ALEC whines to the New York Times: the progressives are trying to shut us down whole!

[alp227]

In response to the New York Times' 4/17/12 editorial "Embarrassed by Bad Laws", American Legislative Exchange Council chair and Indiana State Rep. Dave Frizzell wrote this letter to the NY Times:

The attacks against the American Legislative Exchange Council are not really about one or two pieces of legislation. They’re about silencing a successful organization whose free-market principles are directly opposed to the kind of big-government dependency on which the ideological organizations attacking ALEC are built.

Now that we have disbanded the Public Safety and Elections task force at the center of the groups’ ire, the attacks have not stopped, thus proving our point that this was never about a couple of pieces of legislation. It’s a disingenuous attempt to shut us down completely.

Noneconomic issues represented less than 1 percent of ALEC’s work. To suggest that our principles are inherently wrong is out of line with the view of a majority of Americans.

Frizzell's message here is essentially Mitt Romney's claim that liberals are just envious of the successful rich people in corporations and thus join these "big-government dependency" projects out of resentment.

The Times' editorial concluded:

The corporations abandoning ALEC aren’t explicitly citing the Stand Your Ground statutes as the reason for their decision. But many joined the group for narrower reasons, like fighting taxes on soda or snacks, and clearly have little interest in voter ID requirements or the N.R.A.’s vision of a society where anyone can fire a concealed weapon at the slightest hint of a threat.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, ALEC bemoaned the opposition it is facing and claimed it is only interested in job creation, government accountability and pro-business policies. It makes no mention of its role in pushing a law that police departments believe is increasing gun violence and deaths. That’s probably because big business is beginning to realize the Stand Your Ground laws are indefensible.

Not to mention how the fast food companies can't stand having taxes raised on their unhealthy foods in the name of public health!

[saras]

1. Like a child rapist complaining the trial is ruining their victims' innocence...

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Has anyone yet written the tell all book

that describes what makes these people tick?

[UTUSN]

3. R#8 & K for, those pesky Progressives!1 n/t

[spanone]

4. and this atheist prays they succeed.

[VenusRising]

5. Dear ALEC

SUCK IT!

[gulliver]

6. They only killed a few innocent people with their stupid ideas.

I mean, what, twenty, thirty? Max a hundred or so. So why doesn't America remember the good things they did? They did everything right except for getting a bunch of people who would now be alive shot to death.

Groups of idiots who get people killed have feelings too!