ASTROTURF ALERT: It's time to DU this phone # [phone]

[ddeclue]

The neo-con slime balls have bought themselves an astroturf campaign to continue the war called "Freedom's Watch" and are advertising it on TV (CNN on DirecTV for instance) and using it to bash MoveOn and other people who dare to oppose the war and are trying to use it to intimidate the Democrats in Congress.

I say it's time to use their own campaign against them and show them what REAL Americans think and flood their astroturf switchboard with thousands of live calls from DU'ers demanding that we end the war now. The phone number they have advertised is 877-222-8001.

Bring them to their knees!

Disgusted,

Doug D.

[Emit]

1. I saw one of the ads today -- and a few before that over the preceding weeks

Here's some more info from their website:

New Group, Freedom’s Watch, to launch Major Advertising Campaign in Support
of Victory in Iraq

August 22, 2007, (Washington, D.C.)—Today a new organization named Freedom’s
Watch announced it is launching a nationwide grassroots campaign aimed at ensuring
Congress continues to fully fund the troops with the ultimate goal of victory in the War
on Terror. Freedom’s Watch will spend approximately $15 million on radio and
television ads as well as grassroots activities from now thru mid-September and has
partnered with a host of veteran’s organizations in an effort to ensure terrorism is
confronted all over the world. The ads begin running today

“The mission of Freedom’s Watch is to ensure a strong national defense and a powerful
effort to confront and defeat global terror, especially in Iraq,” said Bradley A. Blakeman,
President of Freedom’s Watch. “Those who want to quit while victory is possible have
dominated the public debate about terror and Iraq since the 2004 election. Freedom’s
Watch is going to change that.”

In more than 20 states and dozens of congressional districts, Freedom’s Watch
advertisements will run and feature an 800-number for the public to call their
representatives and urge them not to surrender to terror.

“When it comes to protecting our country,” continued Blakeman, “we’ll spare no effort.
Our goal is to make clear that when America goes to war, victory is the only outcome.
That’s what the troops are saying in these advertisements and what Freedom’s Watch
believes. We do not agree with those groups pressuring our lawmakers to abandon
victory.” Supporters of Freedom’s Watch include Former U.S. Ambassador Anthony
Gioia, Former U.S. Ambassador Kevin Moley, Former U.S. Ambassador Mel Sembler
and Former U.S. Ambassador Howard Leach; Dr. John Templeton, Edward Snider,
Sheldon Adelson, Richard Fox, Ari Fleischer, Gary Erlbaum, and Matt Brooks.
Freedom’s Watch is 501(c)4 and based in Washington, D.C.

For more information about Freedom’s Watch and to watch the ads please visit
www.freedomswatch.org
Contact: Jerry Mullins
202.355.6312

And here's ome info on Blakeman:

http://www.gcjpr.com/blakeman.aspx

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bradley A. Blakeman joins Gordon C. James Public Relations
Blakeman brings notable experience to firm's Washington, DC office

WASHINGTON, DC (May 8, 2006) – Gordon C. James Public Relations announced today that Bradley A. Blakeman, former deputy assistant to President George W. Bush for appointments and scheduling, will join its Washington, DC office as a senior advisor.

Blakeman brings over 30 years of expertise in the political arena. In addition to serving as a member of the President's senior staff from 2001 to 2003, he has served as the director of scheduling for President Bush's transition team in 2000, senior coordinator for logistics for the Bush-Cheney recount in Florida, and senior lead advance representative for the Bush-Cheney 2000 election. Blakeman also served as the lead advance representative for the Bush-Quayle elections in 1988 and 1992, and the White House from 1980 to 1993.

Blakeman is currently the president of Kent Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm focused on providing strategic confidential corporate and government advice and counsel. He also appears regularly on the FOX News Network as an on-air political commentator and has commented on shows including ABC's Nightline, MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, BBC, CNN and various national and regional radio programs.


~snip~

[Emit]

2. The donors include

~snip~

The board consists of Blakeman; Fleischer; Mel Sembler, a Florida Republican who was Bush’s ambassador to Italy; William P. Weidner, president and chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp.; and Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

The donors include Sembler; Anthony Gioia, a Buffalo businessman who was Bush’s ambassador to Malta; Kevin Moley, who was Bush’s ambassador to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva; Howard Leach, a former Republican National Committee finance chairman who was Bush’s ambassador to France; Dr. John Templeton of Pennsylvania, chairman and president of the John Templeton Foundation; Ed Snider, chairman of Comcast Spectacor, the huge Philadelphia sports and entertainment firm; Sheldon Adelson, chairman of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and ranked by Forbes magazine as the third-wealthiest American; and Richard Fox, who is chairman of the Jewish Policy Center and was Pennsylvania State Chairman of the Reagan/Bush campaign in 1980.

~snip~

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5479.html

[Emit]

3. a sophisticated plan for pressuring vulnerable members of Congress to stick with the administration

More from link posted above

~snip~

Details of the new group's ad buy reveal a sophisticated plan for pressuring vulnerable members of Congress to stick with the administration.

Opponents of the war say they have uncovered Freedom’s Watch buys in 33 television markets, from Albuquerque, N.M., to Bangor, Maine, to Little Rock, Ark. In many cases, according to the opponents’ tally, the advertisements will air in the districts or home states of Republican incumbents who have wavered in their support for the administration on Iraq. The two biggest expenditures appeared to be in Philadelphia and Washington. There are smaller ad buys in places like Bend, Ore. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), who faces a tough race, was among the first GOP senators to call for an end to the war.

Blakeman would not confirm the buys, calling the list “propaganda by our enemies."

The tally found that the group will air ads in states like Kentucky, where Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has become a top Democratic target, and in Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins is locked in a tough reelection race and has taken heat for her stance on the war. Other advertising buys have targeted moderate Republican districts like those of Reps. Jim Ramstad of Minnesota and Vernon J. Ehlers of Michigan.

Freedom’s Watch has a few full-time employees and is hiring more, and plans to open an office in the Chinatown area of Washington around Labor Day. The group is organized under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, meaning that it can lobby on issues but cannot expressly advocate for specific candidates. Its stated mission is “to ensure a strong national defense and a powerful effort to confront and defeat global terrorism.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5479.html

[wildbilln864]

4. They put me on hold......

has anyone gotten through? :shrug:

K&R by the way!

[ddeclue]

6. I got put on hold too but consider...

You are putting the wing-nut callers who call in a line behind you so they are on hold too.. ;)

Doug D.

[Emit]

8. After they put you on hold, did they get back to you? Any response yet? n/t

[Megahurtz]

5. Kick. n/t

[dailykoff]

7. link:

http://www.freedomswatch.org/

[Emit]

9. MoveOn.org's Tom Matzzie's letter to Ari Fleischer concerning these ads

An open thank you letter to Ari Fleischer
by Tom Matzzie · 8/22/2007 11:51:00 AM ET

Dear Ari Fleischer,

Thank you. The news today about a $15 million TV ad campaign targeting Republicans in the name of a group called "Freedom Watch" is probably the best thing we could want right now. It is a gift.

The revival of your role as salesman-in-chief for the White House’s failed war policy is also welcome. We were looking for a way to connect this mysterious “Freedom Watch” outfit to the White House Iraq PR machine. And then it turned out that you made our job very simple—you are in charge. This is the “White House Ad campaign.”

Our researchers tell us your ads are targeting 90% Republicans (37 out of 41). We’ve had strong fundraising but we never thought a $15 million TV buy was in the works. Every extra minute of TV time talking about Iraq is another drip, drip, drip of bad news for politicians who won’t break with Bush. So, thanks.

I hope we can meet in person. Perhaps your schedule is clear now that you are no longer a witness in the Libby trial or a spokesperson for the White House. (Have you thought about writing a fiction novel about yellowcake and Niger?)

Also, how do you define “progress” in Iraq? This is now the bloodiest summer since the war began. Already 243 Americans have been killed in June, July and August. Last year 169. In 2005, 217 were killed. 162 in in 2003 and 113 in 2003. The Iraqi parliament is on vacation. Nearly half the Iraqi cabinet is boycotting the government. The surge has failed.


Now, for the first time, we’re not the only campaign on Iraq making Susan Collins, Norm Coleman, Mitch McConnell and others look over their shoulders. If I were you I wouldn’t answer phone calls from the NRSC, the NRCC or the RNC. I don’t think they’re too happy about these ads.

Thanks again.

-Tom Matzzie
Washington Director, MoveOn.org Political Action
campaign manager, Americans Against Escalation in Iraq

http://www.americablog.com/2007/08/open-thank-you-letter-to-ari-fleischer.html