IRAN DEAL: LEFT’S PLAN TO ‘ASTROTURF’ TOWN HALL MEETINGS (FULL SCHEDULE)

Several left-wing groups have united in an “Astroturf” campaign to create a false impression of public support for the Iran deal at town hall meetings across the nation.

The effort, called “60 Days to Stop a War,” is being coordinated by MoveOn.org, an anti-war group, the National Iranian American Council, a pro-Iran lobby group; Daily Kos, a left-wing blog site; and other left-wing groups.

As in the Obamacare effort in 2009, the apparent goal of “60 Days” is to create a media sensation that can drown out the American public’s overwhelming opposition.

A statement on the “60 Days” website declares:

Republicans are trying to start a war with Iran by rejecting the historic deal announced by the U.S., Iran and five other world powers that will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Republicans can’t start their war without votes from Democrats…

Experts agree that without this agreement, we could face a new war in the Middle East. We have 60 days to defend diplomacy and stop a war. Find a town hall event with your member of Congress, and let them know you want diplomacy, not war.

Some of the members of Congress targeted by the 60 Days effort, such as 

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA)

65%

, are likely opponents of the Iran deal. The goal of the campaign is to create media attention, not to switch votes.

A list of the events, in chronological order, follows. All times local.

1. 

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

8%

 (D-WA) – Mon., Aug. 10, 2:30 p.m. – Wilsonville Public Library, 8200 Southwest Wilsonville Road, Wilsonville, OR 97070

2. 

Rep. Diane Black (R-TN)

66%

 – Mon., Aug. 10, 6:00 p.m. – Cannon County Courthouse, 200 West Main St., Woodbury, TN 37190 United States

3. 

Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC)

48%

 – Mon., Aug. 10, 6:30 p.m. – Marvin Ridge High School, 2825 Crane Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173 United States

4. 

Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)

15%

 – Mon., Aug. 10, 7:00 p.m. – Council Chambers, 425 Hillside Avenue, Hillside, IL 60162 United States

5. 

Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC)

61%

 – Tues., Aug. 11, 10:00 a.m. – Joe’s Grill, 306 Russell Street, Darlington, SC 29532 United States

6. 

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)

39%

 – Tues., Aug. 11, 1:00 p.m. – Shawneetown City Hall, 330 North Lincoln Boulevard East, Shawneetown, IL 62984 -RSVP by phone at (618) 252-8271 United States

7. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) – Tues., Aug. 11, 2:30 p.m., Grass Valley City Council Chambers, 125 East Main Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945 United States

8. 

Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY)

49%

 – Tues., Aug. 11, 5:30 p.m. – Fiesta Brava Mexican Restaurant, 100 Tanglewood Drive, Taylorsville, KY 40071 United States

9. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) – Tues., Aug. 11, 5:30 p.m. -Putnam County Courthouse, 300 East Spring Street, Cookeville, TN 38501 United States

10. 

Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX)

18%

 – Tues., Aug. 11, 6:00 p.m. – Hampton-Illinois Branch Library, 2951 South Hampton Rd., Dallas, TX 75224 United States

11. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) – Tues., Aug. 11, 6:00 p.m. – Colfax City Council Chambers, 33 South Main Street  Colfax, CA 95713 United States

12. Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) – Tues., Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m. – Charles Mack Citizen Center, 215 North Main Street, Mooresville, NC 28115 United States

13. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) – Wed., Aug. 12, 7:30 a.m. – Paula’s Hot Biscuit, 311 West Water Street, Hodgenville, KY 42748 United States

14. Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) – Wed., Aug. 12, 9:00 a.m. – Magnolia on Main, 224 East Main Street, Bennettsville, SC 29512 United States

15. 

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)

22%

 – Wed., Aug. 12, 9:00 a.m. – Spring Street Post Office, 1310 Pennsylvania Ave, Brooklyn – Canarsie, NY 11239 United States

16. 

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)

88%

 – Wed., Aug. 12, 10:30 a.m. – Location TBD

17. Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) – Wed., Aug. 12, 11:30 a.m. – The Charcoal Grill, 107 North 1st Avenue, Dillon, SC 29536 United States

18. Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) – Wed., Aug. 12, 6:30 p.m. – Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, NC 28031 United States

19. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) – Thurs., Aug. 13, 9:30 a.m. – Breese City Hall, 500 North 1st Street, Breese, IL 62230 United States

20. 

Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS)

60%

 – Thurs., Aug. 13, 10:30 a.m. – District Office, 3550 SW 5th Street, Topeka, KS 66606 United States – RSVP by phone at (618) 288-7190

Via: Breitbart

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4 Charts That Prove DC Elites Are Ignoring Planned Parenthood Debate Raging in the Nation

A series of videos that show Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of aborted fetal organs has sparked a nationwide debate on Twitter about the organization’s practices.

A new analysis of trends on the social media site shows that those located within the Beltway took longer to join the conversation and are talking less about it than most of the country.

According to data provided by Echelon Insights, an opinion research firm, abortion has been one of the most talked about issues on Twitter among all users and those identified as part of the conservative base.

The firm analyzed how frequently abortion was discussed on Twitter over the last eight months and found that conversation surrounding the issue surged in conjunction with the release of videos from the Center for Medical Progress.

The Center for Medical Progress released its first video involving Planned Parenthood less than one month ago and yesterday published its fifth, with more expected. In the weeks that have followed, there have been increased calls for Congress to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding. Lawmakers plan to conduct hearings on the organization’s practices when they return from the month-long August recess.

According to Echelon Insights’ analysis, discussion surrounding abortion has been frequent among all Twitter users and conservatives. However, that isn’t the case among “Beltway Elites,” or Washington, D.C., insiders and liberals.

Total volume of conversation surrounding abortion across all Twitter

audiences from January to August. (Chart: Echelon Insights)

Total volume of conversations surrounding abortion across all Twitter audiences from July 2014 to August 2015.  (Chart: Echelon Insights)

Volume of conversation surrounding abortion among Beltway Elites, liberals and conservatives on Twitter from July 2014 to August 2015. (Chart: Echelon Insights)

>>>Did Your Senator Vote to Defund Planned Parenthood? See Here.

After the first video was released July 14, there was a surge in the number of mentions of abortion on Twitter.

However, the surge was not just among “Beltway Elites.” Instead, including everyone on the social media site, abortion was mentioned more than 90,000 times on July 14.

Additionally, on that same day, abortion was the second most discussed issue among all Twitter users. For conservatives, it was also the second most discussed issue.

However, the release of the first Planned Parenthood video didn’t resonate with Beltway Elites and liberals. Among those demographics, abortion was the fifth and ninth most discussed topic, respectively.

In examining conversations surrounding abortion, Echelon Insights found that most people on Twitter discussing the first Planned Parenthood video were located outside Washington, D.C.

The firm calculates an “Insider Score,” which measures how much Beltway Elites are discussing a topic compared to all Twitter users. Scores below 0 indicate more of a conversation outside the nation’s capital.

Last month, the Insider Score of conversation surrounding abortion indicated that Twitter users outside Washington, D.C., were discussing the issue more than those in the Beltway.

Demographic breakdown and Insider Score of discussion surrounding abortion (Chart: Echelon Insights)

The Center for Medical Progress released a second video involving another Planned Parenthood executive on July 21. The video showed a doctor allegedly negotiating the sale of aborted fetal tissue, and after the group published the video, Twitter saw its second highest peak in conversation surrounding abortion, with more than 50,000 mentions among all users.

However, that didn’t last long.

Among everyone on the social media site and conservatives, it was the most discussed issue on July 22. But for Beltway Elites and liberals, abortion ranked fourth and sixth among discussed topics, respectively.

One week later, on July 30, the Center for Medical Progress released another video showing Planned Parenthood allegedly discussing the sale of aborted fetal organs. This video stirred up conversations once again among all Twitter users—and conservatives, specifically.

According to Echelon Insights, the topic surpassed the level of discussion on July 22, and abortion had the second most mentions on Twitter, topping 77,000. Additionally, the issue became the most-discussed across all Twitter users and among conservatives.

Keeping up with previous trends, abortion was the second and fourth most discussed topic among liberals and Beltway Elites, respectively.

Via: Daily Signal

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A Nation Built for Immigrants

In a single generation, between 1980 and 2007, more than 10 million people migrated, legally or illegally, from Mexico to the U.S. Today there are more than 12 million Mexican-born people in the U.S. and millions of American children who are their offspring—amounting to almost 10% of the nation's population. That is exponentially larger than in 1970, when there were less than one million Mexican-born people in the country, or 1980, when there were two million. The Mexican migration, and the similarly large migration of others from the rest of Latin America, has in just one generation reshaped the nation. Hispanics have replaced blacks as the largest officially recognized minority group.

Needless to say, this transformation hasn't gone unnoticed in our politics, especially in the border states most affected by the influx. Groups like the "minutemen," self-appointed guardians of the U.S. border, may no longer hold the spotlight, but the issue remains tense, as suggested by the iffy prospects on Capitol Hill of the latest attempt at "comprehensive immigration reform." Many Americans still worry that, with the profound shift in the country's ethnic composition over the past several decades, the U.S. is well on its way to flying apart.

None of this should come as a surprise to a student of American history. But for perspective, it is helpful to recollect that the conflicts produced by previous surges of migration resulted in much worse strains. More than that, in the process of dealing with these strains, Americans have developed a capacity and a habit of accommodating and uniting citizens with very serious and deep differences. Going back to the Founding Fathers—with their formula of limited government, civic equality and tolerance of religious and cultural diversity—each new surge of arrivals has been greeted as a crisis without precedent, only to disappear with unexpected speed as the nation faced new challenges.

Via: WSJ

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FLASHBACK: JournoList plotted to kill Jeremiah Wright story in 2008

Now that The Daily Caller has uncovered and published video of President Barack Obama’s “other race speech,” liberal media figures are once again trying to quell coverage of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright story — just like in 2008.

Records obtained by TheDC in mid-2010 showed that “at several points during the 2008 presidential campaign a group of liberal journalists took radical steps to protect their favored candidate,” after ABC News’ Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos asked then-Sen. Obama about his controversial reverend during an April 2008 debate.

“Employees of news organizations including Time, Politico, the Huffington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Guardian, Salon and the New Republic participated in outpourings of anger over how Obama had been treated in the media, and in some cases plotted to fix the damage,” TheDC’s Jonathan Strong reported.

Among those who were uncovered to be part of the plan to quell Wright coverage were Richard Kim of the Nation, Michael Tomasky of the Guardian, Thomas Schaller of the Baltimore Sun, Holly Yeager of the Columbia Journalism Review, Slate magazine contributor David Greenberg, columnist Joe Conason, Chris Hayes of the Nation, and Spencer Ackerman — then of the Washington Independent.

Strong reported that Ackerman even once “urged his colleagues to deflect attention from Obama’s relationship with Wright by changing the subject. Pick one of Obama’s conservative critics, Ackerman wrote, ‘Fred Barnes, Karl Rove, who cares — and call them racists.’”

Before TheDC even released this new video, the Democratic Party tried to discredit it by citing JournoList members like the Huffington Post’s Sam Stein and Ben Smith — now the editor of BuzzFeed but formerly of Politico — commenting on the video before they had seen it.

Via: Daily Caller

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