We're not going to let you smear merchants bury the truth anymore without a fight

"We are asking all Americans to join us and oppose the extreme tactics of the tea party and the dangerous ideas behind them," says oppo research specialist Craig Varoga, who "has formed a group — known as Patriot Majority PAC — with the specific goal of keeping tea party candidates out of office," writes Chris Cillizza of the WaPo's "The Fix." The original name was The Tea Party Is Over, but that was uncomfortably close to the organization's true mission, a "pathetic [effort] to wrest the 'patriot' mantle from conservatives." Hence the shamelessly disingenuous Patriot Majority PAC:

The idea behind Patriot Majority PAC is to pick 12 to 15 races where tea party-affiliated candidates are running, then launch a barrage of television and radio ads (as well as online targeting) to keep them from winning. The funding, according to Varoga, will come entirely from individuals, and thanks to a ruling in U.S. District Court last week the group will be able to expressly advocate for the defeat of candidates.

We have no problem with advocating for the defeat of named candidates, but what's this about funding coming "entirely from individuals"? Hmmm. George Soros is an individual. Just a thought. But facts are facts, and according to an NPR profile "Varoga traditionally raises money from unions and the Democratic Governors Association." Open Secrets pulls back the curtain: Obama BFFL Andrew Stern's SEIU contributed $770,000 to Varoga's Patriot Majority last year. We loved this parenthetical bit from Cillizza's piece:

(Varoga also hopes to establish Patriot Majority as a clearinghouse for information — on the negative side of the ledger — about the tea party movement.)

They could always ask Amy Kane or Ann Althouse or Meade or Dr. Helen or us or any one of the "dozens and dozens " who thronged Nevada's Searchlight Tea Party last weekend … Oh. You're looking for disinformation? False-flag ops? Good luck with that. We're mad as hell, we've been honing our social-networking skills to disintermediate the powers that be via the internet, and we're not going to let you smear merchants bury the truth anymore without a fight.

It looks like we Tea Party disintermediators may have already begun to shine a little light on the shady ops of Varoga's Patriot Majority in the recent Massachusetts special election to fill "The People's Seat." Googling up background for our post, we stumbled first upon this fascinating bit of information about the Commonwealth's 2006 gubernatorial race, from blogfriend Matt Margolis of "Hub Politics":

The Boston Herald is now reporting that the 527 Group, The Patriot Majority Fund, has ties to the Deval Patrick campaign and the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Surprise, surprise. From there we googled "patriot majority fund martha coakley," and voila! This sparkling gem from Scot Brown's "Martha Coakley's $5 Million Political Machine":

A 527, Patriot Majority, Has Financed A Television Ad Attacking Scott Brown [click on the link to wallow in the awfulness of it all]. “The 527 Patriot Majority, a reader notes, just released this ad attacking Scott Brown for being soft on Wall Street. No details on spending were immediately available.” (Ben Smith, “527 Hits Brown,” Politico, 1/14/10)

As you may recall, Coakley's tin-eared negative ad campaign backfired, big time. A healthy majority of Massachusetts voters of all political stripes were fed up with politics as usual and had decided to send the powers-that-were a message. Hey, it looks like the efforts of this Army of Davids to keep the homefires burning on the Shining City Upon a Hill really are making a difference.

Related must-reads from our google search: Mark Tapscott's delicious "Want to know how to really astroturf a movement? Just ask Democrat money men Craig Varoga and George Rakis" and from the UK Examiner, "When Astroturf is really Astroturf: phony grassroots PAC reveals massive 527 network."

Update: Maggie's links. Thanks, News Junkie! As always, lotsa good food for thought at the breakfast table over there.

Comments

[goomp]

The lines are drawn on the turf. Corrupt political organizations and their owned politicians vs the freedom loving citizens of the "The Shining City on a Hill", the country of the Tea Party, the USA.

[Gayle Miller]

We're currently goring their oxen and the blood is starting to sap their will and strength. I've always said we need to force George Soros to spend beyond his expectations - almost to the point of bankrupting him if necessary - in order to remove him as the evil genie behind such politicians as Obama. Here's the thing about millionaires and their money. They will spend a LOT to indulge their hobby horses, but there is a comfort level beyond which they will not go. We need to push him right up to that point in order to remove his deceitful teeth!

[Gayle Miller]

Bottom line - we are stronger than they are because our hearts are [kind of] pure! We don't do stupid stunts to garner attention - like ruining a book signing in Beverly Hills by Karl Rove. The Code Pink nutbars attempted their usual citizens-arrest-stunt! What a bunch of idiots. Of course, the MSM ignored it - but it has been picked up and the information is circulating.

These people are really, really, really hostile to free speech!

[Roger Loiselle]

Lots of good reading today.

[Amy]

"Patriot Majority"? Coffee Party USA? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but can't these people come up with something original of their own instead of stealing, twisting, and turning truth into lie?

[Radman]

It's not surprising that the success of the TEA party movement has resulted in allegations of racism. When the leftists cannot win in the arena of ideas and rational thought, their first response is to resort to their old standby...the politics of personal destruction. Attempt to marginalize the message by vilifying the harbringer. November IS coming, people are starting to "wise up," and the Dems are getting desparate! I love it!