Curious.

You are all having so much fun finding reasons to despise evil capitalist corporations like Coca Cola, Intuit, and Microsoft that not one of you has stopped to ask who is funding the smear campaign against ALEC, or why.

Similar to the way in which none of Occupy Wall Street's apologists even once backs up to ask who funds it, or why.

Similar to the way in which no one caught up in the crusade against Krony stops to analyze how they suddenly know a tiny little bit about how awful he is, even though he has been awful for decades.

Big Trobbing is correct: the smear campaign against ALEC is a coordinated muzzling of First Amendment rights. There is a good editorial in the WSJ on who is funding it and why. Tuesday or Wednesday, I think. Not that it matters.

Public apology to poor wittle Kimi and her teensy wittle bwain, if this post is boring. And apologies to poor wittle Stumbler, if it's too compwicated and just pwain dumb.

 

First Amendment Rights Only for the Left? You Bet.

REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Updated April 18, 2012, 6:59 p.m. ET

Shutting Down ALEC
Playing the race card to silence a free-market policy voice.


Is it suddenly disreputable to advocate free-market policies? That's the question raised by a remarkable political assault on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which promotes reform in the 50 states. Led by former White House aide Van Jones, various left-wing activists and media are bullying big business to cut off ALEC's funding. So much for free and open debate.

Founded in 1973, ALEC is a group of state lawmakers who meet to share and spread conservative policy ideas. ALEC's main focus is fiscal and economic policy, notably at the moment pension and lawsuit reform, tax and spending limitation, and school choice. For years it labored in obscurity, its influence rising or falling with the public mood. But after conservatives made record gains in state legislatures in 2010, the left began to target ALEC for destruction.
***

Enter Mr. Jones and his Color of Change movement, which has ginned up a campaign to portray ALEC as racist and unworthy of business support. The evidence? Well, it seems that ALEC has supported—brace yourself—voter ID laws. It has also endorsed so-called "stand your ground" laws that have become controversial in the wake of the Trayvon Martin killing in Florida.

Roughly half the states have passed some form of voter ID law, polls show the public overwhelmingly supports them, there's no evidence they suppress minority turnout, and the Supreme Court has declared a model Indiana ID law to be constitutional.

But on its website, Color of Change nonetheless accuses ALEC of "trying to stop Black people, other people of color, young people, and the elderly from voting—and now some of America's biggest companies are helping them do it."



Close



Associated Press/The Oregonian, Benjamin Brink
A Feb. 29 march was to raise awareness of ALEC in Portland, Ore.



In a letter typical of its anti-ALEC campaign, Color of Change urged its 85,000 members to write Coca-Cola and demand that the company stop donating to ALEC. "We contacted Coca-Cola to make sure they understand that through their membership in ALEC, they are supporting racially-discriminatory voter ID laws that have the potential to disenfranchise over 5 million people in the upcoming elections," Color of Change wrote.

The letter also denounced ALEC for supporting Florida's "'Shoot First' law," though similar stand-your-ground laws have passed in some 26 states and have been signed by such former Democratic Governors as Janet Napolitano in Arizona (now U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security) and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan. Are they racist too?

After it is done playing the race card, the Color of Change letter finally gets to its real political agenda by citing ALEC's support for legislation "to privatize education, and to break unions."

Color of Change and outfits like the Center for Media and Democracy are playing up the race angle because they know it has the most potential to spook big businesses. If they merely fought against tax cuts or school choice, the companies would ignore them. But if you shout "racism" in a crowded marketplace, most CEOs duck and cover.

And sure enough, Coca-Cola quickly announced it would stop its $25,000 donation to ALEC, saying in a statement that "Our involvement with ALEC was focused on efforts to oppose discriminatory food and beverage taxes, not on issues that have no direct bearing on our business." So Coke executives are happy to get ALEC's help in their self-interest but head for the tall grass when ALEC needs a friend.
Related Video


Editorial board member Steve Moore on how left-wing activists have cowed Coca-Cola and other businesses into dropping out of ALEC. Photo: Getty Images





</DIV>Several other companies have also announced they won't donate to ALEC in the future, including Mars, Wendy's and Kraft. The Gates Foundation donated to ALEC to promote school reform, but in the wake of the left-wing attacks it has also announced it won't again. The likes of AT&T, Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson and State Farm have so far withstood the attacks, to their credit.

If they do cut off ALEC, these companies will be abandoning one of the few voices in state capitals that supports free-market policies.

(Disclosure: One of our editorial board members, Stephen Moore, is the co-author of a study distributed by ALEC comparing the economic performance of various states. He was not compensated for the work.)

ALEC's 2,000 legislator members chip in $50 a year, but donations make up the rest of its meager $7 million annual budget. Contrast that to the tens of millions that teachers unions are investing in Wisconsin to recall Governor Scott Walker. Or all the corporate cash that flows to Planned Parenthood, the NAACP, green groups and other liberal lobbies for higher taxes and more regulation.

ALEC is feeling enough pressure that late Tuesday it announced it is disbanding its Public Safety and Elections task force that dealt with non-economic issues. This may be prudent politically to prevent a further decline in its business funding, but it's a shame to see the group bend to such pressure.
***

The ugly, race-baiting anti-ALEC campaign is typical of today's liberal activism. It's akin to the campaigns to smear libertarian donors Charles and David Koch and to exploit shareholder proxies to stop companies from giving to political campaigns or even the Chamber of Commerce.

The left these days isn't content merely to fight on the merits in legislatures or during elections. If they lose, they resort to demonizing opponents and trying to shut them down. The business community had better understand that ALEC won't be the last target.

A version of this article appeared April 18, 2012, on page A16 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Shutting Down ALEC.

 

Here's what makes me laugh. For the past 30 years the American Legislative Exchange Council has been the most successful and influential special interest group in the country. And not just in the interest of better business. In fact ALEC has accomplished things like both creating our private prison industry and then writing the laws that insures they stay full and profitable. ALEC has also been successful at pushing the conservative/Republican/Tea Party social agenda as well as the union busting and end public education agenda's. ALEC is heavily funded by the Koch Brothers and closely associated with the Heritage Foundation and CATO institute as well. All of which is perfectly within ALEC's and its member's rights and no one I know of is disputing that.

However, a very great part of ALEC's success was that rather than labor in obscurity it was more like conspiring in secrecy and writing "model legislation" they hoped to implement in all 50 states. And I think one would be hard placed to explain how voter suppression laws aid the economy, or how stand your ground laws helps businesses other than gun dealers?

But again no one I know of has said ALEC and its members don't have constitutional rights to do exactly that.

The only thing that has changed is the voter suppression laws, and union busting laws are rightfully very controversial and got traced back to ALEC so they were already receiving some exposure which this thread testifies to. And then of course Trayvon Martin was killed and a national spot light descended on both the Stand Your Ground Laws and ALEC taking that law and turning it into model legislation for something like 25 other states.

And here is where the grand and quite laughable hypocrisy of the right comes in. They are at the same time screaming hysterically that ALEC's right to free speech is being threatened or violated, when that is not the case, and at the same time contending that those groups and individuals who oppose these kinds of laws don't have a right to their free speech of asking ALEC's corporate members if they really want to be associated with voter suppression of minorities and laws that get 17 year-old unarmed kids killed?

That's all that really happened. ALEC has been exposed and public exposure to ALEC is like sunlight to a vampire which in this case is the best disinfectant.

 

What a joke the commies are after ALEX that did good for the country and the commies have soros who destroys the monetary of countries. Yea I can see how ALEX is so bad LOL What a joke you ass wipes are.

 

No you don't grandma ........... I mean BigSobbing, you can't even spell it right.

But tell you what if you believe George Soros is that bad then by all means boycott him and all his products. That's you're right just like its my right to protest against ALEC.

 

Since you brought up George Soros how about telling not only the truth about him but the lies and liars of Fox News as well?

Jewish Justice Organization Condemns Ailes Following Gawker Publication Of Emails On Soros

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201204190016

 

You might have heard that Florida Governor Rick Scott has formed a task force to look at Florida's "stand your ground law."

So now let's take a look at what a joke that task force really is.

Half The Lawmakers On Florida ‘Stand Your Ground’ Task Force Are ALEC Members, All Supported Stand Your Ground

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/20...alec-members-all-supported-stand-your-ground/

​

 

It is your right I never said it was not. As for soros what dose he make?? Other then fucking with currencies he is useless as a man Just like you.

 

Oh medai matter huh. You asshole.

Here is part from wikipedia "Soros was thirteen years old in March 1944 when Nazi Germany occupied Hungary.[14] Soros took a job with the Jewish Council,[10] which had been established during the Nazi occupation of Hungary, to carry out Nazi and Hungarian government anti-Jewish measures.[15][16] Soros later described this time to writer Michael Lewis:

And here is the link:::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros

You have one that says one thing and I have the other side so as far as I am concerned your the brain damaged ass hole so fuck you. And the link I gave was from a book written on him. You narrow minded fuck

soros is an ass hole and I am sure you have licked his balls while your wife watched and hoped that you would stay with him instead of going back to her. And lets not forget she has you in the basement in your underwear on the computer pulling your pud to photos of huffington.

 

You have Zimmerman convicted even before the trial. Hum what does that tell us about you??? That tells us that the huffington cunt media matters and all the other far left loon sites told you so. That says your a narrow minded person that refuses to think for yourself and that you took the shor bus for many many years.

 

Hey that's your problem BigSobbing. Me I kind of like the guy and like him donating to liberal causes so if you don't do your own homework.

And here's what Soros actually did for the Jewish council you total fraud because it comes from the same source you used.

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


Soros tried to warn Jews and was just a by stander as far as confiscating Jewish proper just like Media Matters said.

Nope you are just an hysterical liar BigSobbing that cannot deal with me or reality and so you have to make up stupid bullshit lies in your own head instead of dealing with what I actually say.

I'm on record lots of places on this forum saying George Zimmerman could very be found not guilty or even have the charges dismissed during the upcoming hearing required by the "stand your ground" law.

That's not even a trial. That's a hearing with a judge who could very well find the shooting falls under the stand your ground law and if it does he will dismiss the charges against Zimmerman before it even goes to trial.

PS I think its also worth pointing out that you're last made up statement doesn't have a damn thing to do with what I actually posted which is Gov Scott stacking the task force investigating Florida's stand your ground law with ALEC members and people who already supported the law. It makes the effort a joke and political posturing.

 

The Koch Brothers – Exposed!

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politic...-koch-brothers-exposed-20120420#ixzz1shS7HtCT
​

 

Conservative nonprofit ALEC acts as stealth business lobbyist

Membership includes nearly 2,000 state legislators — and corporations

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47131951/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/#.T5Qd3NWyFNo

 

You have no idea how hard my dick is right now, with all that legislation that ALEC has assisted with,,keep up ALL the good work you are doing buddy.:excited::excited::excited::excited:............

 

How about all the legislation ALEC is trying to run away from?

According to them they've dropped their entire social conservative agenda. But even so their corporate sponsors continue to flee and suddenly ALEC is becoming one of best known acronyms in the nation.

When in the past the greatest secret to ALEC's success is no one knew who they were or what they were doing. Now most the nation knows that for the most part all your Republican state legislator is is a mouth piece for ALEC and corporations.

Also the shit storm is spreading. You can't talk about ALEC without talking about the Koch Brothers. And if you're talking Kochs you've also got to talk about the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation. Suddenly this thing is as sticky as an oil spill.

And Ace ALEC has been at this for 40 years I think it is and call me ignorant but I'd never heard of them until I started this thread. So that's a lot of exposure in no more time than that. Not enough to destroy them I don't think but surely enough to make ALEC far less influential and successful than they have been up until now.

By the way though if you really want to help you can join Senator Chuck Grassely's Coca Cola boycott. Or boycott any of the other 11 corporations that have severed ties with ALEC.

PS I should clarify, however, that while I don't think even really bad public relations will cause the demise of ALEC that might not be true if ALEC loses its tax exempt status. I don't see how they can survive as an actual capitalists conservative organization instead of existing off government handouts and entitlements.

 

ALEC can do what ever they want, the corporations can do what ever they want,,if you dont like what your congressman/woman, or senator is doing with the 'ALEC legislation', you can vote them out.

By the way,,I've never heard of George Soros or CCX and their affiliates, until Obama got elected as U.S. president,,so dont feel to bad.

 

Really well when's the last time you heard anything about George Soros and I don't even recognize CCX so I'm still pretty sure we on the left are winning the public relations war at the present time at least.

Now are you going to join Grassley's boycott or not Ace?

Here's the story on it.

Chuck Grassley Advocates Boycott Of Coca-Cola To Punish Company For Leaving ALEC

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/20...coca-cola-to-punish-company-for-leaving-alec/

 

I'm very disappointed in Coca-Cola, but boycotting is not in my blood..

I like Grassley,,but he had no business advocating any boycotts,,it makes him sound like a screaming moonbat leftists.

 

Thanks for pointing out another of the lies of conservatism as it is preached and practiced in this nation.

Just like ALEC actually existing on government entitlements and corporate welfare.

But did you see this. ALEC is actually fucking you over right in your own state.

And then there's this.

http://www.commonblog.com/2012/04/22/new-york-times-exposes-alec/


I don't think you've heard the last one about that because the model legislation ALEC snuck in was supposed to require oil and gas companies to reveal what chemicals they are using during fracking and then hidden in the middle of the bill is the same exemptions oil and gas companies have now.


That one didn't go over too well.

 

So lets look at this, ALEX is bad, but obama pulling the permits for coal in PA is good??

obama is held under comtempt charges for not issuing permits for drilling in the Gulf by a judge in LA is that also OK so there are less jobs?? Perhaps he should let out the real unemployment numbers and also tell the public how many jobs are just gone never to return. Just like his jobs czar (emmelt) shipping jobs to China dam good jobs czar.

His refusal to issue permits but give Brazil 200BILLION to deep water drill and then this wipe says we will be your best customer?? What is wrong with the oil we have??

People can say what they want about ALEX BUT they created jobs and millions of them, on the other hand obama created or saves (how the hell do you count saved jobs) and his numbers are all shit. Like how he figures inflation without including food or energy, Tell that to the poor that are being killed with that cost.

obama is just a piece of shit he is nothing less then a communist and is intent on dragging America down because that is easier then helping the poor countries get up. And dam if we do not want obama to sweat working. Playing golf or flying around on vacations on our dime you liberals do not seem to mind.