Cross-posted at
truth > lies
Via BigBearJohn of DU, I have come upon this article from Salon. It quotes a memo obtained in the investigation of Scanlon's invlovment in taking money from Indian gaming casinos.
A stunning excerpt:
In plain terms, Scanlon confessed the source code of recent Republican electoral victories: target religious conservatives, distract everyone else, and then railroad through complex initiatives.
"The wackos get their information through the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the internet and telephone trees," Scanlon wrote in the memo, which was read into the public record at a hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "Simply put, we want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them." The brilliance of this strategy was twofold: Not only would most voters not know about an initiative to protect Coushatta gambling revenues, but religious "wackos" could be tricked into supporting gambling at the Coushatta casino even as they thought they were opposing it.
UPDATE 4: I found some Conservative Christian Church phone numbers here. They also have a lot of fax numbers. Remember, if you call or fax, BE POLITE AND AS COURTEOUS AS POSSIBLE!! We do not hate these people, we simply want to give them the information they deserve!!! Here is a radio station locator by locality. Look up your local Conservative Christian talk radio station here, and let them know about this!! Another list of seemingly conservative churches is here!!
Another one is here!
List of Texas Conservative Churches here!! These may have been the very same churches Abramoff/Reed were targeting.
Keith Olbermann contact info: countdown@msnbc.com
UPDATE: Anyone with an account want to post this on Street Prophets?
Say what? Do the Christian conservatives know you think they are "wackos?" What would they think about this memo?
This sounds all too much like the attitude of the greater conservative movement in this country. They will placate any group they can. And they will distract the rest of us. The war on terror is the number one distraction. Iraq is one, too.
But to actually have a memo laying this all out in words is almost too good to be true.
UPDATE: Page 119 of this document also claims:
We will communicate with our targeted voters 3 times with Chirstian alert mail pieces
Oh really? I bet the people who get Christian alert mail pieces would LOVE to know about that!!!
Spread the word like wildfire! Dismantle Bush's base and put poison in the roach nest!
UPDATE 2!!: Check out page 120...
Christian RadioMost likely we will need to create a broad buzz among our supporters, and a quick way to do this is by advertising on Christian Radio. We will produce and air at least two ads that give biblical reasons why Pinnacle should be blocked and the tracks shut down. These will run at the appropriate times and exclusively on Christian Radio.
Cost $200,000.00
Oh, okay. Now you are targeting Christian Radio "wackos" to rally against rival casinos, all funded by another casino's money? Is that right, Mr. Abramoff? I bet Christian Radio would LOVE to hear about that!
UPDATE 3:This is more than just some rougue lobbyist and his cronies. Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist, James Dobson, and even Falwell are involved in this. Take a look at some of these quotes:
pg. 155
From Abramoff to Ralph Reed
subject: Indian Country Update
Ralph, can you get to the ****** guys and make sure that, under NO circumstance should they support or give any land to these crooks. This non-gaming thing is a TOTAL lie. If they get a reservation or any land like this, they will convert it to a casino. No doubt. Could we do this for $40-50K? but we need to make sure they are publicly out there against them and fast. The client is nervous that this might happen.
Another excerpt:
From Abramoff to Petras:
Subject: ATR
Last year Grover set a meeting for certain select tribal leaders [Coushatta and Chitimacha were the only ones] and the House of several legislatures to meet with the President in a small meeting for photos, etc.
the tribes paid for the event [total cost was $100k for the entire thing, and each tribe put in $50K]. Grover has asked me to line up a few tribes to do so again. I am sure the Choctaw would be willing to do so, and I know that Coushatta will do it. Aqua Caliente might also want in, but I am not sure yet. let me know if you guys want in. it would be either a $25k or $50k contribution to ATR for this. let me know as soon as possible. thanks Chris.
Also, please get me that $25K to Capital Athletic Foundation for the DeLay thing. Than ks.
pg. 174
From Abramoff to Ralph Reed:
"This is great, but their not going to do a thing until that AC casino is shut. This is a good step, but these hicks are adamant and get upset every time I raise it."
Special thanks to
those at DU for pulling out these quotes. This is big, and it involves
everybody involved in the conservative Christian mind control empire.
UPDATE 5: We have our first article in Christian literature!!! Way to go people!! Hopefully we can get more by this Sunday! Keep putting pressure on the Christians to pay attention to this!!
Weblog: Former DeLay Aide: 'Wacko' Christians Will Believe Anything
Compiled by Ted Olsen | posted 11/04/2005 04:15 p.m.
Michael Scanlon: How to "bring out the wackos"
Here's something that should at least temporarily replace "poor, uneducated, and easy to command" as the most outrageous characterization of conservative Christians.
Salon.com reports from the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearings on the practices of lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, and Michael Scanlon.
Weblog doesn't have time to go into all the details of the investigation here. If you need a background briefing, Wikipedia has a pretty good one. What Weblog is more interested in is how sure Scanlon (and presumably the others, including former Christian Coalition president Reed) were that they could convince conservative Christians that they were opposing gambling by protecting gambling interests.
Indian tribes wanted their casinos protected from competition, such as state lotteries and casinos on other tribes' land. So the lobbyists decided to mobilize Christians against the proposals to expand local gambling.