Health Reform Foes' New Dirty Tricks (VIDEO)
Andrew Dunn // The Rachel Maddow Show (Air America Blog)December 17, 2009
What does the popular wing restaurant Hooters have to do with health reform? Gift certificates to that fine establishment are one of several prizes you can obtain in exchange for simply signing up for free e-mails from anti-health reform advocates. This comes on the heels of reporting last week where we showed that gamers playing a popular Facebook game were being offered virtual money to spend in that game if they filled out a health reform-related survey. That survey would automatically send an e-mail on your behalf showing that you oppose the current efforts to reform our broken healthcare system.
The dirty tricks of anti-health reform groups are getting dirtier as they become increasingly digitally-focussed. Is it any surprise that the man behind the pro-high fructose corn syrup campaign and the "tanning beds are good for you" campaign is behind some of these latest web deceptions? Rachel uncovers Rick Berman's newest attempt to profit off of public deception and how he might be deceiving his clients as well.
Richard Berman has been a regular front man for business and industry in campaigns against consumer safety and environmental groups. Through his public affairs firm, Berman and Company, Berman has fought unions, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, PETA and other watchdog groups in their efforts to raise awareness about obesity, the minimum wage, the dangers of smoking, mad cow disease, drunk driving, and other causes. Berman runs at least 15 industry-funded front groups and projects, such as the Center for Union Facts and holds 16 "positions" in those organizations.
Each year, Berman, using his front groups to spread misinformation, spends millions of dollars distracting the public with misleading ads.
As a result of his largesse, in 2006, Richard Berman used $2,000,000 in cash to buy this $3.3 million house.
