"Manufactured Anger" At Kagen's Town Hall Meeting?

It looks like the TeaBaggers and the astroturf groups that created them are at it again in Wisconsin.  Taking a cue from the events in Texas and elsewhere, a big crowd disrupted Rep. Steve Kagen's town meeting in Green Bay last night, and will no doubt turn out again in big numbers in Appleton tonight to shout down any semblance of civilized discourse. Fox Valley blogger Jeremy Shown has a useful three part eyewitness post on the Green Bay event here.

Regardless of what the questions were, almost every one was greeted with shouts of derision. If the question itself was particularly negative, cheering would often begin before Kagen had finished reading it, drowning out his voice.

I could closely survey at least one quarter of the auditorium and from what I could see there were only two people in that area that were willing to clap or shout in support of Kagen. The rest were clearly against anything that Kagen had to say. Many of these felt no reluctance to shout during both the questions and answers. Sometimes the outbursts included pleas to leave health care alone or to read the bill, sometimes they would accuse Kagen of lying outright.

While Shown's account portrays the anger as spontaneous, there are signs that point to national organizations connected to the insurance industry and the Republican Party. Greg Sargent tracks the efforts to the astroturf group Conservatives for Patients' Rights:

CPR is the group headed by controversial former hospitals exec Rick Scott that’s spending millions on ads attacking reform in all sorts of lurid ways, a campaign that’s being handled by the same P.R. mavens behind the Swift Boat Vets.

In response to my questions, a spokesman for the group confirmed that it has undertaken a concerted effort to get people out to the town hall meetings to protest reform. The spokesperson, Brian Burgess, confirmed that CPR is emailing out “town hall alert” flyers, and schedules of town hall meetings, to its mailing list.

These efforts — combined with CPR’s effort to enlist Tea Party-ers, as reported yesterday by TPM — provide a glimpse into the ways anti-reform groups are trying to create a sense of public momentum in their favor.

CPR spokesman Burgess confirmed that the group had set up a list serv designed to reach out to “third party groups” involved in the health care fight, including the Tea Party activists. And in a statement emailed to me, Scott, who was ousted as a health-care exec amid a 1990s fraud probe, took credit for the town hall showings.

“We have invested a lot of time, energy and resources into educating Americans over the past several months about the dangers of government-run health care and I think we’re seeing some of the fruits of that campaign,” Scott said, though he claimed outrage was spontaneous.

Talking Points Memo also has a note from a "Republican pal under deep cover:

I'm surprised that it's your Republican pal that has to make this point: The precedent on the anti-health care protests isn't Bush's Social Security town hall meetings. The real precedent is the "Brooks Brothers riot" during the 2000 recount. The point is to create disorder, but get the media to cast blame on the underlying issue and NOT the protesters. (emphasis Waxing America)

That's what happened during Florida: The "blame" was on the "chaos" created by the "unfair" counting methods brought on by Al Gore's call for "selective" counting. No blame was focused on the young GOP activists upsetting the process.

THAT seems to me to be the comparison that Obama supporters should be on the lookout for this summer.

You can say this came from a Republican friend -- but not by name. ;-)

The White House got the memo also.  From this morning's presser:

Q: Are you concerned at what appears to be well-orchestrated protesting of health care reform at town halls as derailing your message?
GIBBS: NO, I get asked every day about the myriad of things that could be derailing our message. I would point out that I don't know what all those guys were doing, what were they called, the Brooks Brothers Brigade in Florida in 2000, appear to have rented a similar bus and are appearing together at town hall meetings throughout the country...

Well, you know, look, I hope people will take a jaundiced eye to what is clearly the Astro Turf nature of so-called grassroots lobbying ...
Q: The grassroots what?
GIBBS: The Astro Turf nature of grassroots lobbying, which is largely the term for, you know, this is manufactured anger.

- Barry Orton

Comments

[Fred]

You are a sheep for sure. Drive By Media...all you should be washing cars.

[Not Fred]

"Sheep"..."Drive By Media"...Fred missed out on the trifecta by leaving out "Nobama"!

[Dave]

People (especially the elderly) are scared, there were numerous people that said that, I was there. In fact many apologized for the outbursts but said that people are angry because they feel they are not being listened to. They call, write letters, email and nothing seems to happen. 5:1 people called Kagen to vote no against cap and trade, yet he still did. This representative government isn't working right now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7uGg2lLduU

[Not Dave]

Ah, yes, the elderly. Who already have universal health care, and would lynch the first Congressman (if they could lift him with their bony arms) to suggest taking it away.

[Steve Vokers]

Ah yes, the elderly. Who already have universal, GOVERNMENT-RUN healthcare... Oh, the horror.

[Emily]

Heck, even Bill Kristol thinks government-run healthcare is top-notch. I don't see what all the fuss is about.

[Belleville]

One missing element here, after 10 years in the Fox Cities, GB is different. GB is stuck in the 50's while they watch paper plants close and complain. While this was not neccessarily a derailed party town hall event as you suggest, it was merely a re-election cartoon. See it for what it is and be thankful that season packer tickets are a bargain from the very folk complaining. Lets boast loudly about the 1/2 sales tax we all paid for the new packer stadium.

[antpoppa]

The present health care system killed my mother. I've got nowhere to argue for the present system.
For me it's that simple.

[germantown_kid]

Mayor Smoglin, you are still breathing the Bozone in Madistan. I was at Rep Sensenbrenner's town meeting in Menomonee Falls on Monday. The Leftist jihadist thugs (like paid ACORN goons) in his overwhelmingly conservative district were out in full force, too.

Face the fact that this is all true democracy at work. The Founding Fathers--including J Madison--were aware of the riotous nature of democracy. That is why the US is a democratic republic.

This health care bill is going to be a vicious battle. We on the right will not yield one inch to you Leftist terrorists. For example, we are going to read "every page" of the bill.

The Fox Valley is a fiscally conservative district. Kagen will be under intense pressure from both sides. Is he a party hack or a true representative of his district? Lefties, prepare for the battle of your godless lives.

[Ex-pat cheesehead]

I have no problems allowing the right wing nutjobs the option of opting out of any "evil Gubbmint Hell-th Kare" plan.

Give us single payer and let those who want to opt on on principle go ahead.

Let the Republican politicians lead the way by renouncing their own "Gubbmint Hell-th Kare", and recommending to their constituents that they cancel their Medicare and Veterans benefits.

We'll see who gets re-elected then.

The idea that those who want to increase availability of health care to 100% of the population are "Leftist terrorists" is ridiculous, and amazingly un-Christian. Sounds like the Taliban at work to me.

[Jeremy R. Shown]

Thanks for the link.

I do believe much of the opposition in the room on Monday was genuine. After all isn't mounting, "a concerted effort to get people out to the town hall meetings to protest reform[,]" the definition of grass roots organizing?

I'm not sure what exactly qualifies the opposition as fake. You don't believe that people were actually paid to attend and be disruptive do you?

[Doug]

It would be impossible for someone to "opt out" of govt run healthcare. It's not in Massachusetts. An individual with a strong conviction would not be allowed to opt out. Once your company decides to drop the plan and opt for the public plan, you will have no choice. Yes, I know that insurance companies deny benefits all the time, but at least there is an appeal that does function if only the fact that the plan may be switched to a different insurance company if the employees complain enough. Do you think that will happen with govt run health insurance?

[Barry Orton]

Jeremy,

No, I don't believe that people were paid to attend and disrupt the meetings, but big money is being paid to the PR firms and CPR-like organizations to mastermind this effort, especially aiming at Democratic officeholders in swing districts. The radio talkers jump on and urge disruption and the Tea Baggers and the frightened come out in droves.

When this same pattern of disruption happens to GOP members of Congress at their local meetings, we can call it a genuine grassroots effort.

[Paul Berge]

Congresspersons and Obama administration officials could take a cue from the G.W. Bush handbook and invite only pre-registered devotees to these town hall meetings.

Otherwise, I hear that Tea Party II is planned soon. Sounds like an excellent time to schedule a health care town hall meeting across town.

[Stewie]

Waaaaaaaa!

Dems have to resort to demonizing true grassroots efforts because they arise from the "right" of the political spectrum; and when they can't recruit enough of their own jack-booted thugs the like of those in black trenchcoats at Ohio polling places, they resort to the Chavez-Orwellian threat of reporting dissident activities to the central state political correctness czar at flag@whithouse.gov. Now who has overstepped their connstitutional authority; and for what, to protect the nation from it's own citizens and its own voice?

Soglin should be the last to point fingers at public dissenters, of any ilk. Seems he'll soon be seen wearing his own trenchcoat and fondling a shelaly. Wow, what a difference from his days as the youngest mayor in our nation when he stood for standing against government oppression and control...or was that all a sham?

[Philly Ben]

Yo Stewie!

How nice of you to take time out from fondling your teabag and share your paranoid ravings with the rest of us! And don't forget to wipe off that last bit of spittle from your monitor.

Now that you have purged yourself, why don't you pipe down so the folks who won the last election--you know, that democracy stuff we all talk so much about--can get busy fixing the mess your guys created over the past eight years.

Don't go away mad. Just go away...

[Stewie]

Ben,

Put down your riding crop and monicle for a second and realize that regardless of who won the election this is still a country of free individuals in a democratic republic whose government of representatives must still answer to all of their constituents. If the roar of the crowds is deafening to you, it likely means there has been an epiphany of a substantially larger collection of free-minded individuals opposite your increasingly quieting "majority." Why so socialist?

[Stewie]

Oh and Ben, I hope Mr Soglin is proud of the way you represent his side of the perspective on his blog...nationally typical and very disturbing. I suppose you've learned your vernacular from the likes of so many prominent members and relatively famous "characatures" of your political affiliation. So attractive and appealing...great recruiting material. You should have been a cast member on Family Guy.

[Ron]

Definitions from the Obama Unabridged Lberal Dictionary:

Grass Roots - Opposition to a conservative idea or proposal.

Manufactured - Opposition to a liberal idea or proposal.

[Overburdened Wisconsin Taxpayer]

As a small business owner, I love the House's plan!

Instead of health care cost amounting to 20% of my payroll cost like it does now, I can drop our health care and have my employees to go on the government's plan. Instead of it costing me 20% of my payroll, I pay the 'penalty' equal to 8% of my payroll costs. Why wouldn't I do this? I pass my employee's health care burden on you (assuming you actually pay income taxes) and I make more money. What a deal! And oh yea, the Dems say the "government" health care plan will be just as good as the one we have now, so why wouldn't the employees want to go on it?

Cha-Ching for me!!!

[Skippy]

Thus the qualifier in Obama's comment, "If you like your current healthcare plan, you can keep it..." If your healthcare plan is employer sponsored, and the choice in keeping the plan, ultimately, is left up to the employer to contribute and continue the plan, and the government makes it ubelievably attractive to dump that plan and force their employees on the public option, why should ANY employer care one hoot what the quality of that plan does to thier employee's healthcare? And if the employee complains and makes a stink about it, he tell the employees to hit the road (for cause) and doesn't even have to worry about feeling guilty because the employee still has Dr Obama taking careof his healthcare. Yippee for the employers...and the poor employee has government healthcare but no job...here's your sign.

[Skippy]

Overburdened,

As your being led down that rosey path, I hope you have time to stop and realize that your clever plan will leave you and your familiy subject to the "Commissioner's" edict to be placed on the public option government health plan...you will have no choice and you will not be allowed to purchase any private health insurance.

When you get a chance to settle down from that realization, find a copy of The Alan Parson's Project song "Eye in the Sky" and listen closely to the lyrics.

[Overburdened Wisconsin Taxpayer]

I prefer Dr. Tarr & Professor Fether. Oh wait, Dr. Tarr is not on the government's approved list.

[James Madison]

Democracy-minded people of the internet-literate U.S. constituency stand your ground and stand your guard. Beware, the nemesis of freedom is knocking at your door; do not let them in, do not allow them quarter and fervently resist all attempts at persuasion and collaboration. Your future as a free-choice society is at stake…they will steadfastly seek to eliminate all vestiges of opposition and contrary thought once they have won the minds of the majority. Heed this warning of face certain doom and despair. I gave you the Bill of Rights to protect you from tyranny; do not waste that gift.

[Linda R]

I wonder, do you astroturfers against health care reform get paid for your blog comments, too? How long is it since your corporate masters bought you?

[Kevin fabry]

Kagen,

If you are worried about being re-elected, just go ahead and vote for Obamacare! You and the rest of your Democratic lemmings will be on the outside looking in. Listen to the people in Wisconsin.