Crashing The Tea Party Rally!

OPERATION; STREET PREACHERS

Police escorted Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) off the stage at her own foreign policy speech today after a group of Occupy Charleston protesters swarmed the event and shouted her down. 

“This will only take a minute,” about two dozen activists chanted as Bachmann stood on a podium aboard the USS Yorktown in South Carolina. The protesters stood and shouted in unison using the “human microphone” technique that has become a signature of the Occupy Wall Street movement. “We have a message for Ms. Bachmann.”

The candidate appeared frozen on stage, and it took a moment for her own supporters to respond with chants of “Sit down!” and “USA!”

The protesters accused Bachmann of “dividing Americans” and taking cues from Americans for Prosperity.

Bachmann left the stage as the crowd broke into competing, chanting groups for a few minutes. The Occupy crowd left the ship once their statement was read, chanting “We are the 99 percent!”

Occupy protesters (briefly) force Michele Bachmann off stag

According to MSNBC, Bachmann returned to the stage shortly thereafter, saying, “Don’t you love the First Amendment?”

This isn’t the first time protesters have caused Bachmann trouble on the trail. Last month, she canceled a speech in Iowa after a group of college students arrived to protest her position on gay marriage.

Last Rites for Rick Perry's Presidential Campaign After GOP Debate

On Wednesday night we witnessed a political suicide live on national television.

Rick Perry is now the official Charlie Brown of presidential candidates. He reminds me of the kid who got held back in high school. Even though he’s been there longer than the rest of the class (or governor for 10 years), he still doesn’t know the answers.

It’s one thing to not be able to tick off all of Mitt Romney’s 59-point economic plan. Or even a 10-point plan. But when you can’t get past two in a three-point plan, you’re done. Disqualified.

Perry is now a dead man walking. He’ll go through the motions to save face, but he won’t get a single new voter. And he will quickly lose the ones he had. Once they’re laughing at you, you’re finished. Perry supporters Wednesday night were running out in the dark and pulling out yard signs.

Romney had another good night. Cain deflected and treaded water. Gingrich was confident and strong. Huntsman was OK but largely ignored. Santorum was too self-focused. Bachmann exhibited strong message discipline but never seemed to get past her talking points. Ron Paul was predictable.

And points to the sponsors and the panel. The debate was substantive and full of relevant and tough questions.

But, there’s only one story from Wednesday night. Last rites for Rick Perry. There will be no resurrection. No second act. He will join the political hall of fame of presidential losers from Texas like John Connally and Phil Gramm, who started with bang and went out with a whimper and no delegates.

Rep. Paul Scott recalled, concedes defeat

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Former State Representative Paul Scott addresses media after voter outlook turned for the worse in the recall of the 51st District of Michigan on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at the GOP Headquarters in Grand Blanc. / JARRAD HENDERSON/Detroit Free Press

State Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, became the first state legislator to be recalled in a generation after he conceded defeat in a recall election today.

• Update: Michigan Republicans vow to reclaim seat of recalled state Rep. Paul Scott

The recall was backed by the Michigan Education Association.

Election turnout was high across Scott’s district, which covers much of south Genesee County, but appeared to be especially strong in union strongholds near the City of Flint where the vote counts were delayed.

Scott's seat will be filled in a special election Feb. 28. Candidates will be selected by their respective political parties. The winner will serve until the end of his current term in December 2012. Scott cannot run in the special election, but could try to re-take the seat in next year's regularly scheduled elections. He said Tuesday night he was considering that option.

The recall of Scott is, "unfortunate," said state GOP chairman Robert Schostak. "But the voters have spoken and we have to live with it. It's not going to make us take our eye off the ball in the 2012 election."

Colbert Super PAC Non-Coordinated Coordination Support Of American Crossroads FEC Request

Dear Colbert Super PAC Members (and semi-sentient spam-bots), 

It's a bright day on the shadowy edge of American politics. 

Yesterday, I was paid a visit by Trevor Potter, Esq. As you know, if you have been collecting the Official Colbert Super PAC Trading Cards know, Trevor was not only the former head of the F.E.C. and chief counsel to the McCain 2008 campaign, but he's also my personal lawyer*. Not to mention, someone I am proud to pay for the honor of calling my friend. 

Together, we drafted an official Public Comment in support of American Crossroads' Advisory Opinion Request to the Federal Election Commission. 

I'll let that sink in. It may take a bit, because you have no idea what I'm talking about. The full fiduciary details were laid bare in last night's show, but for those of you lacking the energy to click here for part one  (below)

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and here for part two, )below)

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As free as Super PACs are to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, they are still unfairly shackled by regulation. Notice I used the singular. That's because there is really only one rule that binds Super PACs: that they may not coordinate with candidates' campaigns. But what fun is buying somebody an election if you have no elected official to share the moment with? 

America Crossroads' Karl Rove saw through this sham of a charade – or "shamrade™" – and petitioned the F.E.C. to clarify exactly what the law is, so he can carefully obey only the letter of it. We at Colbert Super PAC submitted the attached Public Comment to the Federal Election Commission in a show of non-coordinated, non-consensual support. 

Incidentally, you might be interested in knowing that any person, be they corporate or biological, can submit their Public Comment on Karl Rove's Opinion Request (which is AOR 2011-23) by writing to Office of the Commission Secretary's email address (which isSecretary@FEC.gov). 

We hope you'll join us at Colbert Super PAC in letting Karl Rove know: We've got your back. Because we're looking over your shoulder. 

Excelsior! 

Stephen Colbert
President and Junior Legal Counsel
Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow 

* If you are playing the Colbert Super PAC Trading Card Fantasy/Strategy Card Game, remember that Trevor gains a +4 defense against all frost-based creatures (including the dreaded Ice Dragon!) 

Enclosure: 










Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow

November 6, 2011

Shawn Woodhead Werth
Secretary and Clerk
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20463

Re: Comment on American Crossroads Advisory Opinion Request

Dear Secretary Werth:

Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow submits this letter as a formal comment on the Advisory Opinion Request submitted to the Federal Election Commission on October 12, 2011, and again in a revised version on October 28, 2011 by American Crossroads, an organization led by Republican political consultant and "Mr. November" in the 2012 "Hunks of the Bush Administration" calendar, Karl Rove.

Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow has much in common with American Crossroads. Both are registered "independent-expenditure-only" PACs (a.k.a. "Super PACs") that may accept unlimited contributions from corporations, unions, individuals, and doomsday cults we one day hope to found. Both groups are separately affiliated with prominent 501©(4) organizations, Colbert Super PAC SHH and Crossroads GPS, and are strongly committed to doing what is legally possible in America. Both have top strategic thinkers at their core: American Crossroads has Karl Rove, and Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow has a ham loaf wearing wire rimmed glasses.

Because of this shared bond and heritage, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow has an interest in the Request by American Crossroads.

As we understand the American Crossroads Advisory opinion Request, the organization has plans to sponsor advertisements featuring Members of Congress up for re-election. As they wrote in their original Request,

"The purpose of these advertisements, while focused on current legislative and policy issues, would be to improve the public's perception of the featured Member of Congress in advance of the 2012 campaign season."

Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow could not concur more concurrently. These ads would simply improve public perception of candidates in advance of the campaign. The message is not, "Vote for this great guy," it's merely, "Hey voters! Look at this great guy!"

Clearly, these ads featuring candidates on behalf of candidates would not be candidate ads. As American Crossroads put it, in their original Request,

"While these advertisements would be fully coordinated with incumbent Members of Congress facing re-election in 2012, they would presumably not qualify as 'coordinated communications,'."

Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow agrees that "fully coordinated" ads shouldn't be counted as "coordinated communications." The candidate would merely be appearing as a paid spokesperson, who, coincidentally, is closely aligned with the candidate that he or she also is.

For example, an ad in which the Kool Aid man decries our nation-wide childhood thirst problem would not necessarily be an ad for Kool Aid brand juice drink. That being said, would a tall glass of Kool-Aid solve that thirst problem? To quote one expert: "Oh, yeaaahhhh!"

Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow wholly endorses American Crossroads' Request. We hope the Commission is able to begin with the Supreme Court's definition of Non-Coordinated as "expenditures … made totally independently of the candidate and his campaign" in Buckley v. Valeo, and end up with a ruling that allows outside groups to produce ads with the candidate's cooperation, themes, and message. That will prove to our nation's critics that America is a country that still makes something: strained rationalizations.

Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow believes that Super PACs can and should coordinate with candidates in every sense of that word—except in the legal or biblical sense. In fact, pending the outcome of American Crossroads' Request, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow plans to coordinate a non-"coordinated" ad with presidential novelty candidate Buddy Roemer. A rough example of which can be found here:www.colbertsuperpac.com/undaunted-non-coordination.   (below)

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It should be clear that there was no collusion with Governor Roemer, as he vehemently opposes and passionately questions the legality of the ad that he agreed to appear in. 

If the Commission sees fit to grant these reasonable requests, Americans for a Better Tomorrow will continue to fulfill our promise to never give you up, or let you down, as detailed in our mission statement here: 
http://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ (below)

Accordingly, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow respectfully requests the Commission's timely consideration of American Crossroads' Advisory Opinion Request. Super Sincerely Yours, Stephen Colbert President & Maître D' Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Inc. Ham Rove Chief Strategist & Lunchmeat Americans for A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Inc. PS – If the commission does not see fit to grant this request fully, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow would like to offer a compromise. To avoid the appearance of collusion, the F.E.C. could rule that candidates can appear in Super PAC ads only against their will. They'd have to be kidnapped, blindfolded, and thrown in a van before being forced to read a statement supporting their goals and then returned to their fundraisers in time for dessert.

Paid for by Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.colbertsuperpac.com

GOP Defends Maine’s Gay-Baiting Ad On Same-Day Voter Registration

As voters in Maine consider a ballot initiative to strike down a narrowly-passed lawthat eliminated election day voter registration in the state, opponents of same-day registration are running an ad in 25 community papers that singles out a gay rights group’s involvement in the effort. The ad implies that same-day registration would help the LGBT equality organization — EqualityMaine — push through a “gay” agenda and hopes to convince homophobic voters to maintain the new election restrictions:

Maine’s Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster is defending the tone of the ad, arguing that it was designed to “educate” the public about EqualityMaine, “one of the advocacy groups involved in the coalition that wants to retain the state’s 38-year-old EDR law.” “We’ve talked about the different left-of-center groups that are supporting this referendum and questioned why they’re doing that,” Webster said. “That’s all this is.”

Meanwhile, a recent poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) found that support for EqualityMaine’s “agenda” — which includes marriage equality — is increasing among independents in Maine. Fifty-one percent of voters say they support marriage equality, including 53 percent of independents. In 2009, EqualityMaine lost its campaign to preserve marriage equality when a referendum to overturn same-sex marriage passed by a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.