The Community Organizer-in-Chief is up to his old tricks again:
On Wednesday, White House officials summoned dozens of leaders of nonprofit organizations that strongly back the health law to help them coordinate plans for a prayer vigil, press conferences and other events outside the court when justices hear arguments for three days beginning March 26.
The advocates and officials mapped out a strategy to call attention to tangible benefits of the law, like increased insurance coverage for young adults. Sensitive to the idea that they were encouraging demonstrations, White House officials denied that they were trying to gin up support by encouraging rallies outside the Supreme Court, just a stone’s throw from Congress on Capitol Hill. They said a main purpose of this week’s meeting, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, was to give the various groups a chance to learn of the plans.
Right. They’re not encouraging demonstrations and rallies, they’re just giving everyone a chance to learn of plans to encourage prayer vigils (talk about your irony, given the anti-religion contraception mandate), press conferences, and “other events,” which could mean demonstrations and rallies.
Don’t believe me? Well, I read the NY Times so you don’t have to:
Supporters of the law plan to hold events outside the court on each day of oral argument. The events include speeches by people with medical problems who have benefited or could benefit from the law. In addition, supporters will arrange for radio hosts to interview health care advocates at a “radio row,” at the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill.
There’s those “events” again.
“The White House was very encouraging and supportive of our activities,” said Ronald F. Pollack, executive director of Families USA, one of more than 60 organizations that sent representatives to the meeting.
Just take a look at the Families USA website, and it’s easy to see where they stand. Given that they’re highlighting analysis from ThinkProgress and Slate on their Supreme Court Watch page, it’s not hard to determine which way they lean.
Jennifer M. Ng’andu, a health policy specialist at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic rights group, said White House officials emphasized that the court case provided “a great opportunity to highlight benefits of the law for real people.”
Never forget, “La Raza” literally translates as “The Race,” which gives you an idea of just how radical that group is.
Groups working with the White House include the Service Employees International Union; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Health Care for America Now, a consumer coalition that fought for passage of the legislation; Protect Your Care, a nonprofit group created last year to defend the 2010 law; and the Center for American Progress, a research and advocacy group with close ties to the White House.
Again, pretty much a roll call of lefty groups.
Of course, they also have to demonize those who oppose them:
Levi Russell, a spokesman for Americans for Prosperity, said buses would bring people to rally against the health law from Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia, among other states. The theme is “Hands off my health care.”
On its Web site, the Obama re-election campaign describes Americans for Prosperity as a “special-interest front group run by the oil billionaire Koch brothers.” In a recent fund-raising appeal, Jim Messina, the campaign manager, said that the oilmen, Charles and David Koch, were “obsessed with making Barack Obama a one-term president.”
This is likely to set the stage for the election in November, so keep a close eye on what the lefties are doing. I’m sure PJ Media will be doing plenty of coverage.
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