Via email, I learned that a constituent of Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-7) called his office yesterday asking about public meetings regarding health care and was told there were none. But on the very same day, the following email was sent to the "Organizing for America" (Obama supporters) list (excess white space removed):
I wanted to send you an urgent invitation to an important public meeting with Rep. Ed Perlmutter tomorrow (Saturday, August 8th). He'll be talking to constituents and gathering feedback — this is an ideal opportunity to make sure your support for health insurance reform is seen and heard at exactly the right time.
Our congressional representatives are back home this month, and they're facing more and more pressure from special interests on health insurance reform. It's critical that we get out there and show them where we stand.
I hope you can join us.
What: Health Care Public Event with
Rep. Ed PerlmutterWhere: King Soopers
500 E. Bromley Lane
Brighton, CO 80601When: Saturday, August 8th
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.Our representatives are under attack by Washington insiders, insurance companies, and well-financed special interests who don't go a day without spreading lies and stirring up fear. We need to show that we're sick and tired of it, and that we're ready for real change, this year.
Please come to the public meeting, and make sure that the most powerful voices in this debate are those calling for real reform, not angrily clamoring for the status quo.
RSVP here:
http://co.barackobama.com/BrightonTH
Thanks,
Gabe
Gabe Lifton-Zoline
Colorado State Director
Organizing for AmericaP.S. — Before the event, please print off a flyer to display and make sure that your support is visible.
Notice that Lifton-Zoline has adopted Obama's favorite tactic, the straw man argument. I don't know of anyone who's "angrily clamoring for the status quo." I suppose the text is just lifted verbatim from some "talking points" document sent out to all the local Obamabots.
I just checked Perlmutter's website, and the event is listed on his schedule (I don't know how long it's been there). But there's no indication that it's concerned with health care. It's entitled "Government in the Grocery." Maybe I'm getting paranoid, but that actually sounds slightly ominous to me. Like the name of the Democrats' next big paternalistic program, designed to control what we eat.