Grassfire.org

The Emerging Right-Wing "Resistance"

Kyle — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:17:23 +0000

We wrote about Grassfire.org a few times back in 2007 during the height of the immigration debate and then, once the issue died down, stopped paying attention to them because, with their core issues no longer on the table, they seemed to lose focus and stagnated.

But then I came across this Buzzflash piece that informed us that not only is Grassfire back in business, they have re-formed themselves as the home of the “patriotic, resilient, conservative resistance” to Barack Obama:

Grassfire.org has launched this “Join The Resistance” campaign to give grassroots conservatives a place to join together around the common goal of holding off as much of the Obama agenda as possible. Our goal is to bring together 1 million Resisters by Inauguration Day. That would give us one-tenth of the 10 million Obama loyalists who were recruited during the campaign, but we believe 1 million equipped Resisters can make a difference.

The key will be providing web-based structures that truly equip conservatives to Resist. We begin here – by building this email network to give us the ability to respond immediately to each and every effort by the Obama administration to undermine our liberties. We plan to add to this platform social networking that will connect Resisters to others in their communities. We are also exploring ways to put the tools of the Resistance into your hands through mobile phone-based apps that allow you to Resist on the go. We will use fax, email, phone, and personal visit campaigns to press our case with leaders in Washington, D.C., who need to know that millions oppose Obama’s rush to the Left …

Resisting is just the first step. That is why we propose a three-phased recovery for conservatives: Resist, Rebuild, and Restore. We believe that resisting will create newfound unity among conservatives. Out of this, we must then Rebuild our structures. New, invigorating models must be developed that inform, equip and bring together conservatives and prepare us to return our ideas to political prominence. The Internet will be a key battleground The Left has moved far ahead in its embrace of and usage of new 2.0 technologies. The Rebuild process will leave Americans with a clear ideological and practical choice between the Left’s statist model and our model based on God-given individual liberties.

Having rebuilt, we can then Restore conservative ideas to leadership by winning elections. Ultimately, a movement’s ideas must result in electoral victories because that is the basis for legitimate authority and ultimately for implementing one’s ideas. Grassfire.org will soon be announcing a breakthrough effort that will allow our members to get engaged directly in the election process. Stay tuned.

Resist. Rebuild. Restore. It’s not an easy path for grassroots conservatives, but it is a clear path. We know what we must do. And it begins with resisting rightly — respecting the new President but never backing away from the God-given ideals of freedom and liberty upon which this nation was founded.

I have to say that the Right’s sudden penchant for referring to itself as some sort of “resistance movement” is taking on a militia-esque tone that is getting to be a little bit disturbing.

Anti-Immigration Forces Gear Up

Kyle — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:27:43 +0000

Rep. Tom Tancredo already had little to no chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination and he certainly won’t be getting support from too many Senate Republicans now that he is threatening to destroy them if they vote for immigration reform:

Presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo said today he will work against fellow Republicans who support an immigration bill he considers a sellout.

Tancredo aides said the campaign would start a petition drive and volunteer network to help voters campaign against senators who support the White House-backed immigration plan. The bill, which provides a pathway to citizenship to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the United States, has split Republicans in Congress.

The Colorado congressman announced his "Save America Campaign" hours before he and nine other candidates were to meet for the first Republican debate in the state with the earliest presidential primary.

In announcing his “Save America Campaign,” Tancredo warns that the immigration reform bill “will destroy America” and is urging supporters to petition/threaten their senators:

I demand Republican Senators stand up to George W. Bush, the Hispanic lobby and the corporate special interests and stand up for America.

I specifically demand you oppose the Kennedy-McCain-Bush amnesty bill or any other legislation that gives temporary or permanent legal status to illegal immigrants.

Otherwise I will oppose and actively work for your defeat in your next election.

Pat Buchanan, who is currently coaching Mitt Romney on the issue of immigration, is likewise on the rampage:

Bush's attack on the motives and character of conservatives tell us it is Goldwater-Rockefeller time again -- time to split the blanket. Conservatives need to declare their independence of Bush and to repudiate Bushism as the philosophy of their movement and party.

…

The damage Bush has done to his party is beginning to rival that of Herbert Hoover. If the Clintons were doing this, would conservatives be mute? Time to lock and load.

Meanwhile, Grassfire.org has announced that it will soon begin running new “Where’s The Fence?” ads:

The initial media buy includes national airings on Fox News and CNN along with regional broadcasts in seven states identified by Grassfire as key to this week’s amnesty vote: Arizona (Kyl and McCain), Georgia (Isakson and Chambliss), Kansas (Brownback), Mississippi (Lott), North Carolina (Burr), Texas (Cornyn and Hutchinson), and Virginia (Warner and Webb). A total of seven ads will be airing -- the national (generic) version along with six customized versions featuring key senators who have supported amnesty or have expressed support for this year’s amnesty bill.

Grassfire.org Raises Money for TV Ads on Border Agents

Ezra — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:12:43 +0000

Demanding Bush pardon them in shooting incident.

Minutemen Co-Founder Stumps for Anti-Immigrant Candidates

Ezra — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 03:59:00 +0000

Chris Simcox on a ten-state tour for Minuteman PAC. Also: Grassfire.org scores GOP as party of “stopping illegal immigration.”

Patriotism at Pro-Immigrant Rally Decried

Ezra — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:45:07 +0000

Grassfire.org President Steve Elliot and his colleague produced a video of last week’s pro-immigrant rally in Washington, offering their own slant as an audio commentary. They appeared particularly disturbed by the appearance of patriotism, a sentiment that contradicts their booklet “The Truth About the Illegal Alien Invasion.” According to Elliot, this means “they’re getting smarter now, and they’re hiding the true agenda.” As the camera zooms in on a People For the American Way t-shirt, they say:

Ron De Jong: There was another big thing too: There was a lot of patriotism. I saw a lot of patriotism. So the agenda had changed; they’ve shifted their tactic. I saw maybe one or two Mexican flags the whole time I was there.

Steve Elliot: Right. They’re very careful, Ron. And I think that this—we’ve got to convey this to our team members that they’re getting smarter now, and they’re hiding the true agenda which makes—and I’m glad we produced the booklet even more than we produced—because there is an agenda behind this.

Watch the video.