Oops. Somebody told the Republicans that Hank Kalet, managing editor of the South Brunswick (NJ) Post, was a small businessman and a Republican. He isn’t.
Read his very funny account of being courted to front an astroturf business group for the State of New Jersey. Inducements they offered included not only “the prestigious National Leadership Award” but a special dinner with President Bush.
Kalet did some research, and discovered:
According to information about the council on the NRC’s [GOPTeamleader.com] Web site, the “Honorary Chairmen are clearly the key, first step” in “forg(ing) a new and dynamic alliance between the Republican leadership and the small business community.” The key element, however, would be the use of my name “whenever possible” in national and local advertising — see the above definition of astroturfing. The GOP would craft the message and I would get to lend my name in support — which takes the pressure off of me, of course, to actually have something to say.
Fortunately, there is plenty of money available to support the Republicans’ enthusiastic astroturfing outreach–Kalet says they are spending “in excess of $3.6 million recruiting broadbased support, and an additional $2.5 million in advertising.”
Was this one paid for as “advertising” or as “recruiting broadbased support?
According to the Manchester (NH) Union Leader, Republicans hired telemarketers to jam Democratic Party phone lines on election day. The apparent goal was to block “get out the vote” phone calls not only by Democrats but also by the local Firefighters union, both of which offer rides to the polls. Police have asked the Justice Department for help, since the telemarketers hired were based outside NH.