Everyone’s Writing About CAP
That is why I was heartened to see the liberal Center for American Progress stating last week that, while the stimulus is vital to rescuing our economy, the size of projected budget deficits demand that we also start thinking about broad-based tax increases and reductions in some spending and entitlement programs supported by liberals.
And here’s Marc Ambinder:
Among the D[emocracy] A[alliance]’s success stories: it has contributed to CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which has used its money to harass Democrats and Republicans with ethics issues and whose investigation of contractors in Afghanistan have led to a review of State Department policies. Media Matters, a liberal press watchdog group, is bigger today than it was before the election. DA also helped fund the Center for American Progress, the uber-progressive think and action tank. Membership costs $55,000 for the first year and at least $30,000 per year after that.
CAP is a lead organization in the Health Care for America Now coalition, the so-called “grassroots” lobbying group for Obama’s health care takeover legislation run out of 1825 K Street in Washington, D.C., with a $40 million budget. CAP is also the parent group of Think Progress, the far-left website leading the smear campaign against fiscally conservative activists who protested at congressional town halls this summer. And several CAP alumni are now leading the Obamacare push at the Department of Health and Human Services, including special HHS assistant Michael Halle and HHS Director Jeanne Lambrew, a former senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who worked on health policy in the Clinton administration.
Apparently Halle was a CAP intern in 2007. So you can see everyone should apply to the program, since it’s apparently a one-way ticket to running the country.
23 Responses to “Everyone’s Writing About CAP”
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October 7th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid that woman is.
October 7th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Hey, Michelle Malkin hates your organization! That means you’re doing something right!
October 7th, 2009 at 10:26 am
“Far-left” of course means: to the left of the KKK.
the smear campaign against fiscally conservative activists who protested at congressional town halls this summer
It is Malkin who is smearing the teabaggers here; some of them want a fiscally responsible government. Conservatives like Reagan or Bush want giant deficits and tax cuts for the rich.
October 7th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I myself like FireDogLake’s classic “How to Do Stupid Smart:
The Center for American Progress Shows the Way”
at
http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/08/how-to-do-stupid-smart-the-center-for-american-progress-shows-the-way/
“But at the same time the document feels to me like one that was written by people playing “junior politician” who rather than attempting to create the best policy and sell it, were attempting to write the best policy that they believe is already salable to the powers that be in Washington and that also (but less importantly) has popular support. So, as a result, no tieing of trade policy to Cap and Trade; no real revision of IP laws; and no willingness to really tackle Pharma. …
…If CAP wants to write bad policy (their Cap and Trade proposal) or incomplete policy (their “innovation agenda”) for political reasons, I’d prefer they not write anything. Their Cap and Trade policy could actually lead to an increase in carbon dumping, for goodness sakes. And every time they say the words “progressive” over and over again and then actually suggest policy that is centrist, not progressive, they weaken the meaning of the word and move the Overton Window against progressives.”
October 7th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Uber progressive? Hardly, but now in the sweet spot of the money changing game.
2008 $219,511
2009 $762,636
That’s a sweet 247% increase.
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?year=2009&lname=Center+for+American+Progress&id=
October 7th, 2009 at 10:35 am
the liberal Center for American Progress
the uber-progressive think and action tank
the far-left website
These characterizations show just how captured-by-the-right American political discourse is.
reductions in some spending and entitlement programs supported by liberals.
Just what a “liberal” think tank would do.
October 7th, 2009 at 10:41 am
so where do I get a CAP cap?
October 7th, 2009 at 10:45 am
ron, “liberals” also supported the Iraq War and the Bush tax cuts. Today “liberals” want to forget about that torture thing and keep troops in Iraq for a few more years.
Anything to the left of president Obama is “fringe” or “far-left” (except candidate Obama, of course); and that’s according to the “liberals” and “progressives”, not Malkin.
October 7th, 2009 at 10:52 am
This feels like a back scratching post. DA promotes CAP, which promotes DA.
Matt does a piece on businesses defecting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Blue corporate alternative is Business Forward. Wonk Room promoted Business Forward just days ago:
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/10/05/we-can-lead/
Founding businesses pay $75,000 to join Business Forward, which provides access to top White House insiders. It smells like the Red’s K Street. The money changers remain firmly entrenched in our hallowed halls of government.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:02 am
I’m willing to think about the latter AFTER we’ve finished cutting the military budget by at least a third, preferably more. Until then? Get stuffed.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:05 am
CAP’s dealings with the Progressives has kinda been like Microsoft’s dealing with the rest of the software industry:
“Embrace –and Extend”.
Plus the idea that all software should be named Windows and all royalties should go to Seattle.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:13 am
@10: The military *is* a “spending program supported by liberals”. At least, I know one liberal who believes it shouldn’t cease to exist, and have good reason to believe there are others.
“the smear campaign against fiscally conservative activists who protested at congressional town halls this summer.”
I can’t figure out whether there’s something to smear them with that’s worse than the truth, or whether Malkin thinks telling the truth about them *is* a “smear campaign”.
I mean, they’re trying to stop legislation that would save American lives, simply because it would save them with icky government and not with awesome free markets. (Never mind the fact that the awesome free markets have their chance to save those lives and are refusing because there isn’t enough money in it.) What’s left for a smear? Kicking puppies?
October 7th, 2009 at 11:21 am
AH, I see FireDogLake is also writing about CAP today:
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/10/07/democracy-alliance-putting-the-pen-in-veal-pen/
————-
” Ben Smith and Mark Ambinder are on Veal Pen Watch today, and we learn that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina will be speaking to the Democracy Alliance today:
[Among the DA's success stories: it has contributed to CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which has used its money to harass Democrats and Republicans with ethics issues and whose investigation of contractors in Afghanistan have led to a review of State Department policies. Media Matters, a liberal press watchdog group, is bigger today than it was before the election. DA also helped fund the Center for American Progress, the uber-progressive think and action tank.]
CREW recently put out a hit on Alan Grayson, who has been critical of Wall Street’s domination of financial reform, and also on Maxine Waters, a fierce opponent of Rahm Emanuel’s. And if calling for increased troop levels in Afghanistan is “uber-progressive,” then I guess CAP qualifies.
Two weeks ago the Democracy Alliance defunded ACORN, just as SEIU was giving the heave-ho to Louisiana local 100 where former ACORN head Wade Rathke worked as an organizer.
I wouldn’t say the DA are in the “veal pen” really — it’s the financial models of these “liberal” organizations that make them so easily controlled by rich donors that the White House can influence with one phone call. The DA is more like the walls of the pen. ”
————
ha ha ha ha
Or should I say: Baaaaa
October 7th, 2009 at 11:21 am
CAP should be embarrassed bragging about Michael Halle. How does an ex-intern (with virtually no experience in America’s complex health care system) garner a special HHS assistant slot, one charged with reforming health care?
Intern at CAP and work on the Obama Presidential campaign.
So what is Halle doing? As the special assistant at the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Health Reform, he coordinates special projects for the office’s key policy players.
Will they find their solution in time?
Using fifteen pristine moderate liberal minds
October 7th, 2009 at 11:22 am
That’s great, but CAP’s logo looks like it came off an Amtrak train.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Is Halle dating one of the Podestas?
CAP: The favorite liberal group of conservative editorial boards
October 7th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Dude, I don’t normally get exposed to Michelle Malkin unless someone’s quoting her, but is she usually this bad?
“CAP is also the parent group of Think Progress, the far-left website leading the smear campaign against fiscally conservative activists who protested at congressional town halls this summer.”
There are so many little lies in there, it’s not even funny. Think Progress is “far left” now? They’re “leading” this so-called smear campaign? Leading? As in directing and giving orders and stuff?
This is just horrible writing.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Herb, that’s one of the most reasonable paragraphs I’ve ever read from Malkin. You can infer from that what the rest is like.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Podesta has done an impressive job. Liberals need to be doing more of this kind of thing. Firedoglake is overrated.
Malkin is insane in the membrane.
October 7th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Maybe Mr. Halle helped plan this event:
http://drivingbusinessforward.org/recent_posts/details/2
October 7th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Say, what term would you use to encompass someone holding a sign equating Medicare cuts to Nazi death camps, as well as someone claiming that providing effectiveness research to doctors is a plot to slaughter the innocent?
I’m thinking “fiscal conservative.”
October 7th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Herb,
The thing to remember about wingnuts is that whatever they accuse us of is what they are doing, or intend to do, themselves.
Hence, “fake grassroots,” “smear campaign” of town hall screamers, “cheering America’s defeat,” etc.
Two days ago, John Boehner took to the floor of the House and demanded that Nancy Pelosi rein in the harsh language Democrats are using in the debate of the health care bill.
October 7th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Way to go with the red-baiting, Michelle. Is she really that clueless, or does she actually visualize Podesta’s face atop Lenin’s in Lenin’s Arrival at the Finland-Station?
Oops, I forgot. She’s a liar.