Americans for Prosperity

What happens when you cross a slick city talker like Pat McCrory up with a snake oil salesman like Dallas (Not the Busdriver) Woodhouse with an unlimited supply of Art Pope's money?

Why you get grassroots! Just ask 'em!

(This via email.)
Section of Ethics Bill that would raise taxes and fees to fund political campaigns removed from bill after massive grassroots uprising

Taxpayers will save millions of dollars that would have been spent on political campaigns after a grassroots uprising lead by Americans for Prosperity along with Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory caused state senate democratic leaders to pull the controversial “welfare for politicians” section out of the ethics bill.

If you can stomach it:

Join Americans for Prosperity and The Civitas Institute for a Telephone Town Hall tonight (Tuesday May 18th)

Call to be held tonight at 7:45 PM

Americans for Prosperity and
John William Pope Civitas Institute
Present a Telephone Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, May 18th 2010 at 7:45 PM
Join us!
877-229-8493 I.D. code 13127

Call to Provide Valuable Information about Tea Party Movement, 2010 Elections and Eastern North Carolina Tea Party Summit

Francis X. De Luca, President of the John William Pope Civitas Institute, and Dallas Woodhouse, North Carolina State Director of Americans For Prosperity will host a free telephone town hall meeting to discuss the latest political developments, the current state legislative session, the 2010 elections and this weekend’s Eastern North Carolina Tea Party Summit in Wilmington, North Carolina.

70% of Onslow County voters said "yes" to a sales tax increase:

The commissioner’s sales tax hike pitch overtook a campaign by the Americans For Prosperity, which came out swinging against the increase when commissioners revealed their plan to spend half the revenue on schools and public safety.

And the punchline: 2/3 of the voters who turned out were Republicans...

For now it's mostly a case of "she said he said", but it looks like the fat pink pig has strayed into the election garden:

Miller posted an attack of Rudy on her website, claiming Rudy used AFP funds to raise $25,000 for local developer Martin Aragona Jr. who is running against Miller.

What was it Dallas said the other day?

Today we'll explore the inner workings and hidden mechanisms behind the Puppetmaster's remarkable empire. For those unfamiliar with the Show, it's helpful to think of a three ring circus.

In the main ring, of course, is the inimitable John Locke Foundation. Staffed by a core of self-styled free-market extremists, JLF cranks out propaganda like a photocopying machine, regurgitating five sets of pseudo-Libertarian talking points shamelessly. Taxes bad. Freedom good. Public education sucks. Government planning destroys value. Poor people get what they deserve. I say "pseudo" Libertarian because JLF rarely takes on anti-freedom forces in the personal responsibility arena. For example, their silence on America's insane war on drugs is all but deafening.

By unanimous proclamation, I welcome you to BlueNC's inaugural Puppetshow Awareness Week (PAW). Timed to coincide with the annual frenzy of right-wing lying about taxes in our state, PAW celebrates all manner of spin, exaggeration, lies, damn lies and statistics foisted by the Puppetmaster's minions on North Carolina policy makers, journalists and citizens at large.

For those unfamiliar with the enormous and toxic reach of the Puppetmaster, otherwise known as the Art Pope, the knight of the right, today's PAW post is a short course on his history of meddling and peddling in North Carolina politics. Please follow me below the fold for a deep dive into the wild world of political puppetry. To my knowledge.

From Rob Christensen via the Dome:

The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the conservative anti-tax, smaller government group, is trying to get the North Carolina Tea Party movement organized.

The Raleigh-based chapter is organizing two "North Carolina Tea Party Summits" — one in Hickory and one in Wilmington to help galvanize the movement, Rob Christensen reports.

The word is that tea bag protesters will be in Lillington around 11:30 at the Bob Etheridge office just as they did last week in Raleigh. I am assuming this is more of Art Pope's astroturf nonsense. Why aren't these people at work on a Tuesday morning. Must be a shiftless bunch of trouble causers. My guess is this is some sort of effort to give Ellmers (one of the R's running in the 2nd) a chance to grandstand a little and get her picture and a few well crafted comments in the right wing daily, The Dunn Daily Record.

Why wait for the voters to decide, when you can vote them out with a piece of paper:

The Americans for Prosperity drafted a resolution calling for the resignation of all five Onslow County commissioners, who are Republican. The resolution claims commissioners have raised taxes, which is against the party platform, and attempted to suppress free speech about the issue at meetings.

AFP President Tye Rudy — who was nearly removed from the convention for being called out of order by Lamb — said he introduced the resolution to call for the commissioners’ resignations because “the officials are not living up to standards. And that upsets the electorate.”

Methinks taking away their right to choose their own government would upset the electorate quite a bit more...

From Chris' keyboard to your eyes

The private sector cannot maintain a safety net. For-profit companies have no interest. Non-profits have no money. It is our government that must take care of people who desperately need help, who show up at free clinics and homeless shelters. No other institution can do it.

Things would be much worse if lawmakers had listened to demands to resist any tax increases and only slashed and burned to address the state budget crisis. That’s little solace to the people now being turned away when they seek help. But at the very least, their pain ought to be enough to dismiss the ludicrous claims of those traveling around the state telling people that taxes did not have to be raised. The truth is they were not raised enough to prevent the suffering that is our shame.