The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Progressive Tax-Exempt Group’s Secret Plan to ‘Eviscerate,’ ‘Cripple’ GOP

Posted on | February 23, 2013 | 19 Comments

Blueprint NC is “a nonprofit that coordinates the activities of liberal-leaning nonprofits” in North Carolina and when this 501(c) group’s communications director Stephanie Bass forwarded a strategy memo to member organizations, she included a disclaimer:

“CONFIDENTIAL to Blueprint, so please be careful — share with your boards and appropriate staff, but not the whole world.”

Oops. The memo got leaked to reporter Mark Binker at WRAL in Raleigh. The contents are quite disturbing and clearly partisan:

“The most effective way to mitigate the worst legislation is to weaken our opponents’ ability to govern by crippling their leaders (McCrory, Tillis, Berger, etc…)” the memo reads, referring to the governor, House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger.
The memo goes on to describe a “potential two-year vision” during which the groups would “eviscerate the leadership and weaken their ability to govern.”

Matt Vespa at PJ Tatler has many more details on the shocking partisanship carried out by this tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) group.

Let me bring this a little closer to home for regular readers: Why do you think I’ve devoted so much coverage to Bill Schmalfeldt’s relentless harassment of Lee Stranahan?

Perhaps a better question: Do you suppose Stranahan was randomly selected for this harassment? Can’t you see that Lee’s association with Breitbart.com is the motive for the attacks on him, and isn’t it obvious that this is part of a much larger strategy by the Left to discredit, suppress or silence conservative journalists?

Thanks to journalists like Mark Binker and Matt Vespa, we know how Blueprint NC orchestrated an effort to “cripple” and “eviscerate” Republicans in North Carolina, but how many strategy memos like this — how many conference calls and private e-mails — never leak out of their “confidential” channels? And if the Left can shut down Lee Stranahan, what’s to stop them from shutting down Matt Binker or Matt Vespa or anyone else they decide to target?

People need to wake up to what’s really going on. The Left isn’t just trying to win elections and pass legislation. The Left has totalitarian ambitions to destroy all opposition and silence all dissent.

 

Category: Democrats, Journalism, North Carolina, Progressivism

Comments

19 Responses to “Progressive Tax-Exempt Group’s Secret Plan to ‘Eviscerate,’ ‘Cripple’ GOP”

  1. Steve Skubinna
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 2:24 pm

    Looks like “eliminationist rhetoric.” So the next violent crime, wherever and however committed, will be their responsibility, right?

  2. Bob Belvedere
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 3:30 pm

    The Left isn’t just trying to win elections and pass legislation. The Left has totalitarian ambitions to destroy all opposition and silence all dissent.

    THIS, squared.

  3. The Spot-On Quote Of The Day…. | The Camp Of The Saints
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 3:54 pm

    […] …is awarded to sexist!, raaaaacist!, and all-around h8ter! Robert Stacy Beauregard Nathan Bedford Forrest McCain for this deadly accurate and succinct summation of the Left In America’s ultimate intent: […]

  4. Rick Caird
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 4:04 pm

    That is the truth.

    Another way they suppress dissent is by up comments sections with multiple posts, mostly being ad hominem attack on the author. These are organized ambushes. Just check out the comments section on the WaPo for George Will and Jennifer Rubin. But, the stream of attack comments is heavy any rational comment scrolls off the screen in seconds.

  5. Bob Belvedere
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 4:15 pm

    They also like to hijack comment threads by concern trolling.

  6. jakee308
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 6:45 pm

    What are they afraid of?

    I don’t worry about a scruffy field mouse, I worry about the bears.

    The Republican party is toothless and playing for the other team anyway, why put a stop to that?

  7. K-Bob
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 7:56 pm

    We’re also seeing a big increase in “moby” comments at Scoop’s. One nasty example was a guy pretending to be a Christian, but jumping into several threads with violent, eliminationist comments. (And as Bob pointed out, an increase in concern trolling)

    While I’ve known a few kids who love to prank websites with this kind of stuff, just for kicks, I suspect a large percentage of these folks are being paid to troll. The prankster types are sort of like stalkers, but they get bored eventually. Most folks who are doing it “for the team” will get tired of being outed and banned. But not the psychos, and not the paid shills. They keep going like a speed freak with a two-gallon bag of dexies.

    I wish the bigger sites, like Breitbart and Beck’s sites would step up moderation efforts. I don’t even bother reading the comments there anymore because the rational ones get buried under pages of garbage from these efforts.

  8. AnonymousDrivel
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 9:44 pm

    Yet another JournoList subgroup merging with Alinsky’s Rules. It gets easier and easier to spot. It’s really a matter of reverse-smearing these hacks with their own medicine at this point.

  9. Tax Exempt Progressive Group In NC Plans To Cripple Republican State Government | American Glob
    February 23rd, 2013 @ 10:14 pm

    […] Read more at The Other McCain. […]

  10. Mr_Miyagi
    February 24th, 2013 @ 1:09 am

    If two of its prime targets are legislators, it sounds like a certain 501(c)(3) organization may be drawing so close to the line its tax-exemption could be in question? Per the IRS.gov:

    “In general, no organization may qualify for section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying)….

    “An organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation, or if the organization advocates the adoption or rejection of legislation.”

  11. Zexufang
    February 24th, 2013 @ 6:09 am

    ALL so-called 901(c) non-profits – and others – should be taxed.
    Likewise ALL executive pay should be strictly limited to (say) $50,000 and no perks or benefits.

    Only then will we see how dedicated these people are to the causes they espouse.

  12. NCkhawk
    February 24th, 2013 @ 6:14 am

    Interestingly, Blueprint NC receives funding from foundations like the Z Smith Reynolds Foundation. (Reynolds Tobacco Family – old hijacked money). I believe that they have violated several fundamentals by taking this money as a 501C-3 and using it for extreme political purposes. Pressure needs to be applied to their funding sources such as the Reynolds Foundation. Others who fund / receive funding for these types of efforts need to be uncovered – put their tax exempt status risk in the sunlight and potential dry up their funding sources.

  13. ekaneti
    February 24th, 2013 @ 9:19 am

    Not much info on how they plan to do it. I also bet they fail.

  14. LL1885
    February 24th, 2013 @ 9:50 am

    There’s even more — this grp gets funding from the the foundation started by the man who owns WRAL too.

    I’ve got 4 posts up on this group in the last 2 days…

  15. ConMom
    February 24th, 2013 @ 9:58 am

    […] More on liberal Non-profit #BlueprintNC scandal:  Progressive Tax-Exempt Group’s Secret Plan to ‘Eviscerate,’ ‘Cripple’ GOP […]

  16. theBuckWheat
    February 24th, 2013 @ 10:04 am

    A major source of funding for leftist (er, “progressive”) causes are tax-exempt foundations. Foundations have control of about 4% of the GDP in their investment portfolios. A foundation must give away 5% of its assets each year to qualified recipients in order to maintain its tax-exempt status.

    But when a competent investment manager can earn more than 5% on those assets, the foundation has eternal life. In fact, they can grow in size and power over time. Just look at the mischief cased by the Soros, Ties, and Ford Foundations over the years.

    If any conservative legislator is looking for more tax revenues, two birds could be killed with one stone by boosting the required payout to above 7.5%. That makes tax-exempt foundations mortal. They will spend themselves out of business. The government benefits because that “gifting” pushes money out into the taxable economy. The country benefits because it will eventually reduce the power of the left.

  17. theBuckWheat
    February 24th, 2013 @ 10:12 am

    Better yet, boost the required payout from 5% of expenses to north of 7% were the foundation must start spending-out its assets. As things stand right now, tax-exempt foundations have eternal life. They must be made mortal.

  18. Wombat_socho
    February 24th, 2013 @ 10:14 am

    Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are a lot of decent folks working hard for little or no money in 501(c) nonprofits, doing good works. What’s needed is more consistent enforcement of the ban on political action, and more attention being paid to outfits that pay their panjandrums six-figure salaries.

  19. Birdbranze
    February 25th, 2013 @ 7:43 am

    Very true. Now the question is, Why are so many republicans caving in to the jerks. It’s awfully hard to back a candidate who has caved. Here in Georgia, both republican senators are RINO’s. Another question is, Have they lost their tax exempt status since they are admittedly a political movement?