PrairiePundit

Washington Examiner Editorial: No group of political activists has been more intensely criticized than the Tea Party by the Washington political establishment and its allies in the traditional media. In recent days, thousands of left-wing zealots even signed petitions on Moveon.org and Daily Kos demanding that “Teapublicans” like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas be arrested and prosecuted for “sedition.” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow also applied the sedition label to the Tea Partiers, and Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen made an epithetic case for the prosecution: "A lot of those members are rabid, they're sophomoric — literally, they're second term in Congress — they've never worked in politics before. Really, you've got to think, we take an oath to protect this country from 'all enemies, foreign and domestic,' and these are the domestic enemies." Clearly, the same paranoid malady that once induced members of the John Birch Society to see conspiratorial commun...

Byron York: I appeared on NPR on Wednesday and was surprised to hear a caller say that Sen. Ted Cruz should be charged with sedition. "I'm really baffled by the fact that the discussion has not ever reached the point where charges of sedition should be brought up against him for conspiring and bullying others to work with him to undermine the American economy … full faith and credit," the caller said. "He's done so much damage to the standing of the United States in the world. And if you read the Sedition Act, it seems like it really applies." A colleague on the panel, the Wall Street Journal's Sudeep Reddy, assured the caller, "There is no possibility of that." And the conversation moved on. But it turns out that in a few corners of the left, there are activists who would like to see Cruz, along with other Republicans and conservatives who have expressed strong opposition to Obamacare, charged with inciting rebellion against the United Stat...

Washington Examiner: MoveOn, a giant in the progressive political world and an early endorser of Barack Obama in 2008, warns that it might have to “pull the plug” on key campaigns to help Obama and Senate Democrats if its 5 million members don’t pony up  with at least $5 . Without a rush of new cash, MoveOn says it will have to give up efforts to elect Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, help the recall fight against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and energize younger voters who’ve soured on Washington. “It's like picking which of your kids you love the most. I just can't do it,” said MoveOn in an email plea. “If we can’t increase our budget, we might have to dramatically scale back or pull the plug on some of MoveOn’s most important election efforts this year.” The homepage of MoveOn, which helped organize the 2004 anti-war movement, includes a “chip in” button preset at $8. ...  They could be just exaggerating to create a sense of urgency.  But they have not been maki...

Caucus Blog, NY Times: Liberals began tearing into President Obama and Democrats on Sunday, accusing them of caving to Republican demands even before final details of a debt ceiling agreement have been announced. In a scathing statement based on early reports, MoveOn.org said the “debt deal has gone from bad to worse” and they called it “extremely troubling that it now appears that some Democrats are willing to give in to Republican demands to make this already disastrous plan worse for working families.” ... There is much more. On the flip side Republican leaders are saying they are getting most of what they want in the deal. With secret negotiations it is hard to tell, but the outline seems to be close to what Boehner has been pushing, which certainly was not an easy sell for his caucus.  I expect the final deal will disappoint some on both sides, but it will avoid a shutdown of some services and appears to be a change of direction on spending that voters demanded in ...

Politico: Liberal allies of President Barack Obama aren’t just getting mad at conservative attacks on his agenda. They are getting even in a way calculated to hit conservatives where it counts: their pockets. Former GOP House leader Dick Armey , former New York lt. gov. and conservative activist Betsy McCaughey and even Fox News’s Glenn Beck have all seen their financial livelihoods threatened by political activists — who in several cases managed to make good on the threats. The latest prominent figure in liberal cross hairs is U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue . Environmental activists, citing alleged conflicts of interest, have begun a campaign to pressure him to resign from the board of Union Pacific Railroad or from his longtime post as head of the nation’s top business lobby. “We’re losing our self-government with these Chicago-style arm-twisting tactics,” complained McCaughey, who resigned from the board of Cantel Medical Group after the firm was connected...

Lee Wishing: "Based upon our observations of American soldiers and their officers captured in this war, the following facts are evidenced," a foreign intelligence officer wrote. "There is little knowledge or understanding, even among United States university graduates, of American political history and philosophy ... of safeguards to freedom; and of how these things supposedly operate within their own system." Believe it or not, those words weren't written by an al Qaeda operative. They were written during the Korean War (1950-53) by the chief intelligence officer of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in North Korea. In a 1957 response to those remarks, political theorist and historian Russell Kirk wrote, "Many Americans are badly prepared for their task of defending their own convictions ... against the grim threat of armed ideology. ... And in our age, good-natured ignorance is a luxury none of us can afford." As we pause this Memorial Day to h...

Opinion Journal: "You have the spotlight shined on you and then come along and get mugged." That's how Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, describes his recent ambush by MoveOn.org after his name was floated as a possible secretary of Health and Human Services. Mr. Bredesen would seem to be the kind of pragmatic problem-solver that President Obama claims to favor. He's a Democrat elected twice in a red state and has been the CEO of Nashville-based HealthAmerica Corp. More important, he has seen how easily hopes for "universal coverage" can be dashed against the realities of cost and perverse incentives. Mr. Bredesen came into office in 2003 when the TennCare Medicaid program was bankrupting his state. Launched in 1994 on the promise that it could expand coverage and lower costs via subsidies and managed care, the program had grown to consume a third of the state budget. TennCare participants paid virtually nothing, so they had no incentive to cont...

Politico: After more than a decade spent railing against the Republican machine, MoveOn wants to move on —even if it means leaving some of its high-minded ideals behind. Last week, the group’s members chose their top four priorities for the organization, winnowed down from a top-10 list culled from 50,000 suggestions. The decisions they weighed would determine in large part whether the group would become a friend or foe of the Obama administration, a player or a gadfly in progressive politics, a piece of the Democratic machine or a thorn in the party’s side. What they chose: universal health care; economic recovery and job creation; building a green economy; stopping climate change; and end the war in Iraq. What they didn’t: holding the Bush administration accountable; fighting for gay rights and LGBT equality; and reforming campaigns and elections. MoveOn Executive Director Eli Pariser says that this happy alignment with Barack Obama’s agenda — and fortuitous absence of conflict with ...

Jonathon Rauch: So for Democrats, the war on terrorism is over. Not the terrorism part, mind you. Just the war part. In 2004, the party's platform used the phrase "war against terror" or its equivalent ("war against Al Qaeda"; "war against a global terrorist movement") 12 times--beginning on page one, paragraph three. Typical language: "As Democrats and Americans, we yield to no one in our commitment to do everything necessary to win the war on terror." Foreign policy, led by "Defeating Terrorism," dominated the document. The economy was relegated to a sheepish second place. Four years ago, the war against terrorism was a war in the most literal sense, complete with combat operations, invocation of martial law against enemy combatants, and frequent reference to Congress's authorization of the use of military force. John Kerry accepted the Democratic presidential nomination by "reporting for duty" at the conventio...

The Hill: Democratic congressional candidate in Texas is telling MoveOn.org thanks but no thanks after the group bought radio ads to aid his candidacy. Businessman Michael Skelly (D) is a well-funded long shot against Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) in the incumbent’s Houston-area district. The district voted 64 percent for President Bush in 2004, and the ads could do more harm than good by linking the challenger to the liberal group. MoveOn bought ads in Culberson’s and five other districts. The spots focus on opposition to offshore drilling for oil. Skelly, who has called for lifting the ban on offshore drilling, says in the release that it is “time for MoveOn to move out of Texas.” “MoveOn’s opposition to drilling is 100 percent wrong, and so is John Culberson’s opposition to investment in renewable energy,” Skelly said. “We need a balanced solution to our energy challenges that includes both drilling for domestic oil and investment in renewables. We have to do it all.” MoveO...

It is nice to see real patriotism for a "change."

CNN: Democratic leaders hopeful that a deal to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan would mark an end to the deep division the controversy has brought to the party got some instant – and less than encouraging – feedback as they finalized the measure Saturday evening. As members of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws panel voted in favor of the measures, some supporters of Hillary Clinton's White House bid rose from their seats and began to shout “Don’t steal my vote!” and “Let’s go, McCain!” Several paced the back of the ballroom, yelling at the committee members and chanting “Denver! Denver!” – the site of this summer's Democratic presidential nominating convention. When Barack Obama’s name was mentioned, boos filled the room. "This motion will hijack, hijack, remove four delegates won by Hillary Clinton and most importantly reflect the preferences of 600,000 Michigan voters,” said Clinton senior adviser and RBC member Harold Ickes, who added t...

San Francisco Chronicle /Houston Chronicle: Presidential candidates rarely turn down a network television interview, especially on a highly rated program. But some prominent liberals are wondering why Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama agreed this week to sit down for interviews on the Fox News Channel, for years the highest rated cable news network and the bastion of conservative TV news analysis. The dilemma for the candidates: Is appearing on Fox a smart political move before Democratic primaries in two largely conservative states — Indiana and North Carolina — or not worth the effort to court what could be a small amount of persuadable Republican voters? "I understand the need to reach out to different audiences," said Robert Greenwald, the director of Outfoxed , a 2004 film that described Fox as a Republican mouthpiece. He also produces an online series of Fox Attacks videos that chronicle the network's coverage of African Americans, Obama and Clinton. ...

Washington Times: Liberal bloggers are in an uproar over the revelation that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton bashed MoveOn.org while asking donors for money at a private fundraiser. Mrs. Clinton said the liberal group — which was formed to help her husband fight off impeachment but now backs the presidential candidacy of her rival, Sen. Barack Obama — had "flooded" party caucuses and tried to "intimidate" her supporters. Activists wrote on the Internet that Mrs. Clinton has alienated a key part of the Democratic base in advance of Tuesday's make-or-break Pennsylvania primary, though new national polls suggest she is experiencing a rebound among primary voters after trailing Mr. Obama for weeks. In her remarks to donors in February, Mrs. Clinton falsely said MoveOn had opposed the war in Afghanistan and said she disagrees with the group's foreign-policy stance even though she courted its endorsement. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it bring...

Amanda Carpenter: MoveOn.org claims more than 15,000 veterans and military families have signed their petition that demands Democratic senators running for President filibuster unpassed spending bills until a withdrawal date is set for troops to leave Iraq. "Americans elected a Democratic Congress in 2006 to end the war in Iraq. A blank check for billions in war funding moves us in the wrong direction," said Nita Chaudhary, Campaign Director on Iraq for MoveOn, according to reports from The Hill and Politico. "Majority Leader Reid and the Democratic leadership should hold the line they've drawn: no war funding without a timeline to end the war.” MoveOn.org is targeting Sen. Joe Biden (D.-Del.), Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y), Sen. Chris Dodd (D.-Conn.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D.-Ill.). MoveOn.org says they will be delivering their petitions to the Democratic senators’ Capitol Hill offices on Monday. In September, MoveOn purchased a controversial advertisement that c...

Robert Cox: Internal documents obtained by The Examiner shine new light on MoveOn.org’s “General Betray Us” ad and raise fresh questions about the far-left advocacy group’s misleading statements on the issue and its relationship with Google, a major donor to its political action committee. The documents show how MoveOn.org used dubious claims of trademark infringement and threats of litigation to silence critics of its recent controversial full-page ad in The New York Times attacking Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Iraq, which appeared the day he was testifying before Congress on the war effort. Among those critics was Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is seeking a third term. ... Jennifer Lindenauer, MoveOn.org’s communications director, likewise sought to create distance between the trademark complaint and the “General Betray Us” controversy. According to an Oct. 15 Wired magazine report, Lindenauer said MoveOn.org filed its complaint with Google to prevent “fraudster...

Robert Cox: Facing a barrage of criticism in the wake of an Examiner report that Google had blocked negative ads at its request, MoveOn.org backed down earlier this week, withdrawing its claim of trademark infringement and renouncing the Google policy it had exploited to preemptively block the ads. The ads, critical of the “General Betray Us” message MoveOn placed in The New York Times last month, were placed by the campaign of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. When asked to comment, Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich said, “MoveOn was one of several trademark owners to have a standing request” and, when the ad came to Google’s attention, the request was acted upon. Kovacevich later acknowledged he does not actually know how many other trademark owners have such a “standing request” on file with Google. A review of official policies on the Google Web site makes it difficult to understand just how MoveOn made its request in the first place. Google’s “Trademark Complaint Procedures” refers to c...

Michelle Malkin: Quoted material removed. You may read the original at the link above. The group has redone its merchandise to spoof the MoveOn legal strategy. Their new merchandise refers to "THE GROUP THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED." Whether people will associate that with MoveOn will probably depend on the reaction. What it will probably do is generate questions that will result in more negative reactions to "THE GROUP THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED," o.e. MoveOn. They are easily the most reprehensible group in America right now.

Washington Times: Capitol Hill Republicans are getting a much-needed fundraising boost from a newspaper advertisement in which the liberal group MoveOn.org accused Iraq war commander Gen. David H. Petraeus of lying, strategists say. Republican candidates and party committees are frequently citing the ad in fundraising solicitations and campaign materials to attack Democratic opponents for not condemning the ad, which was published in the New York Times three weeks ago today. While it's too early to tell how much money Republicans have raised using the tactic, party spokesmen say it has been an effective fundraising tool. "The [MoveOn ad] issue is very hot with our base right now," said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher. "We are using the controversy to reinforce our message that the Democrats in the Senate are beholden to the liberal wing of the party — and this is a perfect example of [their] pandering to the extreme wing." The...

George Will: ... In June, the Times was in high dudgeon -- it knows no other degree of dudgeon -- about the Supreme Court's refusal to affirm a far-reaching government power to suppress political speech. The court ruled that a small group of Wisconsin residents had been improperly refused the right to run an issue advocacy ad urging the state's two senators not to filibuster the president's judicial nominees. ... Less than three months after the Times excoriated the court for weakening restrictions on issue ads, the paper made a huge and patently illegal contribution to MoveOn.org's issue advocacy ad. The American Conservative Union, under Chairman David Keene, immediately filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission , noting that the purchaser of the ad, MoveOn.org Political Action, is a registered multicandidate political committee regulated by the mare's-nest of federal laws and rules the multiplication of which has so gladdened the Times. ... Publish...