SEIU buses in their protesters

[SurferGirl]

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/19/all-aboard-the-astroturf-bus/

All aboard the Astroturf bus!
By Michelle Malkin • August 19, 2009 11:17 AM

Chris Gautz of the Jackson (MI) Citizen Patriot reports that the SEIU and Organizing For America chartered buses from nearly 200 miles away to plant Obamacare supporters at a town hall meeting held by Democrat Rep. Mark Schauer.

All aboard the Astroturf bus:

Several readers have criticized the Citizen Patriot’s coverage of last week’s health-care rally outside U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer’s office, where hundreds came out — both to support and oppose — President Barack Obama’s reform plan.

The chief criticism was that we failed to mention that some supporters were bused in from around the state.

It is true, and it wasn’t included in the original story, but not because we were trying to slant coverage. The simple truth is it was a difficult fact to nail down.

You’re reading this story today because Tuesday I was able to confirm with the Service Employees International Union that it rented vans and encouraged people to carpool to the event. About 100 SEIU members attended, from as far away as Muskegon and Detroit, said Zac Altefogt, a spokesman for SEIU Healthcare Michigan.
OFA wasn’t very happy about being smoked out:

On Friday, we followed up with Organizing for America, which put out the call for supporters to attend the event. OFA state director Aletheia Henry assured us that her group had not bused people to the rally.

We wrote a short follow-up Saturday and thought it was resolved.

Then this week, some readers e-mailed us photos of supporters standing in front of a bus from Trinity Transportation parked several blocks away near Family Video, 1111 W. Ganson St.

My colleague followed up with Henry. We told her we understood OFA hadn’t chartered the buses, but we wondered if she knew who had. She refused to answer the question and then hung up the phone.

Seems like an overreaction to a news organization simply looking for a straight answer.

[gmyers]

Why park several blocks away and walk there unless they're trying to hide the fact that they're bussing people there. Why not be straight up and bring them directly there and drop them off at the townhall meeting. They're definitely trying to make people think more people support Obamas healthcare plan than really do.

[janelle]

I have a good reason for them when people ask who they are.

Tell the press----It's just Obama's new plan to get obese people to exercise. Have you seen those people who get off the buses? They could use a little exercise. Next time park the buses further away. LOL

[SurferGirl]

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/19/seiu-watch-obama-to-rouse-purple-army-in-special-conference-call/

SEIU Watch: Obama to rouse Purple Army in special conference call
By Michelle Malkin • August 19, 2009 02:20 PM Tomorrow, President Obama will host a conference call on his health care takeover plans with the SEIU’s Purple Army.

Here’s the message that went out today from radical leftist and SEIU thug-in-chief Andy Stern:

I’m getting on a call with President Obama tomorrow and I want you to join me.

The President is holding a live health care reform strategy meeting on Thursday at 2:30 pm EST. He’ll lay out our strategy and message going forward, and he’ll answer questions from SEIU activists and supporters like you.

Click here to RSVP and submit a question for President Obama: http://my.barackobama.com/forum

It’s impossible for me to tell you in an email how proud I am of the work SEIU members and health care activists are doing to advance real health reform. Everywhere Congress goes, we’re there to meet them. It’s driving our opponents crazy; I think that means we’re doing something right.

Join tomorrow’s call with the President and keep the momentum going: http://my.barackobama.com/forum

In a few weeks, Congress goes back to Washington and the final push for a health reform bill will be underway. Now, more than ever, we’ve got to be on the same page to create real change in the health care system for working families across the country.

I hope you’ll join the President and me tomorrow as we discuss how we’re going to get it done: http://my.barackobama.com/forum

Thanks,
Andy Stern
President, SEIU
They’ve got each others’ backs. I laid it all out in Chapter 7 of Culture of Corruption.

Always look for the union label.

The Purple Shirts are loading the buses to get to a congressional town hall near you.

And never forget Andy Stern’s organizing philosophy:

Asked about his organizing philosophy, Andy Stern summed it up this way: “[W]e prefer to use the power of persuasion, but if that doesn’t work we use the persuasion of power.”

[janelle]

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