Want to Be Heard in the Healthcare Reform Debate? That'll Cost You a Cool $100

BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White

Did you hear the breaking news? Sounds like we're going to get a healthcare bill voted on before the Aug. 7 recess after all! That is, according to at least one hyperventilating right-wing group. An e-mail sent out this morning proclaims this about what it calls "Obama Deathcare":

Nancy Pelosi's House Democrats, along with a handful of Republicans-in-Name-Only, are holding secret closed-door meetings in a last ditch effort to ram ObamaCare down the throats of the American people before they leave town.

The e-mail further proclaims that with this bill, "everyone will eventually be forced on to a government-run plan in which taxpayers will be paying more for less care... And if your illness is life-threatening and requires immediate attention, you might as well start pricing cemetery lots."

Let's put aside the fact that this characterization of the healthcare legislation being pushed by House Speaker Pelosi is totally inaccurate, as well as the fact that even if the House does pass healthcare legislation this very minute, the Senate won't consider it until after the recess.

The truth is, when the Senate considers passing healthcare reform legislation, they are much more likely to pass their own version than Pelosi's. On top of all that, the Senate bill that is getting all the attention is not the one that even faintly resembles the House Democrats' bill (Sen. Ted Kennedy's), but a conservative compromise brokered by Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) in the Finance Committee.

In other words, there is no reason for such alarmist e-mails... unless your true aim is to rake in the cash, which seems to be the situation with the aforementioned case. The e-mail quoted above was sent out by Grasstops USA, which -- with the motto "give your values a voice" -- vows to "wage Web warfare against the liberal establishment."

The e-mail urges recipients to do the following immediately (emphasis mine):

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Faxes... to President Obama and all 535 Members of Congress.

Tell them that when the American people say "no" to ObamaCare, the American people mean "no." Tell them it does not mean, "let's try sneak it through when the American people aren't looking."

Tell them that ObamaCare is deceitful and treacherous, a recipe for rationing and reduced quality of care. Tell them that the American people want choice when it comes to health care, not government bureaucrats making decisions for people and their families.

When you click on one of the many links to "send my blast faxes," you are asked to fill out your contact and credit card information.

That's right; for a mere $100, Grasstops USA will send a fax with your name on it to Obama and all 535 members of Congress, at which point it will go directly into their recycling bins, whether they agree with the sentiments expressed therein or not. Oh, and if you really want to show you care about Grasstops, you have the option of donating up to $1,000 on the blast fax form. Thanks, Grasstops!

Considering the tiny cost of a contract with an Internet faxing company whereby you can send thousands of faxes a month for pennies, Grasstops has got to be making out pretty handsomely on the deal.

The sad thing is, it will probably work on some people. And don't forget: Because Grasstops USA is a 501(c)(4) organization, your $100 donation is not tax deductible.

The "signature" portion of the fax says "Yes Chris: There Is Not A Moment To Lose. Please Accept My Generous Donation To Send These Blast Faxes And Support The Mission of GrassTopsUSA." The unexplained "Chris" may refer to Christine M. Carmouche, the only person mentioned on the organization's most recent IRS 990 forms.

It appears the organization has not filed anything with the IRS since March 2007, at which time, Grasstops had assets of $16,398, income of $379,313 and revenue of $379,313, according to implu, a market research Web site.

There is also a Christopher Carmouche, who runs what is reportedly (according to small business research Web site Manta) a $30,000-a-year company called C4 Strategies, which implements "e-relationship campaigns" for conservative candidates, nonprofits and businesses, of which Grasstops USA is one.

(By the way, Christopher Carmouche is also affiliated with the defunct group Lap Top Lobbyists and the Christian Coalition of America. He was apparently was responsible for the fax blast campaigns that put an end to both the Jesus Dress Up site and the Dress Up Jesus magnets Urban Outfitters once sold.)

The definition of "grasstops lobbying" according to Source Watch is "the mobilization of people with a close personal connection to the lobbying target;" in other words, just about the opposite of how grassroots groups work and similar to the way Astroturf organizations function at the upper echelons of society and politics.

Though I should note here that Grasstops USA appears to be more of a one or two-person front organization than a real influence-peddling machine. I could be wrong, but I could not dig up anything suggesting that Grasstops USA or the elusive Chris Carmouche(s) are serious political power players.

One thing is certain by a quick perusal of the shallow Grasstops USA Web site: This is not a grassroots organization. The three action items are the aforementioned Obamacare issue, demanding the resignation of Nancy Pelosi and stopping the "thought crimes bill," also known as "pedophile protection" legislation. All three of these action items have a $100 fax blast fee.

In addition, two articles are posted on the site; one is a World Net Daily piece dramatically titled, "Obama's System of Denial and Death." The other is a piece from Don Feder, a former columnist for The Boston Herald, in which he insists that "we are still very much 'One Nation Under God' (Not Allah)." He also sounds the alarm on Obama (emphasis mine):

Know that America's survival is at stake -- What happens next year will determine America's fate -- perhaps for all time. Instead of fighting a war on terror, Obama is deploying WMDs against the economy. He just agreed to cut our nuclear arsenal by a third -- based on the word of Putin's puppet. He is working to spread Marxism in Latin America and Islam worldwide. He is determined to make a majority of Americans dole-addicts, and to leave America vulnerable to its enemies. With his party's super-majorities, the United States Congress has become the rubber-stamp equivalent of China's National People's Congress.

In other words, there's nothing of any real significance (beyond what might be a possible financial scam) going on at Grasstops USA. They appear to be just one of the many "grasstops," Astroturf 501(c)(3)s out there run by conservative ideologues looking to make a quick buck by capitalizing on people's fears and ignorance of the way government works.

BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS