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An ordinary middle class American family helped inspire much of President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday after mother-of-two Rebekah Erler wrote to him last year about how her family continued to struggle following the 2008 economic collapse.
Minneapolis native Rebekah was given the honor of being one of Michelle Obama's guest at the event and earlier she had visited the White House along with husband Ben and their two young sons Jack and Henry.
During his address, the president repeatedly used the Erlers as an example of a family that had faced hard times following the economic downturn and that continued to struggle to make ends meet despite two working parents.
He even took her out to burgers. What a fortunate, regular, everyday person who wrote President Obama and was lucky enough that he took such interest in her plight, right?
Nope, just a fake plant. Turns out Rebekah is a former Dem staffer for Patty Murray.
Quote:
The woman whose story of economic recovery was showcased by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address is a former Democratic campaign staffer and has been used by Obama for political events in the past.
Rebekah Erler has been presented by the White House as a woman who was discovered by the president after she wrote to him last March about her economic hardships. She was showcased in the speech as proof that middle class Americans are coming forward to say that Obama’s policies are working.
Unmentioned in the White House bio of Erler is that she is a former Democratic campaign operative, working as a field organizer for Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.).
What exactly is the problem? Are people who work (more likely volunteer) for a candidate not allowed to have real world problems? Does the fact that she worked (more likely volunteered) for a candidate make her story less true? If a Republican president invited a farmer who claimed his livelihood was impacted by regulations and it turns out that farmer worked volunteered for a local candidate who would work to lessen those regulations, you wouldn't even be here. So please, take your feigned outrage and grow up.
If she was struggling working for a Democrat senator, WHY should we vote Democrat? Seems to be inconsistent with what the Dems preach about themselves.
And don't you think Obama should have revealed that important piece of information?
How long are you gonna cover for this scumbag? The guy just can't tell the truth, and he depends on the lemmings to provide cover.
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Originally Posted by Grsz11
What exactly is the problem? Are people who work (more likely volunteer) for a candidate not allowed to have real world problems? Does the fact that she worked (more likely volunteered) for a candidate make her story less true? If a Republican president invited a farmer who claimed his livelihood was impacted by regulations and it turns out that farmer worked volunteered for a local candidate who would work to lessen those regulations, you wouldn't even be here. So please, take your feigned outrage and grow up.
What exactly is the problem? Are people who work (more likely volunteer) for a candidate not allowed to have real world problems? Does the fact that she worked (more likely volunteered) for a candidate make her story less true? If a Republican president invited a farmer who claimed his livelihood was impacted by regulations and it turns out that farmer worked volunteered for a local candidate who would work to lessen those regulations, you wouldn't even be here. So please, take your feigned outrage and grow up.
She's not a volunteer, she was a Dem staffer. And Obama used her as a prop before and was called out on her being a Dem staffer before, but just like with his own mom's death, he's happy to repeat known lies as long as it fits his "narrative."
And yes, it makes her story less true because the whole narrative was based on this struggling middle class woman who supposedly was "discovered" by a letter she wrote to Obama. But instead, she was an employee of the Dems.
If Obama's story is true, then Dem Senators aren't paying their staffers a "living wage," so they are a bunch of hypocrites.
Either way, Dems lose with this story. They are either liars or hypocrites, and probably a mix of both.
I've worked professionally on Presidential, Senate, House and Attorney General campaigns.
Do any of you know what a 'field organizer' is? To me, it's someone who is either an (very appreciated) unpaid volunteer, or if the campaign has enough money, someone who we pay a few hundred bucks for their time on the day of the primary and general election. If Sen. Murray's FEC reports don't have her on the payroll, then she was likely the volunteer variety or was paid less than the $200 reporting threshold.
Volunteers are the backbone of any campaign, but to say that is "a high level democratic operative", is like saying an intern at Google is a high level tech executive.
I'm not sure I can view this as political nepotism with a straight face unless I strip myself of every vestige of perspective.
She's not a volunteer, she was a Dem staffer. And Obama used her as a prop before and was called out on her being a Dem staffer before, but just like with his own mom's death, he's happy to repeat known lies as long as it fits his "narrative."
And yes, it makes her story less true because the whole narrative was based on this struggling middle class woman who supposedly was "discovered" by a letter she wrote to Obama. But instead, she was an employee of the Dems.
You don't know what a field organizer is. They essentially knock on doors. If she got paid (which you haven't proven she did) it was pocket change for a few months. Do I now refer to the guy putting up yard signs as a "operative"?. How can anybody take your words seriously when its so obvious you have no clue what you are talking about? Thread fail.
What exactly is the problem? Are people who work (more likely volunteer) for a candidate not allowed to have real world problems? Does the fact that she worked (more likely volunteered) for a candidate make her story less true? If a Republican president invited a farmer who claimed his livelihood was impacted by regulations and it turns out that farmer worked volunteered for a local candidate who would work to lessen those regulations, you wouldn't even be here. So please, take your feigned outrage and grow up.
Say, you're one o' them obaggers, ain'tcha?
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