by Mark Silva
While everyone is busy disputing the size of the "TEA Party'' protest in Washington over the weekend -- tens of thousands, perhaps, but certainly not "more than 30 million'' -- our colleague, Christopher Knight, at the L.A. Times Culture Monster, was busy pondering the origins of promotional artwork for the protest Glenn Beck promoted.
"Glenn Beck took to the Fox television airwaves recently to offer a bizarre reading of the art commissioned 70 years ago for New York's Rockefeller Center,'' he noted, but the logo for the weekend rallies "derives from century-old communist, socialist and other left-wing designs. Those were the motifs he railed against in his Rockefeller rant.''
The three raised, clenched fists superimposed over the Capitol -- perhaps to the chagrin of Beck, FreedomWorks, headed by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights ,the National Assn. of Rural Landowners; and the rest of the march sponsors -- have long stood for "unity and resistance,'' Knight notes. They were "first employed by the Industrial Workers of the World, a union organization founded by socialists. And in the 1940s.... it stood for various nations' communist party organizations.
"That's also what it meant when it was revived in the 1960s, appearing as a symbol for the SDS, as well as anti-war and feminist movements. It was the basis for the black-power salute given by John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. And today, it's the symbol for the Progressive Labor Party (pictured here), a political outfit whose website says it "fights to smash capitalism."
The turnout for the 9-12 Project's Saturday march on Washington was "a bust,'' he suggests. "30,000 protesters signed up in advance (MSNBC reporter David Shuster tweeted that D.C. park police called that figure "generous"). But even if three times that many actually showed up, the number would fall far short of the hundreds of thousands (and even millions) claimed to be planning to attend.
"Even in that reduced crowd,'' Knight writes, "however, surely someone recognized how odd the right-wing gathering's left-wing logo was.''









Comments
Darned Commies! They've even infiltrated Fox in their atheistic secret plan for world domination! Glen Beck is obviously a long term commie sleeper agent bent on destroying the purity of our essence. Tell me have you ever seen Glenn Beck drink a glass of water? Well, have you?
Posted by: Gen. J. D. Ripper USAF (Ret.) | September 14, 2009 1:37 PM
Shouldn't be surprising coming from the same people who claim there were czars in the Soviet Union too.
Posted by: incognita | September 14, 2009 1:48 PM
Now here is some journalism...ignore the story- that tens of thousands (conservatively)private citizens PEACEFULLY traveled to Washington and voiced a dissenting opinion to the messiahs plan, and the arrogant Washington spending and then "report" on the interpretation a peice of artwork offered by another reporter...This is really all that you have to say about the march?
Good work- you got your chance to associate communism to an event that couldn't be further from that term...
Amazingly shallow article Silva-
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 1:54 PM
TEABAGGERS LIE ABOUT THE ATTENDANCE AT THEIR ASTROTURFED "PROTEST" SATURDAY IN DC - FreedomWorks Misquotes ABC News on Tea Bagger Turnout
Whackjob Michelle Malkin is claiming 2 million turned out in Washington, D.C. today to "celebrate" the day after 9/11. The organizers, Freedom Works claimed that ABC News was estimating 1 to 1.5 MILLION turned out.
Uhhh...actually? ABC News didn't say that at all.
They said 60,000-70,000.
Oops.
According to ABC News:
"Conservative activists, who organized a march on the U.S. Capitol today in protest of the Obama administration's health care agenda and government spending, erroneously attributed reports on the size of the crowds to ABC News.
Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks, the group that organized the event, said on stage at the rally that ABC News was reporting that 1 million to 1.5 million people were in attendance.
At no time did ABC News, or its affiliates, report a number anywhere near as large."
.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/protest-crowd-size-estimate-falsely-attributed-abc-news/story?id=8558055
I can believe they turned out 60,000 or even 70,000 people. They probably photoshopped the crowds to make them look bigger. But deliberately misquoting ABC News? Really?
Did these Teabagger idiots really think they'd just let that one go?
They keep crowing about how "well organized" the tea baggers are. I'd say they are good at rallying a solid core of right wing whackos, after all, they have a huge anti health care lobbying group (Freedom Works organizing it for them and a fake news outlet (Faux "News") giving them free publicity in the days leading up to this. The Teabaggers are obviously to stupid to realize that they're being led around by the nose by the very same corporations who are keeping them dumb and poor. But when those numbers didn't approach what they fantasized about, they are reduced to lying about it even when there's no question that they're going to get called on it.
Maybe after 8 years of a Bush administration that was capable of getting away with murder, both figuratively AND literally, in broad daylight and under the glare of media scrutiny, the Right must think they can just do and say whatever they want and nobody will notice.
NEWSFLASH TEABAGGERS: You're liars and we notice.
Posted by: moreofthesame | September 14, 2009 2:23 PM
Heartburn
I think you need to raise your estimates
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/2338210/posts
Posted by: Terry | September 14, 2009 2:26 PM
Crazy Glenn Beck and his minions desperately want to return to the way things were on 9/12/01...because those were the GOP glory days, when they could get their way by scaring the crap out of everyone and no one would call them on it.
Posted by: I wanna be a Republican idiot | September 14, 2009 2:32 PM
I see...Beck can falsely accuse Van Jones of being arrested at the LA riots, call healthcare reparations, Rush can say the problem with America is it is too multi-cultural, and you're worried about the "quality" of journalism? Please!
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 2:42 PM
Is that Beck's logo? I don't see it at his web site. I think it's from FreedomWorks.
Posted by: Kathy | September 14, 2009 2:43 PM
This is why the Republican party can't win elections anymore - the entire party has been taken over by an echo chamber of low IQ toothless rednecks who still haven't figured out that outside of their little cult people view them as being repulsive.
And I love how they're all claiming that they're going to win in 2012.....win with who exactly? Palin? Mittens Romney? Goober Huckleberry? Racist Joe Wilson? ha ha ha! The Teabaggers are all just as delusional as their hero Bozo Beck is.
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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/14/779699/-912-Teabaggers-in-their-own-words
Posted by: sok | September 14, 2009 2:58 PM
Classy Republicans holding Classy signs saying "Bury ObamaCare with Kennedy". Stay Classy Republicans!
Posted by: Randy Gross | September 14, 2009 3:07 PM
Beck rails against the communists, the domestic terrorists like Ayers, etc, yet their artwork is identical?
The clenched fist symbol of the Weatherman is identical to the Teabaggers symbol. Its even more ironic for the Teabaggers to adopt a Black Power logo from the 60's which is also simiar to Beck's logo. Ha ha ha!
Idiots, all of them...
Posted by: ThepartyofOWE | September 14, 2009 3:12 PM
Classy Republicans holding Classy signs saying "Bury ObamaCare with Kennedy". Stay Classy Republicans!
Posted by: Randy Gross | September 14, 2009 3:07 PM
How many different ways can Beck ask people to kill others?
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 3:15 PM
Journalists used to be seekers of truth.
Now, they're just Obama's Palace Guard. Using the usual tools of a Palace Guard--censorship and insults.
Here's just one video of what the Palace Guard doesn't want you to see: a video of Tea Party marchers chanting "tell the truth!" to a CNN reporter. http://www.infowars.com/tea-party-protesters-to-cnn-tell-the-truth/
Posted by: Tell the Truth! | September 14, 2009 3:16 PM
Crazy Glenn Beck and his minions desperately want to return to the way things were on 9/12/01...because those were the GOP glory days, when they could get their way by scaring the crap out of everyone and no one would call them on it.
Posted by: I wanna be a Republican idiot | September 14, 2009 2:32 PM
And Obama is NOT scaring people ?
Scarey warning from the presidents speech;
"...One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn’t reported gallstones that he didn’t even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it. Another woman from Texas was about to get a double mastectomy when her insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne. By the time she had her insurance reinstated, her breast cancer had more than doubled in size. That is heart-breaking, it is wrong, and no one should be treated that way in the United States of America...."
Interesting fact check on same.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574409501904118682.html
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 3:20 PM
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 3:20 PM
2 words...."Death Panel". Now please make a fool of yourself and claim it exists.
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 3:29 PM
********************************************
And Obama is NOT scaring people ? Scarey warning from the presidents speech;.One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 3:20 PM
*********************************************
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As delusional as you and your fearmongering right wing friends at the Murdoch Street Journal are, no one is stopping you from supporting the right of the big healthcare industry bean counters to continue killing people with their murder by spread sheet profiteering policies for their Wall Street overlords. In this country, even stupid people can say whatever they want to.
101,000 Americans die UNNECESSARILY each year because of lack of access to basic medical care that they would get in most other industrialized nations.
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http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/In-the-Literature/2008/Jan/Measuring-the-Health-of-Nations--Updating-an-Earlier-Analysis.aspx
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Posted by: antacid | September 14, 2009 3:37 PM
How many different ways can Beck ask people to kill others?
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 3:15 PM
bill R...
FYI... Obamacare is currently proposed legislation, in the form of up to 5 different bills that are being drafted in different congressional committees- none of the bills, or "Obamacare" are "people"..
So when someone says "kill Obamacare" they are referring to preventing the bill from becoming law..
Okay?.
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 3:38 PM
They grew up in little, dinky, rural towns, surrounded by people who look just like them and think just like them. They never bothered to travel outside of thier rural enclaves, so they have assumed for all these years that all Americans are just like them. Now that Barack Obama has been elected, they have discovered (much to thier horror) that most Americans do not subscibe to thier belief that Whites are superior to all other kinds of people, and that thier opinions are considered backward, provincial, wrongheaded, and....well, I'm just gonna say it...racist. The world has passed them by, and thay have no one to blame but themselves.
Posted by: MBer | September 14, 2009 3:41 PM
The Rip Van Wacko Teabaggers - asleep for 8 years of Bu$hco war lies and tax cuts for billionaires only to wake up on Jan 20th to find a black man in the White House. Oh, Noes!
Posted by: deano | September 14, 2009 4:02 PM
How many different ways can Beck ask people to kill others?
Posted by: bill r.
What does that mean? Has Beck asked someone to kill another? What are you talking about?
Posted by: Kathy | September 14, 2009 4:10 PM
Heartburn, you're more of a MORON then I thought. Compairing real life stories to you and your parties, scare tactics of war, terror, death panels and communism is a far far reach! So glad to see the humanity coming out in you... NOT!
What a born loser!!!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | September 14, 2009 4:14 PM
Heartburn, you're more of a MORON then I thought. Compairing real life stories to you and your parties, scare tactics of war, terror, death panels and communism is a far far reach! So glad to see the humanity coming out in you... NOT!
What a born loser!!!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | September 14, 2009 4:14 PM
Scot- I have no problem with Obama using real life stories to make a point- the problem is that he MISREPRESENTED his real life stories...
And believe me when I say that you thinking I am a moron is a moral victory for me.
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 4:37 PM
bill r,
Crazy Glenny Beck is right on the edge of promoting vilolence:
.
http://whitenoiseinsanity.com/2009/08/02/a-glenn-beck-fan-and-mother-of-3-shows-up-at-a-national-guard-base-armed-to-the-hilt/
.
http://www.phillyimc.org/en/glenn-beck-becoming-increasingly-unstable
.
Posted by: ThepartyofOWE | September 14, 2009 4:39 PM
Where the tiny minds meet to plan their trolling:
- http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/i_believe_ill_dust_my_broom.html
Posted by: john E Hulksmash Jimmy Justice and Co. | September 14, 2009 4:40 PM
Glenn Beck's sign: Bury Obamacare with Kennedy
The sign is disturbing on many levels. To print and proudly carry such a sign, just days after the death of Senator Ted Kennedy, is beyond the pale. Secondly, the protesters, organized by Glen Beck’s 9/12 group and Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks organization of corporate lobbyists, are not just opposed to health care reform; they are out to take down the presidency of Barack Obama.
And finally, implicit in the sign’s message is an act of violence against the President of the United States. These angry right-wing mobs want to see harm come to our President.
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 4:43 PM
heartburn, are the assault rifles the right wing thugs bring to the town halls there to shoot the bills, or to threaten the supporters of the bills?
Posted by: Guns are for murder. | September 14, 2009 4:50 PM
Let me say on other thing on the signs. Yes, during the Bush administration, there were some individuals who made signs threatening Bush's life. They were wrong. The difference? These were lone individuals where these are passed out by an organization run by Glenn Beck a prominate talk show host, and Dick Army former congressman, friend of Darth and active political activist. Ask Dr. Tillers widow if that might be a problem.
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 4:52 PM
2 words...."Death Panel". Now please make a fool of yourself and claim it exists.
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 3:29 PM
bill r...
OOOH you got me there! Fact is-you are so predictable...
Can you respond to any post, critical of Obama, without a reference to Bushor Cheney, an accusations of racism, or some variation of answering a question with a question"?
- Did Obama use the personal stories in his speech- twist the facts - in order to SCARE drones like yourself into thinking we have a moral obligation to tear down a system that most people are satisfied with or not?
If not - how do you make your conclusion? Thats how debates work...
it is a free world though, you can post what you like - but if you are going to challenge me at least have the integrity to respond in context.
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 4:53 PM
heartburn, are the assault rifles the right wing thugs bring to the town halls there to shoot the bills, or to threaten the supporters of the bills?
Posted by: Guns are for murder. | September 14, 2009 4:50 PM
I don't know - maybe you should go to a rally or march and ask them- my guess is that they are not the scary people you think they are. The only person I saw at a rally that was carrying a gun- was asked why. If I remember his response it was because he could ( meaning legally)... I am not going to guess his motivations. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.
--Its kind of fun, from your perspective, to try to make these rallies and marches racist, or violent isn't it? Probably a bummer that there is no vandalism, anarchy or even littering to speak of though.. sorry.
BTW - Do you know of anyone actually shooting, or threatening physical harm to the proposed legislation with an assault weapon?
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 5:12 PM
**************************************************
Did Obama use the personal stories in his speech- twist the facts - in order to SCARE drones like yourself into thinking we have a moral obligation to tear down a system that most people are satisfied with or not? f not - how do you make your conclusion? Thats how debates work...t is a free world though, you can post what you like - but if you are going to challenge me a
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 4:53 PM
************************************************
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Actaully PrePuke, Obama told the truth. It was Joe Wilson who was rudely lying about healthcare.
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http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/09/joe-wilson/joe-wilson-south-carolina-said-obama-lied-he-didnt/
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Posted by: antacid | September 14, 2009 5:13 PM
And believe me when I say that you thinking I am a moron is a moral victory for me.
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 4:37 PM
So glad to hear that you finally admit to being the MORON that you are! Now go take some Rolaids buddy!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | September 14, 2009 5:20 PM
Posted by: antacid | September 14, 2009 5:13 PM
All right! That’s what we need... A snappy, "... I know you are but what am I..." response.
--Obama told the truth about what? The Wall Street article identified a number of specific "disingenuous" (being kind) statements Obama made to scare you. Some research was done- and they were found to be wrong... prove them wrong or deal with it.
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 5:24 PM
Posted by: antacid | September 14, 2009 5:13 PM
All right! That’s what we need... A snappy, "... I know you are but what am I..." response.
--Obama told the truth about what? The Wall Street article identified a number of specific "disingenuous" (being kind) statements Obama made to scare you. Some research was done- and they were found to be wrong... prove them wrong or deal with it.
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 5:25 PM
What these proud Americans who follow the likes of Beck, Hannity, and the rest of the FOX "news" people forget is...they are ENTERTAINERS and they all are laughing all the way to the bank at your expense! They are being USED to make an almighty dollar for the people who are riling them up. I wish these people would open their eyes and see that. Beck is only in it for the money...he does not care about you or your opinions...just keep filling his bank account.
Posted by: lochnesssmonster | September 14, 2009 5:33 PM
********************************************
Some research was done- and they were found to be wrong... prove them wrong or deal with it.
Posted by: heartburn | September 14, 2009 5:25 PM
***********************************************
.
No one is going to waste their time disproving LIES from the Big Health Insurance Lobby that are printed as "facts" in the Murdoch Street Journal, PrePuke.
Posted by: antacid | September 14, 2009 5:45 PM
Heartburn, "because he could" Wow, what brilliant insight! I'm sure he was just a kindly loving character, who in no way connected his gun with violence, and who had no intention of intimidating anyone. And then he hoped on to his magical unicorn and flew home, right? If you can't see the clear connections between displaying firearms at political rallies and political intimidation, you must live in a magical fantasy world.
Posted by: Guns are for murder | September 14, 2009 5:46 PM
Funny heartburn.....when we were talking about scaring people I thought that death panels were scary. Sorry that was out of context to you.
To the poster, who's post was removed about Glenn Beck and his signs. Hate to bring it up but Beck's 9/12 group and Freedomworks, Dick Armey's group were the sponsers of this Tea party. You were working for them unless you want to stick to the story you read about it on a milk carton or something. don't worry...they took wouldn't print my first response as I left a few "letters" for you also. Oh...and by the way, those links to the cardboard cut out signs written in crayon by a couple lone crazies pale in comparison to your orginized hate.
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 5:46 PM
Aside from being perpetually crass half-wits, the tea-baggers have now been exposed as a gaggle of creatively-challenged thieves. How rich that they appropriated logos from the same movements they purport to loathe. Guess it won't be long before they lift the Gay Pride symbol.
Posted by: Diane | September 14, 2009 5:48 PM
$744,232,068 in unexercised stock options. CIGNAs Edward Hanway spends his holidays in a $13 million beach house in New Jersey. Meanwhile, regular Americans are routinely denied coverage for the care they need when they need it most.
Welcome to the American health insurance industry. Instead of helping policyholders attain the health security they need for their families, big insurance companies get rich by denying coverage to patients. Now theyre sending lobbyists to Washington, DC to twist the arms of lawmakers to oppose reform of the status quo. Why? Because the status quo pays.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqtrgU9VH7E
Posted by: u2 | September 14, 2009 5:52 PM
U2,
Let's compare that $744 million to $9 Trillion. Even Bono could do this math. Besides, stock options are a non-cash item.
Posted by: Terry | September 14, 2009 8:01 PM
"....And finally, implicit in the sign’s message is an act of violence against the President of the United States. These angry right-wing mobs want to see harm come to our President."
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 4:43 PM
Wow, you got all that from one little sign, bill?
BTW, tell us what you think of Mary Jo Kopechne's early demise. Can't wait to hear this!
Posted by: Kathy | September 14, 2009 8:16 PM
Life imitating art?, or fools imitating mimes.
Posted by: the Swamp Has Become Troll Haven | September 14, 2009 8:48 PM
BTW, tell us what you think of Mary Jo Kopechne's early demise. Can't wait to hear this!
Posted by: Kathy | September 14, 2009 8:16 PM
LOL thats is so 40 years ago loser! Why dont you tellus what Mary Jo,s mother had to say. Oh wait here let me post it for you:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19690726&id=EvITAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K4oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1772,2849722
now concentrate - I know its not easy - on th enow and the future ok!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | September 14, 2009 10:19 PM
DANG! THOSE HANDS UP IN ARMS LOOK LIKE COMMY POSTERS. . .BACK IN LENINGRAD! HAHAHA. . .
Posted by: HmongRodneyKing | September 14, 2009 10:24 PM
BTW, tell us what you think of Mary Jo Kopechne's early demise. Can't wait to hear this!
Posted by: Kathy | September 14, 2009 8:16 PM
Let's not stop there Kathy...let's go on to how many brothers lost in Iraq for what? Just like in Nam...I was there for bad foreign policy.....is it Kathy? or more a Mary?
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 10:26 PM
South Carolina has a long list of dignitaries that includes Lauren Caitlin Upton (Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant contestant), Board of Education Chair, Kristin Maguire, Governor (and avid Appalachian hiker), Mark Sanford and now Joe “the hater not a debater” Wilson or the “screamer not the dreamer” as others have dubbed him. I did enjoy him cut and running through his apology, which only goes to show that he stands for nothing. He is just another good old boy where in the morning these married men preach to you that there should be prayer in our schools and in the evening they are on their cell phones setting up a date with their other women on the side, hypocrisy has been bred in. I am not surprised that he felt compel to yell like he was at some Friday night game. So long Joey, you too will be seeing the unemployment lines.
Posted by: Paul | September 14, 2009 11:12 PM
Muffy, instead of tailgating at the polo grounds this weekend, why don't we do a tea party instead?
Why, Chip--what a Darjeeling idea!
Posted by: ornery | September 15, 2009 12:19 AM
The kind hearted "Liberal" speaks --
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"You have to remember that in the case of the Glenn Beck 'conservative' wing, you are dealing with ...the kind of people who make eugenics seem desirable if not downright necessary."
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Posted by: John E | September 7, 2009 2:45 AM
-
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/i_believe_ill_dust_my_broom.html
Posted by: Creaky Old Reamer | September 15, 2009 9:24 AM
Funny heartburn.....when we were talking about scaring people I thought that death panels were scary. Sorry that was out of context to you.
Posted by: bill r. | September 14, 2009 5:46 PM
Ok- so how does this death panel talk rationalize Obama's dishonest use of people's personal trauma to scare up support for his health care plan-
At best you have only identified that president hopey changey is just a regular political hack...
Posted by: heartburn | September 15, 2009 9:57 AM
Why do Republicans act like HAMAS and bring guns to political rallies????
Posted by: Send 'em Yr Truck Nutz | September 15, 2009 10:20 AM