Jon Stewart says Saturday’s Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear is about comedy, not politics, but outside advocacy groups are certainly taking advantage of the event to rally support for their own causes.
Bill Carter and Brian Stelter reported today in the New York Times:
Liberal groups like Media Matters and Naral Pro-Choice America will be out in force to attract new members and even Organizing for America, President Obama’s political organization, wants to draw attendees to phone banks set up near the Mall.
Code Pink is also planning a “Mad Hatter Tea Party” to get people to sign up. MoveOn.org is organizing nationwide “Restore Sanity Call Parties” to sign up get-out-the-vote volunteers.
But liberal-leaning political groups aren’t the only ones taking advantage of the potentially huge turnout. Faith-based groups like Faithful America and Jewish Funds for Justice are organizing to “denounce fear-mongering.” The New Israel Fund wants to “take this opportunity to stand up for sanity and democracy in both of the countries that we love.” And J Street wants to rally to “Restore Sanity to the Debate Over Israel and the Mideast!”
At least one LGBTQI contingent in D.C. is also arranging a meet-up, and, of course, no rally would be complete without the “legalize pot” crowd: A pro-Propsition 19 group is rallying to “Restore Sanity to Drug Laws.”
And, just in case, Planned Parenthood has been handing out Jon Stewart-themed condoms all week. Colbert’s gonna be pissed.
The National Park Service leaked the line-up for the rally yesterday. And here’s some video of Stewart and Colbert talking about it over the past few weeks.
