"Energy Citizens": tea partiers' love for corporations goes unrequited (FreedomWorks)

The American Petroleum Institute is starting a new astroturf movement called "Energy Citizens": rallies in "about 20 states" designed to:

"put a human face on the impacts of unsound energy policy and to aim a loud message at those states' U.S. Senators to avoid the mistakes embodied in the House climate bill and the Obama Administration’s tax increases on our industry."

You can download a copy of the API memo here, also discussed here and discussed here in a completely credulous fashion.

If you've been following our tea parties coverage, you're probably thinking: "corporate astroturf? Call in the tea partiers!" And, in fact, FreedomWorks did call them in to the Houston rally. However, those inside the meeting apparently didn't want to rub shoulders with the hoi polloi and turned them away, as you can see on the attached video. Bear in mind that the source is Public Citizen via ThinkProgress [1], so there's the possibility that it was faked up. However, that appears to be slight. While some will no doubt laugh at them for being useful idiots (OK, I admit it), it's mostly just pathetic. If the oil companies (or FreedomWorks' funders, or the Koch family) want a crowd, at the least try to get some money out of it. That's what it's all about, right?

[1] wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/08/20/oil-no-patriots
thinkprogress.org/2009/08/20/freedomworks-no-flags

Public Denied Access to "Energy Citizen" Big Oil Company Picnic

Comments

I have told you many times this system is being used at all levels and obama boys are now in total control of you. the USA May as well be called the former USA Soon our enemies will be coming by the millions and our nation state will only be a little part of the one world third world shit ideals of the monkey people and our world rules will all be like the main monkeys like obama. things to do run if you can and if you can't run may god help you. things to watch out for 1. all people who do not get in line will be without work and become criminals 2. all benefits will start to disappear like social security and many other ideals you understand as a normal human being will disappear. 3. race hate murder by non whites will jump by 5000 percent and become normal. 4. a call by political people to fight white racists when black and brown and yellow racists is made total normal. 5. fascism become's a political new idea by most or all non whites. 6 our American language become's a political no, no, and any who use it are called racists. you are only seeing the start of a new age of hate and rape and murder the fun times have yet to come, and may god help you all in this coming evil, but you did it to yourself. have fear have alot of fear.

In the summer of 2000 I knew people who claimed Bush would put teh gays in concentration camps. and they really believed it. Now, of course, they look like total idiots. Just saying!