Sponsored Protests: The New Rage

Taking a page from protest annals, and in particular “How to disrupt a meeting 101”, health industry lobbyists, in an effort to derail health care reform initiatives, have organized and trained loud, belligerent hecklers who are attending constituent meetings held by members of the U.S. Congress all over the country. Their purpose is to cause disruption, shut down civic discourse, and “rattle” Democratic leaders. Calling it “orchestrated outrage” Rachel Maddow discussed this phenomenon on her MSNBC show last night:

GOP Thugishness