"The White House call for people to inform on anyone spreading "disinformation about health insurance reform" didn't sit well with a lot of people -- Obama isn't running a political campaign anymore, he's supposed to be running the country (and in the event even those who spread video clips of the president making statements on health care reform that are now impolitic have been targeted by the White House). Texas Senator John Cornyn has written a letter to the president politely asking if he could please put an end to the creepiness:"
Way to go Sen. Cornyn! Obama is worse than Bush. Worse.“[T]the White House Director of New Media, Macon Phillips, asserted that there was “a lot of disinformation out there,” and encouraged citizens to report “fishy” speech opposing your health care policies to the White House. Phillips specifically targeted private, unpublished, even casual speech...“If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to xxxx@XXXXXX.
I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy’ or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests,” Sen. Cornyn wrote. “You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights. And I respectfully request an answer to the following:
· How do you intend to use the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in “fishy” speech?
·How do you intend to notify citizens who have been reported for “fishy” speech?
·What action do you intend to take against citizens who have been reported for engaging in “fishy” speech?
· Do your own past statements qualify as “disinformation”? For example, is it “disinformation” to note that in 2003 you said: “I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan”?"
3 comments:
As many of you may know, The White House website is asking Americans to report people passing along emails, websites and even casual conversations with "fishy" information regarding healthcare reform.
What I have done and I hope you will to, is to email this link to the healthcare reform bill to the white house along with the following note. You would need to start a new email and copy and paste the following.
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To: flag@whitehouse.gov
Subject: Reporting a Website
Body of email:
To Whom It may Concern:
Click here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf
Above you will find a website regarding health care reform. Unlike most citizens, I read everything like this completely and I have to tell you, I find this extremely "fishy". I do hope that you will contact the authors of this information and let them know that we, the American People....will not stand for anymore disinformation.
Thank you for your help in this matter.
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Then....send the email to everyone you know asking them to do the same.
Now you can see why the White House was asking for links to bad websites, bogus rumors, "rumor chain" emails and links. It wasn't some "gubment roundup" as some paranoids would have you believe. It was to know what the rumors and criticisms ARE so the questions can be answered and the rumors can be dispelled, OR new good ideas can be INCLUDED. Yeah! LISTENING...that's what we voted for! Refreshing, isn't it?
The new website established by the White House is:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/
Check it out and get informed. Better yet, do what many of the Republican Congressmen and shout mobs apparently aren't willing to do and actually READ what is actually being proposed and debated at the website set up for the Health Care Reform / Transition at:
http://www.healthreform.gov/
Get informed! The American people voted for change, and change is a' coming! It's time for a REAL war on some REAL terrorists: viruses, bacteria, diseases and disabilities! The United States is the richest country on Earth - it's a shame so many of our citizens have no access to health care. Working together, we're FIXIN' IT, though!
Tina, the snitch program is illegal.
5 US Code §552a(e)(7) commands
"(7) maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity;"
Boy, are you deluded. The REAL terrorist is the President, spying and snitching on you. Get it? Don't worry, we're fixin' it though!!!!!
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