The Biter Bit

Not that I’m any kind of martial-arts expert but I seem to recall from the little judo I did learn that the “secret” is to use one’s opponent’s weight against himself. It was, therefore, with great glee that I read a report in the New York Times which describes precisely that, not in terms of a sweaty gymnasium or a seedy Hong Kong alley, but in the dog-eat-dog world of the political arena.

The thrust of the report was that influential Chicago activist Saul Alinsky wrote the book on community organizing for the Left.

Now it seems that, in an ironic twist of fate, opponents of President Barack Obama and the Democrats' healthcare reform plans are employing some of the very same tactics that Alinsky, who died in 1972, espoused in his work "Rules for Radicals."

As healthcare reform foes angrily confront lawmakers at town-hall meetings, The New York Times observed: "It is an irony of the current skirmishing about healthcare that those who could be considered Mr. Alinsky's sworn enemies — the groups, many industry sponsored, who are trying to shout down Congressional town hall meetings — have taken a page from his handbook on community organizing."

Among the Alinsky "trademarks" that the Times' Noam Cohen pointed to are "using spectacle to make up for lack of numbers," targeting an individual — in this case Obama — and "using ridicule to persuade the undecided."

As for complaints from Democrats about the reform opponents' sometimes belligerent tactics, Alinsky stated that "any effective means is automatically judged by the opposition as being unethical."

The Internet availability of many town-hall confrontations would have won approval from Alinsky, who urged activists to seek media attention — in particular by challenging public officials on camera.

The boisterous disruption of the meetings by reform foes also jibes with Alinsky's tactics. He advised organizers to "raise a din and clamor that will make the listener believe that your organization numbers many more than it does."

And the Democrats still haven’t figured it out. Of course, it doesn’t help their cause when the Representatives themselves haven’t read H.R.3200 and couldn’t explain it even if they had. Even Kathleen Sebelius, Obama’s Health Secretary doesn’t understand it and cannot provide articulate answers to citizens’ questions. In a, now infamous, Town Hall meeting in the company of Arlen Specter, she resorted to the immortal defense of “Don’t sweat the details”.

Now isn’t that special? Doesn’t that fill you with confidence?

And still the AARP doggedly continues to back this thing to the hilt. Is it any wonder that since H.R.3200 first saw light of day, more than 60,000 members have either cancelled or refused to renew their membership and I was one of them?

But back to our judo lesson …….

Among the many community organizers influenced by Alinsky, the most prominent today is — Barack Obama. He learned and taught Alinsky's methods for community organizing while working for the Developing Communities Project in Chicago.

Bitten by your own Pit Bull Obama?

Even Michael Vick managed to avoid that.