Koch Brothers Are Openly Funding an Astroturf Protest Against Occupy Wall St.

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/obscene-villains-democracy-koch-brothers-are-openly-funding-astroturf-protest

The Obscene Villains of Democracy, Koch Brothers Are Openly Funding an Astroturf Protest Against Occupy Wall St.



An activist group founded by the notorious Koch brothers is holding a demonstration in Midtown on Thursday to voice its opposition to President Barack Obama’s economic policies and to stand up to the “Occupy Wall Street mob,” according to a press release.

Activists from Americans for Prosperity plan to protest this Thursday morning outside the Time-Life building as part of group’s Failing Agenda Bus Tour, which is devoted to urging President Barack Obama to shun policies that increase the nation’s debt . Despite the group’s billionaire backers, the AFP describes itself as a grass roots organization. It has more than 2 million supporters nationwide.

In addition to the bus tour, the Americans for Prosperity is launching a $25 million ad campaign in support of Mitt Romney’s presidential candidacy next week, according to the Huffington Post. The group has already spent $15 million on ads attacking President Obama.

A spokesman for the group’s New Jersey chapter said the demonstration would serve as an opportunity to disavow Occupy Wall Street, the movement that professes to advocate for the 99 percent.

[Vogon_Glory]

1. How Much Will The Stand-Ins Be Paid?

If the Koch brothers expect the credulous and inattentive news-critters from the hinterlands to take their demonstration seriously, they'll have to fluff up their crowd. I expect that will require paid stand-ins.

Will the Koch brothers pay their stand-ins and extras union scale or minimum wage?

[rfranklin]

2. Appropriate that their backers amount to less than one percent of the population...

and that is probably an exaggeration.

[Caretha]

3. Good!

They are pooring money down a sink-hole. Let them continue financing the looser Rmoney and paying astro-turfers. It's not going to work this time, it's so passe.

[VWolf]

4. "Failing Agenda Bus Tour"

What a crappy name. It's generally not a good idea to use the word "Failing", even if it's meant to define the other side. Think about it. When spoken, it could be interpreted as "Failing Agenda Bus Tour" or failing "Agenda Bus Tour".

I guess money can't buy marketing smarts.

[NoPasaran]

11. Sounds like "Americans For Failure"

Ooooh, where do I sign up for failure?

[lastlib]

16. Be careful--Republicans want to tax it.....

I think they want a progressive tax on income you FAILED to earn.........

[qb]

5. Occupy can use some free advertising.

I would think the truism for celebrities can be applied here: Any exposure, positive or negative, is good.

[KurtNYC]

6. here come the Port-a-Johns

[mmonk]

7. Bring it on astroturf stooges.

[Billsmile]

8. Bloomberg's Army Will Be Busy!

Protecting these "grass roots" citizens from the truth.

My guess is that none of these folks will be arrested.

[marble falls]

9. And its called the Tea Party.

[DebJ]

10. Wow, so the Koch brothers see a threat in Occupy...good news in an odd kind of way. n/t

[Patiod]

12. I got a (taped) call for this!

Well, the landline to our house did. It was talking about joining an "Americans For Prosperity" bus tour, and I hung up.

I could be wrong, but I think they used Rick Perry as the person calling

[Mopar151]

13. A seat on the bus, a place to sleep, and meal money

Howcum our side does'nt have an embedded source>? My best guess is that anyone with a scrap of decency would flee screaming at the first fuel stop, to escape their fellow "campaigners" - I know I would!

[JDPriestly]

14. It will be interesting to see how the police react when the anti-Occupiers try to stay the night.

Wonder how many middle-of-the-night arrests there will be?

What's that you said? They only plan to demonstrate for a few hours?

Are they really protesting against the Occupiers?

Or just trying to get attention?

The 99%ers stayed the night in tents -- for months.

The 1%ers will stay in hotels and houses -- just long enough to take in a Broadway show and do some shopping.

[starroute]

15. They're rallying at Rockefeller Center -- how appropriate

Doesn't that just scream 1%?

http://americansforprosperity.org/new-york/newsroom/obamas-failing-bus-tour-comes-to-new-york/

7:30 AM EST: Arrive at rally location - 1271 6thAvenue
(West side of 6th Avenue across from SNY studios)

10:00-10:30 AM EST: Rally begins at Rockefeller Center


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-Life_Building

The Time-Life Building, located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue) in Rockefeller Center in New York opened in 1959 and was designed by the Rockefeller family's architect Wallace Harrison, of Harrison, Abramovitz, and Harris.[1]The Time & Life Building was the first of four buildings in Rockefeller Center located on the west side of Sixth Avenue.

[xchrom]

17. +1