Thread: New ad from The Agenda Project wants to blame GOP 'cuts' for Ebola outbreak

New ad from The Agenda Project wants to blame GOP 'cuts' for Ebola outbreak

October 13, 2014

Play

A new video from the Agenda Project wants to blame the Ebola scare on Republicans. We'd buy it if they said Fox News ...

YouTube.com

We're less than a month away from a major election that could change the very political landscape of the nation. It's in the final few weeks before an election that voters really get to see politicians (and the companies and organizations that own them) start to pull out all the stops in an effort to get people behind their cause. In these final days fear becomes an increasingly prized commodity, no matter which side of the aisle you call home. In the spirit of this fear-mongering, a new attack ad from the Agenda Project is putting Republican spending cuts squarely in their crosshairs.

The minute long YouTube video released on Sunday, October 12, edits together clips from a host of notable GOP figures as they all say the word, "cut." Spliced into these split-second snippets are budget figures that have, according to the video, been impacted by Republican decisions. The video points out that the Center for Disease Control's discretionary funding was cut by $585 million since 2010 and that the National Institutes of Health have seen their budget slashed by $446 million. In case viewers are too dense to make the connection, the ad finishes out with a string of images featuring diseased and deceased Ebola victims, finally stopping on a simple, menacing black screen with the message: "Republican cuts kill."

The organization behind the video have saddled themselves the incredibly subtle moniker, the Agenda Project. According to the organization's web site, their goal "is to build a powerful, intelligent, well-connected political movement capable of identifying and advancing rational, effective ideas in the public debate and in so doing ensure our country’s enduring success." A look back at the organization's previous YouTube efforts would seem to indicate that the only idea this team is interested in advancing is the impeachment of John Boehner.
When you couple the numbers tossed up on the screen during this pants-soilingly terrifying video with the media's recent attempts to make you believe you'll catch Ebola, it's easy to assume the GOP is directly responsible. Yesterday's announcement from the director of the NIH - that a cure for Ebola would have been found by now if not for budget cuts - also adds more fuel to the fire.

However, for all the GOP's bureaucratic ineptitude, it's impossible to point the finger solely at Republicans. So many tiny details go into the budget that it's impossible to say with certainty who is truly responsible. For example, last year's sequestration BS definitely factored into the diminished health budget, and that wasn't the sole fault of the GOP.

And while, on the surface, it's true that the budgets for both the CDC and the NIH have taken hits in the past decade, one should also take into account that, thanks to the beauty of reallocation, the same amounts aren't spent on the same programs every year. In other words, while the overall CDC budget did take a hit, last year actually saw an increase in preparedness funding, "which includes $40 million for a new initiative to improve the CDC's technology and methods for responding to disease outbreaks."

A quick glance at the long term budgets allotted both the CDC (numbers on page 52) and NIH (in a handy dandy bar graph) will show that, yes, neither organization is as well endowed fiscally as they were in 2004. However, in the world of politics, one's budget is bound to rise and fall fairly regularly, because the budget of all public health services seems to be more reactive than proactive. Sure, we give the NIH and the CDC enough dough to maintain their services and research (and not a penny more), but they're not likely to see a real increase unless there's an issue that requires it. At those points, Congress proves itself more than willing to give. Take, for example, the $30 million in funds given to to the CDC in September. Heck, even in the midst of cutbacks, it's not like the GOP was repossessing microscopes. The NIH and the CDC are still two of the best funded research and health organizations in the world.

In the midst of a crisis, it makes sense for organizations that typically fly under the radar to start crying about not getting enough funding. That's how those guys get more funding during the next fiscal year. Three weeks before an election, it makes sense for the Agenda Project to make it seem like the current Ebola scare is entirely the fault of Republicans, even when the CDC and NIH budget are not under the sole purview of the Republican Party.

It makes sense, sure, but it's only started to make sense in the last few weeks. After all, last this writer checked, Congress isn't made up of prognosticators. Who knew that the United States desperately needed a cure for a disease that's almost impossible to contract?

http://www.examiner.com/article/new-...mAgendaProject

Another Agenda Project Hit Piece. typical Socialist fear tactics. This ad was in such bad taste and so untrue that I am surprised they weren't sued.

In Attack Ad, Paul Ryan Kills Grandma In Wheelchair


Some might say this video by the progressive Agenda Project Action Fund goes a bit over the edge, literally.

In the video, a buttoned up man perceived to be Paul Ryan takes granny for a wheel chair ride, right off a rocky ledge. Poor little old lady plunges to her death in her pink slippers. Such is life as viewed from the war room of political jarheads.

The new ad will run next week in Ohio, Florida, Colorado and Paul Ryan’s home state of Wisconsin.

Republican front man Mitt Romney chose the Wisconsin Republican to be his running mate on Saturday morning at a brief ceremony in Norfolk, Va.

Ryan is famous for the so-called “Ryan Budget”. We now have “ObamaCare” versus the “Ryan Budget” as the main narrative of the 2012 elections, because of course Romney cannot ever talk about “RomneyCare” simply because everyone in Massachusetts loves it!

The Romney-Ryan ticket means that entitlement programs will be front and center over the next 86 days. Romney is putting a lot of emphasis on slash and burn fiscal policy and Ryan, 42, is the poster boy. And while Ryan certainly tempered his budget cuts in his first proposal, which included gutting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as we know it, he has crossed the aisle and now proposes keeping the programs as an option.

Erica Payne, producer of the video and President of the Agenda Project said about Romney’s VP, “Mitt Romney chose a radical Medicare-hater as his running mate. Now Americans get to decide if the Medicare-haters run the country.”

Political elections. Always about something scary. Well, I guess scared retirees in walkers is better than Islamofascists hiding in our closets.

The Grandmas of America have been in a tug of war since Sarah Palin first said that ObamaCare would kill grandmothers in their nursing homes with the infamous “death panels.” Now on the left, grandma is being used a bit more tongue-in-cheek. It’s not the Democrats that are going to come after the elderly. It’s the Republicans.

No, it’s you! (Camera 1)
No, it’s not, it’s you! (Camera 2)

You! (Camera 1)
You! (Camera 2)
No, you! (Camera 1)

I know you are but what am I? (Camera 2)

This is politics. Why do we even bother with it?

This also isn’t the first time the Agenda Project has taken Granny for a ride. Ryan blamed The Agenda Project for turning the country’s opinion against him last May when they released their first Granny Off the Cliff ad.

He called the ad ‘demagoguery’. We can all assume he’ll call this one something similar.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoz...f-cliff-again/

Meet the Agenda Project does Democracy Alliance sound familiar? These people and the liberal economy that set up to support liberal socialist/Communist activism is what is wrong with this country. They put out these ads to scare seniors in a cynical and arrogant"let's scare the little people to our will" sort of way. JMO





In addition to the Agenda Project, Payne is also the founder of the Tesseract Group, a boutique consulting firm that provides strategy and communications expertise to select public policy and political organizations.

Past Tesseract clients include: the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, Roosevelt Institute, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Center for Independent Media,the Howard Gilman Foundation, and America Votes.
Prior to founding the Agenda Project and the Tesseract Group, Payne co-founded the Democracy Alliance, a donor collaborative whose partners have invested over $100 million in progressive organizations.
Her early career included serving as Deputy National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee during the 1996 presidential re-election campaign and as a consultant to a number of campaigns and political organizations. In addition to her public sector work, Payne has held senior marketing positions in the private sector.
Payne is the author of The Practical Progressive: How to Build a 21st Century Political Movement, which Jonathan Alter of Newsweek called “a blueprint for a progressive conspiracy to help save the country.”
She is on the Board of Advisors of the Public Diplomacy Collaborative at the Kennedy School at Harvard University.
Payne has a MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2000) and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1991).
http://agendaproject.org/about.html



Ebolutalese Airewele

Junior Associate,
Social Media

Ebolutalese is a recent graduate from Cornell University, where she was an American Studies major, focusing on the interaction between the State, Legislation and Society. Her work with New York Lawyers for the Public Interest created bridges between the non-profit and business world, proving that business does not need to be devoid of compassion or moral standpoints. Ebolutalese’s interest in social justice has been buoyed through her work with prisoners, underprivileged and undereducated children and the immigrant community. Her future plans include the West Coast, a J.D., and an extensive mapping out of Maryland’s Krispy Kreme locations.


Kosoko Jackson

Junior Associate,
Fundraising

Kosoko, a graduate of The University of Maryland Baltimore County, has always striven to combine his academic interests with personal ones, while maintaining his jack-of-all-trades mentality. With a background in psychology, and an academic future in international public health, Kosoko has striven to bring awareness to social justice issues in everyday conversations and topics. A firm believer that anything is a social justice issue and that anyone can benefit from the tough topics being discussed, he's dedicated his life to combining all his interest--including academic research, fictional writing and hypothetical 'what-ifs'--in order to make people deal with the issues right in front of them.



Michael McCall-Delgado

Junior Associate,
Campaigns

Michael A. McCall Delgado was born and raised in Puerto Rico, though he spent the first years of his life in Greenbelt, Maryland. He graduated cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans with a BA in History in May of 2014. While at Loyola, Michael was a moderator at the Student Peace Conferences in 2010 and 2012. In 2014, he wrote and presented to the Loyola History Department an Honor’s Thesis on the attempts by the United Mine Workers of America to unionize the mines of southwestern West Virginia at the turn of the 20th century. He was invited to present a modified version of his Honor’s Thesis paper, at the 2014 annual conference of the Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG). In his spare time Michael enjoys studying American labor history and is currently looking to pursue graduate studies on the subject. He is a science fiction fan, and a recovering World of Warcraft player.




Cristy Vo

Junior Associate,
Campaigns

Cristy received a BA in Economics and English/Creative Writing from Emory University in 2012. While in Atlanta her interest in social justice began when she was active in Jumpstart, an early childhood education program that supported children from low-income neighborhoods. For the sake of adventure and justified afternoon tea rituals, she moved across the pond and received an MSc in History of International Relations at the London School of Economics. Cristy took her interest in educational advocacy to Washington, D.C. and currently volunteers with Higher Achievement. When not working, you can find her relaxing in Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park.


Spencer Tilger

Junior Associate,
Top Wonks

Spencer is a recent graduate of Vassar College where he both studied geography and mastered the art of avoiding having to explain what geography is. A member of the generation that came into political consciousness during the Great Recession, inequality and social justice have long been primary concerns for him, eventually becoming the focus of his academic studies. Prior to joining The Agenda Project, Spencer worked with youth in the Hudson Valley to create art and activism around immigration reform. Originally from Seattle, he still maintains a childlike sense of wonder at the subway system and can be found enjoying New York's many parks. And for the record, yes, he does love maps.


Abby Scribner

Junior Associate,
Practical Progress Staff Writer

Abby Scribner graduated from Kenyon College in 2013 with a double degree in English and Modern Languages (Russian and Spanish). She studies contemporary global literature from a postcolonial and feminist perspective, and she is especially interested in the intersections between literature and politics. Abby was involved in the nonprofit and social justice scene in Chicago for a year before recently moving to New York City. A Midwest native, she looks forward to practicing her new East Coast scow
Emily Neil

Junior Associate,
Campaigns

Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Emily is a recent graduate of Barnard College. Majoring in Middle Eastern studies with a minor in Spanish and Latin American studies, she combined her studies in both cultures during a semester abroad in Granada, Spain, exploring the city’s Islamic history. In New York, she covered city news and honed writing skills as a reporter and associate editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator. She also pursued her interest in the arts and community outreach at a start-up arts education nonprofit, helping to develop the organization’s Harlem-based programs. She is passionate about the role of creativity in social progress and promoting intercultural understanding. Outside of work, you can find her running, writing, reading, talking to people, learning to play guitar, and rooting for her favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles.


Ron Len

Video Editor

Ron Len is a film editor with 20 years of experience in a wide variety of genres. He has been recognized as an outstanding editor in his field in both long and short form work. Ron’s work ranges from feature films and documentaries to short films and television commercials. All told, he has edited films that have appeared at over 100 film festivals around the world, garnering numerous Best Feature and Grand Jury awards. Some of those films include "He Said, She Said", directed by Doug Liman, "Queenie in Love", directed by Amos Kollek, "Just Like You Imagined?" directed by David Frankel, "Who I Am", directed by Jesse Peretz, "Jailbait", written and directed by Brett C. Leonard, "War Eagle, Arkansas", directed by Robert Milazzo and "Particles of Truth", directed by Jennifer Elster. Ron is also recognized as a contributing member to the Avid Technology Film and Video editing website. He enjoys bananas and watching footage of other people enjoying the great outdoors.


DeVeria Flowers

Director of Finance and Operations

Originally from Hampton, VA, DeVeria came to the DMV area fourteen years ago and is currently in the process of relocating to Charlotte, NC. In her rare spare time, she likes to travel and loves to listen to a wide variety of music for relaxation. Since coming to the DMV area, she has become extensively involved in the progressive political movement. She has joined Agenda Project as the Director of Finance and Operations and is working to expand our capabilities so that we can be a major contender in the ever expanding Progressive Movement.


Kathryn DeSimone

Senior Associate,
Director of Campaigns

Kathryn is the Director of the Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength and Smart Capitalists for American Prosperity campaigns. She first discovered her passion for politics at nine years old, watching the results of the 2000 presidential election from her living room couch. Kathryn graduated from the New York University campus in Greenwich Village, where she received her B.A. in Economics. She was also a student in the inaugural class at New York University's satellite campus in Washington, D.C where she interned in the Economic Policy Office at the United States Department of Treasury. After working on numerous House and Senate campaigns, Kathryn transitioned to legislative work at the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. At the Agenda Project, Kathryn is dedicated to making sure that the ideas of the Progressive Movement translate to effective public policy.


Hannah Hendler

Chief of Staff,
Practical Progress Editor

Hannah serves as Chief of Staff and is the Managing Editor of Practical Progress--the Agenda Project Action Fund’s actually brief briefing on the most Important news from the Progressive Movement. A proud Pacific Northwest native, Hannah first came to the East Coast to study at NYU where she graduated with a BA in History and Classics. Since then, she has worked as a research assistant on numerous book projects and served on the editorial boards of historical journals, all while perfecting her favorite yoga pose: the Bird of Paradise. Hannah has been actively involved in progressive issues since she was a child attending labor union rallies with her parents.


Morris B. Pearl

Board Member,
Director of Policy

Morris B. Pearl is a board member of the Agenda Project and the Managing Director of Top Wonks, the Agenda Project’s initiative to amplify the voices of the country’s preeminent policy experts among lawmakers and the media. Mr. Pearl previously spent most of his career in the capital markets, on both the sell side and the buy side, being a go to guy when innovations in structured finance required innovations in computer software engineering to make them work. Mr. Pearl started out on the sell side, back before mortgages were considered “credit” products, and then moved to BlackRock where he worked on projects for governments, regulators, and central banks assessing the cost of the banking crisis and subsequent bailouts to the taxpayers of several different countries.

http://agendaproject.org/staff.html

More on Erica Payne
212 481 8302 epayne@tesseractllc.com

Erica Payne Founder

A long-time progressive strategist, Erica Payne is at the forefront of an effort to build a modern progressive movement.
She is the founder and principal of the Tesseract Group, a boutique consulting firm that provides strategic counsel and communications expertise to organizations, foundations and philanthropists engaged in the public policy arena. At Tesseract, Ms. Payne concentrates on a very limited group of clients – often as few as one or two at a time - focusing on those organizations engaged in either a major launch or a significant transition period. She is typically retained for 1-3 years to work directly with the President or Executive Director as the organization’s lead strategist to guide the group as it shapes (or re-shapes) its mission, brand and organizational structure. Currently, she is serving as a Senior Advisor to the Roosevelt Institute where she is focused on building a new public policy center with an early concentration in economics. In this role, Payne is working with the Institute’s President and several of the country’s leading economists to build a center for the development and promotion of new ideas in financial reform and regulation, and the creation of a robust 21st century economy. The Institute’s Economic Policy Initiative is led by Nobel Prize winning economist Dr. Joe Stiglitz.
In addition to these principle engagements, Ms. Payne dedicates some time to short, concentrated projects –often as limited as a few hours or a couple of days. In these instances, Ms. Payne serves as a progressive SWAT team – parachuting in to punch up a speech or pitch, frame a conference narrative, counsel a foundation board of directors, or shape an important presentation. Most recently, Ms. Payne worked withAmerica Votesto develop a narrative for its re-districting conference including creating the conference’s opening video.
Past clients include:

• Brennan Center for Justice at New York University
• Howard Gilman Foundation
• Democracy Alliance
• Center for Independent Media
• Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
• New Democrat Network

Payne is also the Founder and President of the Agenda Project, a 501c4 advocacy organization. The Agenda Project was formed to help progressives capitalize on this pivotal moment by providing substantive insight into critical public sector ideas and policies; and by offering independent analysis of the political strategies necessary to realize them. The Agenda Project is focused on furthering three objectives:

• Developing an intellectual and communications infrastructure;
• Advancing progressive ideals by implementing smart, effective public policy;
• Increasing progressive political power.

Prior to Tesseract and the Agenda Project, Payne co-founded theDemocracy Alliance, a donor collaborative whose partners have invested over $100 million in progressive organizations.
Her early career included serving as Deputy National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee during President Clinton’s first term and through the 1996 presidential re-election campaign; and as a consultant to a number of campaigns and political organizations. In addition to her public sector work, Payne has held senior marketing positions in the private sector.
Payne is the author of The Practical Progressive: How to Build a 21st Century Political Movement. She is the editor of Practical Progress, a monthly newsletter for progressive influencers which highlights progress in the development of an effective progressive infrastructure.
Payne has a MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2000) and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1991).





The Tesseract Group has worked with some of the country's most generous philanthropists and foundations, and the nation's leading public policy institutions.



"The Tesseract Group is a critical partner as we envision and build a new think tank for the country's top economic thinkers. Erica is one of the best movement strategists in the country."

-Dr. Andrew Rich, President





"Erica has a keen strategic mind - her work with us was smart, incredibly effective and personalized to our brand and mission."

-Michael Waldman, Executive Director





"If she says something is important – listen.”

-Bernard Bergreen, Board of Directors





"Erica sets a high bar and then surpasses it--she worked with us to create an outstanding conference and short video -- both exhibit her dead-on insight into today's political climate."

-Greg Speed, Executive Director





"Erica has worked with us to develop the programming for several of our conferences - she combines an insight into public policy with a really unique creative approach. She was invaluable."

-Rob McKay, Chairman of the Board





"The Tesseract Group developed a detailed, sophisticated business plan for the expansion of our group. Erica was a pleasure to work with."

-Melanie Sloan, Executive Director





"Erica Payne is an exceptional talent. We couldn't have launched our citizen journalist center without her expertise."

-David Bennahum, Founder and President

http://tesseractllc.com/about.html

More on Erica Payne
212 481 8302 epayne@tesseractllc.com

Erica Payne Founder

A long-time progressive strategist, Erica Payne is at the forefront of an effort to build a modern progressive movement.
She is the founder and principal of the Tesseract Group, a boutique consulting firm that provides strategic counsel and communications expertise to organizations, foundations and philanthropists engaged in the public policy arena. At Tesseract, Ms. Payne concentrates on a very limited group of clients – often as few as one or two at a time - focusing on those organizations engaged in either a major launch or a significant transition period. She is typically retained for 1-3 years to work directly with the President or Executive Director as the organization’s lead strategist to guide the group as it shapes (or re-shapes) its mission, brand and organizational structure. Currently, she is serving as a Senior Advisor to the Roosevelt Institute where she is focused on building a new public policy center with an early concentration in economics. In this role, Payne is working with the Institute’s President and several of the country’s leading economists to build a center for the development and promotion of new ideas in financial reform and regulation, and the creation of a robust 21st century economy. The Institute’s Economic Policy Initiative is led by Nobel Prize winning economist Dr. Joe Stiglitz.
In addition to these principle engagements, Ms. Payne dedicates some time to short, concentrated projects –often as limited as a few hours or a couple of days. In these instances, Ms. Payne serves as a progressive SWAT team – parachuting in to punch up a speech or pitch, frame a conference narrative, counsel a foundation board of directors, or shape an important presentation. Most recently, Ms. Payne worked withAmerica Votesto develop a narrative for its re-districting conference including creating the conference’s opening video.
Past clients include:

• Brennan Center for Justice at New York University
• Howard Gilman Foundation
• Democracy Alliance
• Center for Independent Media
• Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
• New Democrat Network

Payne is also the Founder and President of the Agenda Project, a 501c4 advocacy organization. The Agenda Project was formed to help progressives capitalize on this pivotal moment by providing substantive insight into critical public sector ideas and policies; and by offering independent analysis of the political strategies necessary to realize them. The Agenda Project is focused on furthering three objectives:

• Developing an intellectual and communications infrastructure;
• Advancing progressive ideals by implementing smart, effective public policy;
• Increasing progressive political power.

Prior to Tesseract and the Agenda Project, Payne co-founded theDemocracy Alliance, a donor collaborative whose partners have invested over $100 million in progressive organizations.
Her early career included serving as Deputy National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee during President Clinton’s first term and through the 1996 presidential re-election campaign; and as a consultant to a number of campaigns and political organizations. In addition to her public sector work, Payne has held senior marketing positions in the private sector.
Payne is the author of The Practical Progressive: How to Build a 21st Century Political Movement. She is the editor of Practical Progress, a monthly newsletter for progressive influencers which highlights progress in the development of an effective progressive infrastructure.
Payne has a MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2000) and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1991).





The Tesseract Group has worked with some of the country's most generous philanthropists and foundations, and the nation's leading public policy institutions.



"The Tesseract Group is a critical partner as we envision and build a new think tank for the country's top economic thinkers. Erica is one of the best movement strategists in the country."

-Dr. Andrew Rich, President





"Erica has a keen strategic mind - her work with us was smart, incredibly effective and personalized to our brand and mission."

-Michael Waldman, Executive Director





"If she says something is important – listen.”

-Bernard Bergreen, Board of Directors





"Erica sets a high bar and then surpasses it--she worked with us to create an outstanding conference and short video -- both exhibit her dead-on insight into today's political climate."

-Greg Speed, Executive Director





"Erica has worked with us to develop the programming for several of our conferences - she combines an insight into public policy with a really unique creative approach. She was invaluable."

-Rob McKay, Chairman of the Board





"The Tesseract Group developed a detailed, sophisticated business plan for the expansion of our group. Erica was a pleasure to work with."

-Melanie Sloan, Executive Director





"Erica Payne is an exceptional talent. We couldn't have launched our citizen journalist center without her expertise."

-David Bennahum, Founder and President

http://tesseractllc.com/about.html

If you like her work, you can contact her.