Organizing for America, the DNC’s campaign arm set up to support President Obama’s agenda, has a familiar target today: Sarah Palin.
Mitch Stewart, OFA’s director, told supporters in an email just now they need help to raise “$500,000 in the next week to push back against Sarah Palin and her special interest allies.”
His argument is that Palin’s “lies” about health care are “widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform.” He uses her death panels meme as an example.
In his book “The Audacity to Win,” Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said he was shocked that Palin was such a good fundraising driver for the team.
He writes that he looked at the online fundraising numbers a few hours after Palin made her big debut at the Republican National Convention going after Obama as his only experience being a community organizer.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw,” Plouffe wrote.
More from the book:
“We had taken in millions of dollars in the three hours since Palin had started speaking. We hadn’t even asked for most of it; we had sent out just a single unplanned fund-raising email highlighting her attacks on community organizers, but it was just starting to hit people’s in-boxes as I checked the numbers. So the big response from the last three hours meant people were merely venting via contribution. Her speech might have ginned up their base, but apparently it had sent ours into orbit.”
He said he thought, “I hope she keeps this up. Sarah Palin has now become our best fund-raiser.”
Sounds like that hasn’t changed much.
Stewart’s email from today after the jump.
Right now, Sarah Palin is on a highly publicized, nationwide book tour, attacking President Obama and his plan for health reform at every turn.
It’s dangerous. Remember, this is the person who coined the term “Death Panels” — and opened the flood gates for months of false attacks by special interests and partisan extremists.
Whatever lie comes next will be widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform.
As we approach the final sprint on health reform, we can’t afford more deception and delay. We need to be ready for anything — and have the resources to respond with ads, events, and calls to Congress when the attacks come.
So we’re setting a big goal: $500,000 in the next week to help push back against Sarah Palin and her allies. Please chip in $5 to help reach our goal.
Earlier this month, Palin publicly said that she hopes health reform will be “dead on arrival.” And since then, she’s been working fiercely toward that goal.
On Tuesday, Palin went on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show where she outrageously — and falsely — suggested that Americans could “face jail time as punishment” if they don’t buy insurance.
Palin has many more interviews scheduled on Hannity and other conservative shows in the next few weeks, with more platforms to go after the President. As soon as she does, the rest of our opponents will likely parrot those attacks.
We need to be prepared. And we’re counting on you help. Can you chip in $5?
Thanks,
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
