ma parole

Democracy For Hire

New term for the day - astroturf lobbying refers to the practice of manufacturing grassroots support. For a fee, these PR companies use boiler room phone operations to locate "less-informed" activists willing to send letters to their government representatives on whatever the PR firm's client's cause may be.

According to this page, astroturf techniques have been used to:

• defeat the Clinton administration's proposed health care reform, through a front group called "Rx Partners" created by the Beckel Cowan PR firm, and the Coalition for Health Insurance Choices, created by public relations consultant Blair Childs
• harass environmentalists through the Wise Use movement
• loosen automobile fuel efficience standards
• support clear-cutting American forests, through a front group called Citizens to Protect the Pacific Northwest and Northern California Economy
• oppose restrictions on smoking in public places, through a front group called National Smokers Alliance, which was created by Burson-Marsteller

Democracy for hire. But I'll bet it ain't cheap.