Only a few weeks removed from the campaign within a campaign that was the all-out mainstream media war against MoveOn, the media is now trumpeting a quote to convey the impression that MoveOn owns the Democratic Party. A quick check of antecedents, reveals yet another lie about MoveOn.

According to Eli Pariser's message, "In the last year, grass-roots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC, and proved that the party doesn't need corporate cash to be competitive. Now it's our party: we bought it, we own it, and we're going to take it back." A fair reading of the Pariser's message reveals that "grass-roots contributors" who combined to contribute $300 million in the last election cycle, now own the Democratic party.

The terms "fair" and "MoveOn" are not often associated. The google news database lists over 100 stories about MoveOn and Hitler and 123,000 web pages mentioning the topic. The media, which can scarcely be bothered to explain the differences between MoveOn.org (501(c)(3), MoveOn PAC, and the Media Fund (a 527), has also been unable to explain the difference between calling for peace in the days after September 11, 2001, and direct opposition to the war in Afghanistan. (While MoveOn leaders may well have personally opposed the invasion of Afghanistan, I am unable to find any official action taken by the organization to oppose the war in Afghanistan.)

From AP, December 9, 2004

MoveOn to Democratic Party: 'We Own It'

Liberal powerhouse MoveOn has a message for the "professional election losers" who run the Democratic Party: "We bought it, we own it, we're going to take it back."

A scathing e-mail from the head of MoveOn's political action committee to the group's supporters on Thursday targets outgoing Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe as a tool of corporate donors who alienated both traditional and progressive Democrats.

"For years, the party has been led by elite Washington insiders who are closer to corporate lobbyists than they are to the Democratic base," said the e-mail from MoveOn PAC's Eli Pariser. "But we can't afford four more years of leadership by a consulting class of professional election losers."

Under McAuliffe's leadership, the message said, the party coddled the same corporate donors that fund Republicans to bring in money at the expense of vision and integrity.

"In the last year, grass-roots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC, and proved that the party doesn't need corporate cash to be competitive," the message continued. "Now it's our party: we bought it, we own it, and we're going to take it back."

Pariser urged MoveOn supporters to help support a DNC chair with a bold vision to represent Democrats outside Washington. Democrats will vote at their February meeting in Washington on a successor to McAuliffe.

DNC spokesman Jano Cabrera declined to engage in a tit-for-tat with MoveOn, but praised McAuliffe's efforts.

"Call me crazy, but I think the fact that for the first time in party history we outraised the Republicans, and did so primarily through grass-roots fund raising is something to be proud of," Cabrera said.

Among those vying for the party chairmanship is former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, an early darling of MoveOn's cybernetwork of activists when he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Freepers say:

No surprise here...MoveOn.Org joins the ACLU as another major anti-christian organization. But this is good as the subterfuge is gone and the slimeballs are well in view. (link)

Oh yeah. THIS story is going to have real legs. Remember in Trading Places, Eddie Murphy's character is chased into the fancy men's club and arrested...He calls out "Is there a lawyer in the house?" They all shuffle their feet and look the other way. That is just what the MSM will do with this. (link) Ed. According to Google, the story has been picked up 211 times already. See here and here. And, of course, the initial story is from AP, which can be picked up throughout the country.

According to the Free Republic, Rush says:

This is an e-mail from the MoveOn.org's Eli Pariser: "We can't afford four more years of leadership by a consulting class of professional election losers. In the last year, grass roots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC." Thereby admitting they broke the law. Do you realize 527's are to have no contact, no coordination, no funneling of funds back and forth? So the MoveOn.org guy has thrown down the gauntlet: We're taking back the party. What this is, folks? This is the kooks. The kooks of the party are saying, "It's ours. You professionals are blowing it sky high. You don't know how to win elections. All you know how to do is lose them. You're too tied to corporate lobbyists. We're taking our party back."