So I’m headed out tomorrow AM to attend a Town Hall Meeting being given by a Congresswoman (who is not my rep, BTW – my rep is just too chicken to publicize and hold a public event, he’d rather hold a spontaneous, non-publicized, private event.)  Wrench and Juniorette are accompanying me – I promised them donuts.  But after reading the following memo sent out HCAN to members, I’m thinking maybe I should go alone. H/T RedState

From: Margarida Jorge To:  HCAN Field Partners

RE:  HCAN—Responding to Right-Wing Attacks in the Field – August 4, 2009

Since early February, we’ve seen increasing numbers of militant right-wing activists attending public meetings across

the country targeting Members of Congress and President Obama.  Now in the August recess, the “tea-bagger”

protesters and right-wing activists are showing up in larger numbers with a mission to be as disruptive as possible in the

hopes of rattling Members of Congress and halting health care reform through pure spectacle and obstruction.

As I said while organizing the Boston Tax Day Tea Party, I’m an unemployed housewife.  I have not received a paycheck from anyone in over a decade (except for that stint at my neighbor’s coffee chop) and I haven’t received payment from the GOP since 1992.  So it’s pretty safe to say I, my family and the friends I will meet up with tomorrow are not paid operatives recruited by anyone.  And I do not know what “militant tactics” are – maybe what’s in this Code Pink video?

Who are these people?

The people who show up are far right-wing ideologues recruited by paid organizers.  Much of this recruitment and

organizing is funded by industry lobbyists and public relations firms to engage radical right-wing groups.  Many of these

groups are motivated by far right ideology in general – not by health care as an issue.  They are held together by a

common vision of the world that centers on defeating Obama and his agenda. We can expect to see anti-abortion groups, pro-gun groups, insurance company employees (mandated by employers to come out), militia groups, and anti-immigration groups.

What are their goals in turning out disruptive mobs?

Their goal is to stop Obama, influence the media, and scare Members of Congress into thinking that there is more

resistance to health care reform than really exists. The attendees are not reflective of the middle or average Republican

Party member.  Insurance industry lobbyists and public relations firms recruit mostly right-wing extremists who are

willing to employ militant tactics in order to demonize Obama by tapping into fear and anger in the electorate.  The fear

comes from both aggressive communications tactics and rhetoric: anti-tax, anti-abortion, anti-immigration, and other

themes that resonate with the farthest right wing of their party.

I can agree with one thing, though.  After watching the last six months and after reading only half-way through this bill, this is accurate – I am motivated to see Obama’s agenda defeated.  I do not need a lobbyist, insurance company or politician to direct me in this.  I’m reading HR 3200 and it’s scaring the #@%& out of me, just as reading Porkulus and Cap and Trade did.  This is a coalescing of power unseen in the United States.  It is a direct intrusion in our daily lives that is unnecessary and unconstitutional.  And it does not provide health insurance or healthcare for all of us, it just creates more government oversight of our lives and our bank accounts.  And let’s not forget the tax payer money that will now directly fund abortions.

While this is highly offensive, almost as offensive as the White House asking private citizens to turn in other private citizens and threatening those who disagree with their agenda, what I find most alarming and ironic is this.

How should we prepare to encounter the right wing protesters at MOC events?

1. Contact friendly MOCs and let them know you are coming to make sure our side is heard and that the

event is positive. Provide constructive support for Members of Congress who are holding public events to

promote health care reform by turning out constituents and anticipating problems ahead of time.  Ask the

Member’s staff what would be most helpful and talk through a strategy for making sure the right messages don’t

get drowned out by chaotic protesters.

2. Inoculate your staff and your volunteers by telling them what to expect and what purpose lies behind the

right-wing demonstrations.  The more that the attendees know what to expect; the less startled they will be by

the irrational tone and militancy of the protesters.

3. Bring more people than the other side has. Their side will be smaller but noisier.  You must bring enough

people to drown them out and to cover all our bases so as to marginalize their disruptive tactics.  You don’t want

to get into a screaming match, but it must be obvious to everyone—including press—that you represent the

majority.

4. Arrive earlier than the other side does.  We need to stack our folks in the front to create a wall around the

Member, and we need to stake out the best spots for visibility and signs.  Reconnaissance on the venue and an

understanding of the staging will be important here. Make sure you do your homework so you can position your

folks most effectively.

5. Be more visible than the other side.  Bring more signs and leaflets, and whenever possible, post your signs all

over the place so that you visually out-perform the other side.  Make sure you have people holding signs in every

place where a TV camera is likely to be and that next to every right wing sign, there’s one of your signs with your

message.

6. Have a real plan for the media. Remember, this is a communications strategy that the right wing is using and

our goal is to stop them from hijacking and changing the message and tone of these events.  Assign 3-5 people

to speak with the reporters who attend and make sure the reporters understand the scope and message of the

event. If you let the media just report on what they see, they will invariably focus on the mayhem.  That is a far

juicer story than affordability and the public health insurance option.  Don’t wait for the reporter to approach

you.  You must approach the reporters and be assertive in shaping the narrative that they write. Have

someone assigned to greeting the media or checking in media as they arrive.  That way you will know who they

are and be able to work with them both during the event and afterwards. Also, plan to record both the events

you attend and the events you organize. TV stations will use amateur footage to round out their stories, and

the other side is recording and posting video online. We need to be able to give the press video of successful

events too.

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