Astroturf

Industry Cash-Roots Have Turned Health Reform into Taxpayer Ripoff

The Los Angeles Times reports that the health insurance industry has "rallied its lobbying and grassroots resources so successfully in the early stages of the healthcare overhaul deliberations that it is poised to reap a financial windfall.

Americans for Prosperity - Slickest and Brightest of the Cash-Roots?

"As nearly 2,000 progressives made their way last weekend to Pittsburgh for the annual Netroots Nation conference, the right made its stand in the same town with a conference called RightOnline, sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a group that has gained notoriety for its involvement in organizing seemingly grassroots opposition to health-care reform," reports Adele Stan.

The Oil Industry Promotes Carpooling?

Why were employees of area oil companies bused to an "Energy Citizens" rally in Houston, Texas, organized by the American Petroleum Institute (API) to oppose climate change legislation?

Cash-Roots, Manufactured Anger, and Hot Air over Health Care

 

Protesters or Faux-Testers?

This summer's health care town hall meetings have been turned into high-profile media opportunities for people shouting talking points crafted by anti-health reform front groups. These confrontations make "good news" but don't make for good policy. I don't doubt the sincerity of the anger of some of these seriously misinformed protesters, so I wouldn't label the lot "faux-testers," but these flames have been stoked by lie upon lie.

Fake Grassroots Letters Oppose Climate Bill

"As U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello was considering how to vote on an important piece of climate change legislation in June, the freshman congressman's office received at least six letters from two Charlottesville [Virginia]-based minority organizations voicing opposition to the measure," reports the Daily Progress.

Lifestyle Lift Forced to Drop Astroturf

In what may be the first case against online astroturfing, New York's attorney general has reached a settlement with a cosmetic surgery company.

The Ultimate Irony: Health Care Industry Adopts Big Tobacco's PR Tactics

At first look, one might not think that the health insurance industry has much in common with the tobacco industry. After all, one sells a product that kills people and the other sells a product nominally aimed at putting people back together. But when it comes to deceitful public relations techniques, the health insurance industry has been learning well from Big Tobacco, which employed a panoply of shady but highly successful public relations tactics to fend off changes to its business for generations.

One of the things I said in my testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee on June 24 is that the health insurance industry engages in duplicitous public relations campaigns to influence public opinion and the debate on health care reform. By that I mean there are campaigns they want you to you know about, and those they don't.

When you hear insurance company executives talk about how much they support health care reform and can be counted on by the President and Congress to be there for them, that's the campaign they want you to be aware of. I call it their PR charm offensive.

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