Republicans confronted by constituents at town halls? Wall Street to the rescue!

[sasha031]

Having bought and paid for a whole slew of new Republican members of Congress, apparently Wall Street feels they have to protect them from disgruntled constituents, as well. They're trying to stack the decks at town hall meetings with conservative activists asking softball quesitons. Slate’s Dave Weigel reports that American Action Network, a relatively new conservative front group founded by a group of Wall Street bankers, is loading up conservative activists with softball questions and talking points to bolster Republican lawmakers on the Ryan plan:

Meanwhile, the American Action Network, the think tank and campaign shop run by former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, is making Ryan budget talking points and questions available for conservatives who want to buck up their members.American Action Network did not return ThinkProgress’ request for more information on the budget talking points. As we reported last year, the group was founded by investment banker Ken Langone, former Goldman Sachs executive Robert Steel, and investor and former Nixon official Fred Malek.

If the tough questioning of these Republicans at town meetings continues, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the Koch/Fox/Armey network really engage, and start busing in their minions to try to outnumber and shout down others. It's their playbook, after all, and they have an investment to protect, an investment that is working out for them so far: The Ryan plan repeals provisions in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law that allow "the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to designate some firms as systemically significant and subject them to stiffer regulation"— a major reform Wall Street has lobbied aggressively to stop. The American Action Network board features a number of executives and lobbyists with a potential interest in rolling back financial regulations.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/22/969396/-Republicans-confronted-by-constituents-at-town-halls-Wall-Street-to-the-rescue!?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29&utm_content=Twitt

[MedleyMisty]

1. They project everything

Thus all the talk about outside interests and bussing in thugs from out of state in Wisconsin. Because that is exactly what they're doing.

If you want to know what they're doing, look at what they accuse others of doing. My mother taught me this very early in life - "Whenever someone talks about someone else, they're really talking about themselves."

[sasha031]

2. it's called projection, they do it all the time

[Frank Ness]

3. Nader said it the best....

'We have a two party dictatorship'


Wall St and Corporate America control this country through their bought and paid for politicians, Dodd and Frank included.

Like the one prophetic smurf said... 'we're doomed'

[CoffeeCat]

4. Is anything real anymore? Anything not staged?

Jebus. What is left?

Forget the Sunday talk shows. Those are stacked with political shills who are in on the fix. Now,
town-hall meetings aren't even real--they're stacked with operatives asking fake questions. And look
at the Koch Brothers and their financing of the tea party. Entire movements are funded and leveraged by
dirty corporate money that will be used to dismantle our democracy.

These people even fund riots--don't forget the Brooks Brothers debacle. What a joke.

Is there anything that is truly organic these days, or is it all synthetic, corporate-funded baloney?

[OHdem10]

5. They did not get there in time for some Republicans. Both

Tweety and Rachel showed parts of tapes from some
Republicans Meetings and their audience is up in arms
angry over the Tax cuts for the rich and changing
Medicare.

[upi402]

6. Astro turf thugs will be deployed to counter them

I agree. It's how they roll.

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. Potemkin Village Idiots

Nothing new with that.

[butterfly77]

8. Kicked&Recommended...