 2010?