The Americans for Prosperity “NOVEMBER IS COMING!” tour slunk into Michigan yesterday in its Koch Industries-funded bus to rile up their conservative base with the typical fear-mongering we’ve come to expect from them and their Tea Party pals. But, when they got to both Jackson and Saline, they found nearly equal numbers of supporters of Democratic Congressman Mark Schauer as they did their own mostly over-50-and-white fans.
In Jackson, they held an outdoor rally that was disrupted by chanting Mark Schauer supporters and cut short by a well-timed rain shower (thanks, Mother Nature.) Write-ups and videos HERE and HERE.
In Saline, the event I attended, they held their “rally” indoors at an American Legion Post. However, right from the start they encountered problems. First of all, the mayor of Saline, bless her heart, told them they could not park their gigantic Koch Industries-funded bus outside this government building. No political events allowed, don’tchya know?
The Koch Industries-funded AFP bus being ‘blessed’ by Tim Walberg’s buddy, The Outsourceror”.
The “Outsourceror” in the picture above is a Schauer supporter who is mocking Schauer’s GOPosaur opponent, Tim Walberg, who has signed an anti-tax pledge that would have him voting against tax-cutting legislation that would remove the tax incentives for businesses outsourcing jobs to foreign countries. Koch Industries, the money behind this astroturfing group, is also a big proponent of business profits-over-people including when jobs are being sent to other countries. For more, see my previous blog entry HERE.
Attendees, again mostly over-50-and-white, also were greeted by 60 or 70 smiling, chanting supporters of Congressman Schauer.
Supporters of Congressman Schauer greet AFP rally attendees.
Protesters were not allowed inside (apparently they were not going to put up with any opposition in Saline) so we held our own party outside and received many honks and thumbs-up from passersby and cars. Inside, attendees where handed AFP t-shirts. Despite the large amount of money flowing from this group to fight all things Democratic Party, they felt compelled to purchase t-shirts made in Honduras.
The outsourcing continues.
And where did the “NOVEMBER IS COMING!” bus end up? It was relegated to a sad parking lot down the street at the Pancake House.
A very lonely AFP bus sits alone and despondent on the cracked pavement of the Pancake House.
All in all, a pretty lame showing by the AFP. They got virtually no publicity from their events and, at at least two of their stops, they were greeted by large numbers of happy, smiling and quite vocal Schauer supporters.
And that, as someone once said, is a Good Thing.
Congressman Schauer’s Act Blue page is HERE and his website is HERE.
I’m just sayin’…
P.S. Don’t forget, before they completely limp out of Michigan, there’s one more AFP event today in Delta Township, just west of Lansing at 5:30 at the Udder Creamery, 4131 W. Saginaw Highway.
