Republicans Claim White House Tip Line An Obama Enemies List

Republican lawmakers are up in arms over the White House efforts to fight disinformation about the president's health care proposals. In a blog post, White House Director of New Media Macon Phillips asked people to report any stories floating around online that seemed "fishy" so they could rebut the false ones

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to [e-mail].

GOP officials have taken the campaign personally. In a letter to the president, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wrote:

By requesting that citizens send "fishy" emails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House. You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.

I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House. I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program--and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.

Of course, Cornyn was a staunch defender of President Bush's domestic spying program.

And Joe Pounder from House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) office implied that they could be muzzled in an email: "This morning, the White House posted on their blog a note asking Americans to report anything they get or see about health care reform 'that seems fishy.' We'll keep sending stuff out but if we stop..."

However, RedState founder Erick Erickson claimed that "given the near certainty that no one will be stripping from e-mails the names of the people forwarding on the information, the White House is most likely engaged in illegal activity."

The White House says they are not compiling any email lists -- merely gathering the rumors so they know what's out there.

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Comments

[vigilocanis]

With all the self described intelligent commenters on site, would anyone know which department in
DC is charged with keeping inventory on the email addresses and other information of those who have been reported for making "fishy" comments.

I find myself in complete agreement this rare time with the ACLU on this subject. I just received my email from David Axelrod asking me to help spread the "truth" about Obamacare, which presupposes that any other opinion is a lie. Liberal and conservatives alike should unite on the attempt to intimidate free speech opposition to this program.

I want to file a Freedom of Information request to see if my blog site has been reported and no one seems to know who is in charge of keeping the "fishy" misinformation purveyors list. Any serious suggestions? I have spoken to the FOIA representative at ONB and she does not know.

[retwo]

I sent this link to the WH fishy link address:

www.huffingtonpost.com

[Bubba Gump]

LOL! I bet that will make some junior bureaucrat's weekend!

[flossophy]

"Smells Like Teenage H|t|ler Spirit"

-Karl Sta|cain

[worldaflame]

The whole "fishy information" idea is politically tone deaf, and provides way more powder to the enemies of the administration that it is worth. Why is the administration shooting itself in the foot like this?

[CrackerJacker]

I love how the GOP read something saying "Tell us if someone's telling lies about us and our proposals", and went to "They're trying to shut us up!", as if ignoring the fact that they are actually spreading lies makes it easier for people to believe they're being victimised.

[Debbie1996]

If you hear something fishy in a casual conversation send an email to the white house - yes it's amazing that people are concerned about this.

[BlackYowe]

Hey GOP are we projecting again?

[mockley]

This is so rich coming from the party of wiretaps and hit lists. But nothing surprises me anymore from these guys.
They just don't seem to get that all this will be used against them next elections.

[henrypapillon]

Didja ever notice that when the Republicans do something immoral or illegal or unethical they accuse the other guys of doing it to deflect attention from their own shoddy behavior?

[peacethinker]

Good thing much of the right-wingers are old with one foot in the grave ... and that many young people are voting now days :) ... we need to keep progress moving and get more left leaning politicians in office ... there's way too many corporate shills in the House and Senate ... they're supposed to protect the mass of citizens, not the wealthy minority

[JeZeus]

The White House is doing nothing illegal. These e-mails and websites are out there. If you don't want them to be sent to the White House where they can be countered, THEN DON"T LIE. As long as the White House does not use the identity of the e-mailer of origin or the owner of the websites to attack them personally then there is not problem. Sen. Cornyn and the GOP are simply stoking the irrational hear of people who will believe anything they say, namely GOP voters.

Let's remember who the original brownshirts were in American. McCarthy and his legions followed by Limbaugh's dittoheads.

[liberalbug]

Cornyn does not care about any one on any particular list. He cares about scoring political points. He sees himself as a future W and is merely self interested here, as if that were not completely evident.

[wndrwrthg]

"He's got 'em on the list--he's got 'em on the list;
And they'll none of 'em be missed--they'll none of
'em be missed".
The Mikado
Gilbert and Sullivan

[ThermoChemist]

"He's making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice"

-- "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"

[LyssaBarnes]

Don't do drugs, drugs are bad, mkay?

Correct me if I am wrong, but when I post something online or send an email, I would no longer consider that private.

[osage]

THE BLUEPRINT THAT TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERSHIP IS FOLLOWING TO CREATE BIRTHERS.............

“Propaganda must always address itself to the broad masses of the people. (...) All propaganda must be presented in a popular form and must fix its intellectual level so as not to be above the heads of the least intellectual of those to whom it is directed. (...) The art of propaganda consists precisely in being able to awaken the imagination of the public through an appeal to their feelings, in finding the appropriate psychological form that will arrest the attention and appeal to the hearts of the national masses. The broad masses of the people are not made up of diplomats or professors of public jurisprudence nor simply of persons who are able to form reasoned judgment in given cases, but a vacillating crowd of human children who are constantly wavering between one idea and another. (...) The great majority of a nation is so feminine in its character and outlook that its thought and conduct are ruled by sentiment rather than by sober reasoning. This sentiment, however, is not complex, but simple and consistent. It is not highly differentiated, but has only the negative and positive notions of love and hatred, right and wrong, truth and falsehood.” – Adolph Hitler from Mein Kampf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_propaganda

[ThermoChemist]

Similarly, they often use some of the SAME techniques used by those giving sermons to CHILDREN (ie. words less than 3 syllables, using props, etc.). [Pandering to the intellect of their base; or simply ridiculing their base..?]

Children’s Sermons
http://sundayresources.net/neil/2009/05/17/7-tips-to-better-childrens-sermons/

2. Remember they are children.
Developmentally speaking, if any of your words have more than 3 syllables, your words probably won’t be understood...simplify your vocabulary, grammar, and concepts.
[the infamous GOP "sloganeering..!]

4. Avoid metaphors and object lessons. [Hannity's Liberty Tree? Becks 9/12 Project?]
Object lessons are easily identified by their “like” statements, as in, “I brought in this rock today to illustrate the point that God is like a rock in our lives.” The problem is that to a Kindergartner who thinks “concretely”
-you have just taught them that God is a hard piece of stone and looks grey. Their MINDS CANNOT MAKE THE MENTAL LEAP with you in the short time provided. Instead, USE OBJECTS for what they are and avoid attaching symbolic meaning to them.

5. Tell stories.
FOX News is ALWAYS telling "whoppers"..! [Obama Baby-mama? Terrorist Fist Bump? etc.]

6. Use props in your story.
Props focus their attention. (Their eyes will even track the prop as you move it) Props also put the storyteller at ease. [Becks "dolls"]

7. Last but certainly not least, make sure your message is God-centered.

[osage]

Agreed. Today's Republican leaders are employing the same techniques that Jim Jones, David Karesh and even Charles Manson employed to create a cultist following of pliable and complicit worshipers who blindly accept the distorted values, histrionic preachings and maliciously destructive orders of a deified false father figure.

[baddadd49]

We all know Germany did the very same thing, spying on your neighbor for shame,were is the ACLU?
The congress passe a law against this type of illegal behavior I say if anyone is contatced because of fishy emails sue obama personally.

[mrh3]

What changed Germany was the Brown Shirts. They intimidated their enemies by thugish behaior and shut down debate. They spread lies and crippled democracy.

[baddadd49]

You mean like sending the afl/cio to intimidate Americans, and sending acorn to bankers home in busloads, yes obamas brown shirts are coming out in full force, we already know tghe brown shirts in the media,msnbc,nbc,abc,cbs,cnn,npr and of course the leader rahm, obamas little lap dog ballerina.

[mrh3]

Let the light shine and the people decide.

[Steve Magruder]

Stop trying to derail our right to health care, and we'll stop spying on you. Trade?

[baddadd49]

health care is not a right there libbie, and see how this backfires on obama and then get back to me.

[Phxflyer]

Where were you when Bush was pushing, and getting, permission for domestic surveillance.

Your outrage, not to mention your integrity, is about dime deep.

[baddadd49]

he sought permission from congress, obama just went ahead and did it, big difference and why is it everything muct be compared to Bush, is it because you talking points dictate that?or is it just because thats all you little libbies got?

blame bush brawck
blame bush brawck
pathetic really

[DragonflyChase]

We all know [insert talking point lie here]

Most Americans believe [insert talking point lie here]

At the end of the day [insert talking point lie here]

The bottom line is [insert talking point lie here]

Everyone believes that [insert talking point lie here]

[StillAmused]

We'll pass your name along to the ACLU since you're such a fan.

Maybe they'll give you an honorary membership.

'Course, none of your friends at the bowling alley will talk to you anymore.