Graphs we didn’t expect to bump into

h/t Andrew Sullivan

Tea bag parties and corporate organizers

As has been noted widely for a while now, though the tea bag parties are being promoted (particularly on Fox) as “grassroots” protests, the organization and funding behind them is coming from mainly from an organization called “Freedom Works”.

Freedom Works is headed by Dick Armey, ex Republican representative and co-author of the Contract for America.  Freedom Works functions as an advocacy group but also as a front group for corporate lobbyists.   From  Think Progress

– Armey’s Freedom Works is actively organizing against health care reform. Indeed, Armey’s lobbying firm represents pharmaceutical companies, such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, that oppose comparative effectiveness research in the health reform plan because such a program may cut into revenue for branded drugs.

– Armey’s lobbying firm represents the trade group for the life insurance industry. Indeed, FreedomWorks mobilizes its members for deregulated life insurance reform.

– Currently, FreedomWorks is focusing their energy activism on supporting the status quo reliance on fossil fuels. In addition to working for various domestic oil companies with a vested interest in opposing change, Armey’s lobbying firm represents Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE, on energy related issues such as maintaining the U.S.-UAE relationship where “U.S companies have played major roles in the development of UAE energy resources, which represent about 10 percent of global oil reserves.”

– In 2006, Armey’s lobbying firm represented the Senado de Republica (Mexican Senate) on “enhancing U.S.-Mexico relations,” and specifically onimmigration policy. Curiously, during the same period, Armey’s Freedom Works stood out as one of the few right wing organizations to boldly support comprehensive immigration reform.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal exposed FreedomWorks for building “amateur-looking” websites to promote the lobbying interests of Armey.

“Let’s go get us ANOTHER network”

Yes.  “Another besides Fox”.  Not often these boys get real in public (and this is buzzing around the blogworld presently as we’d expect)

As Crooks and Liars details, the event is an Apr 6  U of Colorado conference speaker here is Robert G. Kaufman.  Read the full skinny at the link.

Kaufman here acknowledges not merely the connection between Fox and the RNC but the propaganda technique of using multiple voices speaking from multiple platforms.  That’s a very important concept to get, if obvious with a bit of reflection.  A single voice is easily discounted.  But multiple voices arriving from numerous different outlets creates the impression of consensus which, often or for many people, equals reality.

This’ll cause a ruckus

Spanish prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and five top associates over their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantánamo, several reliable sources close to the investigation have told The Daily Beast. Their decision is expected to be announced on Tuesday before the Spanish central criminal court, the Audencia Nacional, in Madrid.

Story here

Cliche alert.  “Spanish Inquisition” will be the headline and the talking point all across the rightwing media.  Guaranteed.  The role of the church in that earlier awkwardness will not be any part of this ranting, of course.

The Vatican entrenches

The Vatican has vetoed three of Barack Obama‘s potential nominees as US ambassador amid a growing dispute between the White House and the Roman Catholic church over the new administration’s support for abortion rights and the lifting of a ban on stem cell research.

Italy’s Il Giornale newspaper that among those rejected were Caroline Kennedy and two other Roman Catholics who were unacceptable to the pope because they have publicly stood against church dogma.

The conservative Il Giornale described the vetoes as part of a “trial of strength between Barack Obama and the US church that involves the Holy See”, amid uproar among the church’s hierarchy after America’s principal Catholic university, Notre Dame, invited the president to give an address and receive an honorary degree next month.

Guardian story here

Though we expected this Vatican to be reactionary, it’s that last paragraph that points to the political battle being waged by the rightwing elements of the American Catholic community, a small but vocal group who (as polling shows) is at odds with the larger Catholic community on key issues.

People we are thankful we aren’t

Neverland painting for sale.  Photo from LA Times

The Hubble repairman

As chief Hubble repairman for the past 18 years, he has been intertwined with the Hubble telescope physically, as well as intellectually and emotionally. “He might be the only person on Earth who has observed with Hubble and touched Hubble,” said Bruce Margon, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and former deputy director of the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Read more here

Talk about specialization.  But what a cool (if immensely challenging) gig.