Yes, to counter the GOP’s successful efforts at exposing the truth the liberal Democrats don’t want you to hear (namely that Dems don’t want to vote on oil drilling or anything that would bring down the price of oil/gas), MoveOn.org is planning a counter-protest (read: astroturf) tomorrow afternoon at the Capitol.

So, while Republican leaders in DC are demanding that we actually debate the American energy crisis and try to solve some problems for Americans who are suffering daily at the pump…MoveOn.org will help their Democrat friends by creating a distraction by waving their hands frantically in a nearby location.

Hopefully, they will behave with some dignity, but their history suggests otherwise.

Here’s the email they sent out to their membership in the DC area (names of spies protected):

—— Forwarded Message
From: “Noah T. Winer, MoveOn.org Political Action” <moveon-help@list.moveon.org>
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:11:__

To:

Subject: URGENT: Emergency rally in DC

Tomorrow (Tuesday), we’re organizing an event at the Capitol to highlight the GOP’s extensive ties to Big Oil. We’ve invited the media, and having a good crowd is critical to show them that voters don’t want oil industry gimmicks, they want real solutions like alternative energy to solve our energy crisis. Can you make it at 4 PM?
<http://pol.moveon.org/0805oilrallyrsvp.html?id=13396-9767871-GTosdix&amp;t=1> Click Here <http://pol.moveon.org/0805oilrallyrsvp.html?id=13396-9767871-GTosdix&amp;t=2>
Dear DC-area MoveOn member,

Republicans have been escalating their attacks on Obama and the Democrats over oil drilling, and we need to push back hard. Will you come to our emergency rally outside the Capitol tomorrow (Tuesday)?

House Republicans have been “protesting” ever since Congress adjourned on Friday because Speaker Pelosi blocked their offshore drilling plan. Speaker Pelosi blocked their plan because it won’t help lower gas prices—but it will line the pockets of Big Oil executives, the same people donating millions of dollars to Republicans.

But Republicans are working hard to make it seem like they’re fighting for cash-strapped commuters—and not the oil companies who wrote their plan.

So tomorrow (Tuesday), we’re organizing our own protest to highlight the GOP’s extensive ties to Big Oil. We’ve invited the media, and having a good crowd is critical to show them that voters don’t want oil industry gimmicks—they want real solutions like alternative energy to solve our energy crisis.

Can you make it at 4 PM on Tuesday?

Here are the details:

What: Rally to Stop Big Oil Gimmicks
Where: US Capitol Building
Meet in front of Grant Memorial (statue of Grant on a Horse)
On the Mall, 1st    Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Maryland Avenue,  below the west front of the United    States Capitol Building Click Here for a Map <http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4008&amp;id=13396-9767871-GTosdix&amp;t=3>
When: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 4 P.M.
RSVP: http://pol.moveon.org/0805oilrallyrsvp.html?id=13396-9767871-GTosdix&t=4

Republicans have been dominating the debate around gas prices for weeks with their sham drilling plan. Oil drilling is a gimmick and the only reason they’re pushing for it is because their donors in the oil industry want it.

Their latest stunt is getting a lot of press coverage. But no one has challenged their ridiculous arguments, so we have to.

Here are few key facts about oil drilling:
It’s a gimmick. The US only has 1.6% of the world’s oil. And drilling could take over a decade or more to produce any oil.1
It won’t lower gas prices. Even after a decade-long wait, the price will barely drop a few cents per gallon.1
America knows drilling won’t work. According to a recent poll, 54% of poll respondents said they did not believe more drilling would lower gas prices. And 63% said opening up public lands to oil and gas drilling is more likely to enrich oil companies than to lower gas prices for American consumers.2
Voters are ready for real solutions.  The public overwhelmingly believes (76%!) that policymakers should focus on investing in new energy technologies including renewable fuels and more efficient vehicles rather than expanding exploration and drilling for more oil.2
Tomorrow, we’ll call out the Republican stunt and remind the media and the Republicans that voters want real solutions—not oil industry gimmicks like drilling.

Can you join us at 4 P.M. on Tuesday in front of the Capitol?

http://pol.moveon.org/0805oilrallyrsvp.html?id=13396-9767871-GTosdix&t=5

Thanks for all you do.

–Noah, Lenore, Ilyse, Nita and the rest of the team

Sources
1. “Correcting the Record: You can go to the Energy Information Agency,” Office of Speaker Pelosi, June 18 2008
http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1390

2. “Americans Don’t Believe Bush, Industry Claims on Gas Prices, Poll Shows,” Wilderness Society poll, July 24, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5v7mgp

Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 3.2 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here <http://political.moveon.org/donate/email.html?id=13396-9767871-GTosdix&amp;t=6> .

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. This email was sent to Tierra Warren on August 4, 2008. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here <http://moveon.org/subscrip/coa.html?id=13396-9767871-GTosdix> . To remove yourself from this list, click here <http://moveon.org/s?i=13396-9767871-GTosdix> .

—— End of Forwarded Message

Well, by now we have all heard that Obama has broken his “pledge” (his word) to accept public financing for the general election if his Republican opponent does the same. John McCain has kept his end of the bargain, but Obama sees a more politically expedient approach and is going to opt out of the public financing system, becoming the first presidential candidate since Nixon to do so.

Of course, this starts raise issues about his trustworthiness. Obama has made a great many promises to his supporters throughout this campaign, some of which are on a much grander scale than committing to public financing. Already we see his supporters having to call him to task over his recent pandering to the political center on the FISA bill, which he now says he supports even after promising to never compromise his values on such legislation only months ago. MoveOn.org has been sending their millions of liberal members emails asking them to make sure Barack doesn’t continue to break promises.

But, I never really thought he would lose support over breaking his pledge to accept public finanicing. While it is certainly a window into his character, it’s sorta a inside-baseball kind of issue. Not many people in the public carry public financing as their #1 issue.

I stand corrected: