I don’t mean to be dismissive of the fact that there may be people who are genuinely moved to turn out today, I just know it’s unlikely that 99.9% of them ever would have heard of these events without the amplification and resources of well funded right-wing organizations.  But I also don’t think the movement got co-opted — I think the GOP groups were there at its genesis (more on that later in a “teabagger timeline”).  

I also share the Rude One’s sentiments with regard to the intellectual inconsistency on parade.

So Dick Gephardt is concern trolling health care reform. Maybe he — and the New York Times — should’ve thought to mention that he’s now a a well paid lobbyist.

For PhRMA.

That any of these people dare to compare themselves to the Founding Fathers of this country? Beyond disgusting. You’d have to be an utter rube to think the likes of any of these folks aren’t about one thing and one thing only: promoting themselves.

• Protest out of control spending!
• (Reminder: IOKIYAR).
• Save the rich!
• Everyone’s fed up with taxes!
• And other things, too!
• It’s time to stand up for the white man.
• Meanwhile, back on planet Earth.
• This should be interesting.
• Ya think?
• Tedisco going down.

On the other hand, Wolf Blitzer did reveal he was neutered while he worked for AIPAC.

School House Rock -Tax Man Max.

What’s on your mind tonight?

That blowhard Republican clown Rush Limbaugh has really gone full blown loopy. For the last two days he’s been running a schtick that the woman who was mauled by a polar bear after jumping into the animals’ enclosure at the Berlin Zoo should sue Al Gore.

We all know by now that tomorrow’s tea parties are about as authentic an expression of popular outrage as the Brooks Brothers riot. Every pulled thread leads to right-wing front groups and corporate cash behind the scenes. But just because the conservative establishment is organizing the tea parties, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be able to control who shows up.

“One thing you really should know, but it’s hard to learn because so much of the commentary seems to want to lead us to another conclusion: The likeliest outcome — no matter whether Team Coleman takes their case to the U.S. Supreme Court and/or tries to get a fresh start in federal district court — is that Franken will be seated in the Senate in roughly May or June.”

The other day a guy showed up at the DC bank rally and tried to cause a scene when Bill Greider was speaking, and the video of me went round the wingnut world. 

They did a little digging over at Save the Rich and found out it was produced by GOP astroturf specialty firm Frank Strategies.  Ed Frank is the former spokesperson for Elaine Chao at the Department of Labor, and is now a consultant for Americans for Prosperity.  Frank Strategies is listed as “local sponsors” at the Houston Tea Party site, and they’re organizing the tea parties in the following cities