Serve.gov Somebody: NEA’s ‘Onramp for Agents of Change’
by Adam Baldwin“It may be the Devil, or it may be the Lord. But, you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” – Bob Dylan
“Rule #7: A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” – Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals
For a presidential candidate to dispatch his agents of Change® to recruit artists & entertainers into his campaign is one thing. He understandably wished to avoid becoming old news. Heck, even radical activists get bored. So, to maintain their excitement and involvement, professional community organizers must constantly devise new tactics. And, as so many enjoy smugly reminding us all, “the ‘One’ won!”
Poli-end-zone-dances notwithstanding, for the President of the United States of America to use the power of his Office and the lure of his NEA’s favor, potential grant funds and the ideological “yes, we-can-change-the-world” Hope® & prestige for artists to create promotional propaganda for his Serve.gov & Corporation for National & Community Service partisan political agenda, produces an entirely different pattern and data set.
As George Will recently observed, “I don’t know how many laws that breaks but I’m sure there are some.”
Ben Shapiro cites The Anti-Lobbying Act (19 U.S. Code §1913) & 31 U.S. Code §1352.
The Hatch Amendment has also been cited elsewhere.
In any case, this story along with the ACORN scandal, the President’s close ties and history with ACORN, coupled with his lesson plan, disseminated by the federal Dept. of Education — with whom Ms. Wicks “worked closely” – that assigned schoolchildren to “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president” (IOW, ‘write letters to themselves about how they can become agents of change for the president’) raises many red flags and questions.
Is this Ms. Wicks ‘view’ towards “an onramp to a lifetime of service?”
I’m with this Marine: “Stay Away From My Kids!” My kids are here to serve an higher power than any current fashionable ‘One.’
Professional forensic investigative journalists are now connecting the dots and reporting on the nexus, stalls, pens and troughs of the President’s national change agent (Animal Farm) agenda as organized through Serve.gov & ‘the Corporation’:
Corporation for National & Community Service
White House Office of Public Engagement
Prior inconsistencies matter:
The NEA & White House responses assert:
NEA: “This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false. “
WH: “[T]he Aug. 10 teleconference ‘was not meant to promote any legislative agenda.’”
However,
Ms. Wicks stated on the call: “I’m actually in the White House and working towards furthering this agenda, this very aggressive agenda… we need you, and we’re going to need your help, and we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here… We’re actually running the government… We need your guys’ help to promote this.
I’m actually in the White House and working towards furthering this agenda, this very aggressive agenda… we need you, and we’re going to need your help, and we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here.”
If not to promote the President’s legislative agenda (e.g., healthcare reform, cap and trade, not to mention his Dept. of Education lesson plans), then for what specifically did Ms. Wicks ask this collective of artists — that she clearly assumed to be strictly partisan Obama-supporters — for their help in promoting?
**
Other notable-quotables:
NELLIE ABERNATHY: we are really looking at reaching a new brand of people… We have 12 [do-it-yourself toolkits] that really allow people who are more self-directed who say I have a need in my community that I want to address, and it’s not necessarily attractive to me to go and serve soup at the existing soup kitchen with 80-year-old women… we are really looking at reaching a new brand of people.
YOSI SERGANT: whether it’s health care, education, the environment, you know… My ask would be to apply artistic, you know, your artistic creative communities’ utilities and bring them to the table.
“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns, as it were, instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink.” – George Orwell
“We have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.” – Hillary Clinton
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35 Comments
Excellent, as always, Mr. Baldwin, and a superb use of Dylan's song. Nothing like the arts to illustrate the point!
Side note: When did "ask" become a noun? What's wrong with the word, "request,"?
I guess it's better than, "beg".
.
Well and clearly said. I have a feeling this NEA scandal is going to be met with even more of a "Ho-hum" response from the Left and the MSM (or are they the same thing?). It's so painfully obvious that if this had happened under President Bush (granted he'd have to really work to find artists who'd blindly support his agenda), the Left would be screaming for independent prosecutors and Congressional hearings. It's frustrating that so few people seem to make the obvious connections.
I guess it becomes easier to "GIVE" or "SERVE" when you are being paid by "The One's minions with Taxpayer Money in an effort to remove more of that money. Its not radical or progressive when you are doing it for The Man at least this is how we felt in the 70's and 80's.
Listen, I mean this in the nicest, most polite way possible. I love this site. It's my first stop in the morning and I go back to it several times during the day. The NEA story is important. But this is BigHollywood no? Can we mix up the content a little more?
Big hollywood is not showing Obama smoking, via its vassels inside the whitehouse. Given the susceptability of african american young women to cigarette smoke, why is the MSM not drilling him on his destruction of his offspring with this filthy disgusting habit.
No, I'm not a racist (jimmy).
As far as mixing up the content (i'm getting serious, have patience), Could you do a piece that spells it out for the clueless, that health insurance, IS NOT health care!
BTW, my "ask" is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I still don't think that's too much to ask.
I have a few "asks" for Ms. Wicks, please tell me why you said this:
“I’m actually in the White House and working towards furthering this agenda, this very aggressive agenda… we need you, and we’re going to need your help, and we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here… We’re actually running the government… We need your guys’ help to promote this.
I’m actually in the White House and working towards furthering this agenda, this very aggressive agenda… we need you, and we’re going to need your help, and we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here.”
And then the White House said this:
“[T]he Aug. 10 teleconference ‘was not meant to promote any legislative agenda.’”
Do these gel Ms. Wicks?
I laugh at you Team Obama.
Mr. Baldwin,
Thank you for your time and efforts on this site, you are very insightful on the issues. I have been a fan of yours since My Bodyguard came out in 1980. My husband and I just watched you this weekend in Next Of Kin (had to have a Patrick Swayze tribute day). Isn't it funny how clueless Obama is whenever any of his buddies are caught at any wrongdoing?
Indeed, CherDash. This whole Myopic Messiah bit is only going to carry him so far before people with even half a brain begin to catch on.
Under Bush, you only needed to ask the question at lunch to get the axe:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/opinion/02fri3….
Mr. Baldwin,
I believe 2010 is a perfect time for "Hope"
Because then we can really "Change" it ……..and "Throw it all out ".
We can only assume that Obama regarded Hillary Clinton's plans as passe and unimaginative. Why put everyone on a leash when you can have them mindlessly eating out of your palm and following you around?
Obama's fatal mistake is that he has underestimated the intelligence of the American people to the point of insult. He continues to traipse around the country lecturing the masses via conveniently obedient hand picked crowds. Meanwhile he and his cohorts in Washington are so loathe to face the hard questions that they resort to denigrating those who dare question their superiority. And when that doesn't work they return to their chambers and gather their servants around them to remind them how important they are and how they world could not survive without them. Little do they know.
[...] Excerpt from: Serve.gov Somebody: NEA’s ‘Onramp for Agents of Change’ [...]
Jayne!!!! Run for office in 2010! If necessary, I'll move (legally) so I can vote for you.
For those that missed the reference, you MUST rent/buy/borrow the Firefly series (Adam played a man named Jayne)….
Jayne!
The Man they call Jayne!
Oh, He robbed from the rich
and he gave to the poor.
Stood up to the man
and he gave him what for.
Our love for him now
ain’t hard to explain.
The hero of Canton
the man they call Jayne.
Our Jayne saw the mudders’ backs breakin’.
He saw the mudders’ lament.
And he saw the Magistrate takin’
every dollar and leavin’ five cents.
So he said: “You can’t do that to my people.”
said “You can’t crush them under your heel.”
So Jayne strapped on his hat
and in 5 seconds flat
stole everythin’ Boss Higgins had to steal.
Oh, He robbed from the rich
and he gave to the poor.
Stood up to the man
and he gave him what for.
Our love for him now
ain’t hard to explain.
The hero of Canton
the man they call Jayne.
Now here is what separates heroes
from common folk like you and I.
The man they call Jayne
he turned ’round his plane
and let that money hit sky.
He dropped it onto our houses
he dropped it into our yards.
The man they called Jayne
he stole away our pain
and headed out for the stars!
Here we go!
He robbed from the rich
and he gave to the poor.
Stood up to the man
and he gave him what for.
Our love for him now
ain’t hard to explain.
The hero of Canton
the man they call Jayne…
Really gotta hand it to Breitbart, Big Hollywood and Big Government. You all should use a tagline: "WE report the News, so you don't have to." Send that little ditty to all the MSM…….
If we limited our federal government's size we wouldn't even have these issues.
Nice roundup, AB.
Lacking the sex angles of the ACORN tapes, I too fear this may not have the appeal of James and Hannah. (Bless their hearts.) But honestly, this is bigger. Criminal activity within the White House. Mind control outreach. Write your Senators. Write your Representative. Demand defunding of NEA, limiting White House operations budget, and appointment of a Special Prosecutor. Keep copies of your letter and circulate next election. Never surrender your government!
NO! This is Watergate! White House (not just federal employees) operatives violate Federal laws for political purpose. Then engage in cover-up.
NEA: “This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false. “
Ok. Then what was the purose of the call? It was a call not to promote business or an agenda. it was simply a call to get 30 plus intellectual goobers on, to exchange recipies with Buffy Wicks to try in her easy bakeoven? It was simply to waste everyones time, to burn up airtime and generate billable minutes for ATT? Ok. I buy it, it wasn't a business call at all, it was a meet-and-greet. Why sure………………..
Great piece Mr.Baldwin. What I don't understand is how any self-respecting "artist" could take money from the government in the first place. I thought "artists" were distrustful of "the Man".
Looks like someone somewhere made a boo-boo
. To put it mildly. I've seen this over-enthusiasm for the cause before; both in the UK and in the US. If the cause is just, it should stand open debate and reasoned argument, no matter which party or person is promoting it! Anyone can get on a soapbox/the t.v./ono and speak their mind or cause. Just be prepared, if you put your head above the parapet this way, that others may well have differing opinions. You may have a message which contains a good part of the truth. But there is only One who is perfect 
. And – respect to the man and his position – I don't mean Obama 
.
The problem with our message as I see it is, How do we tie all this together to show John Q Public the full scope of corruption within our gov. and outside it by these groups? Until the connection is made they are all "just another isolated incident".
I agree, but where is the outrage from the greater public? Where is the outrage from congress? It almost seems like this whole mess is a sleeper.
Without a legal system, thugs can do whatever they want. If the legal system we have in place cannot do something about obvious and egregious lawbreaking, then the Republic is gone.
I am very worried about the NEA scandal. Aren't we supposed to have a judicial branch that is separate from the executive and legislative? Are there any judges that care about the law any more?
Well, I hope that more people catch on soon!
I love the cartoon on BH concerning this issue: "It';s the first gallery of artists who've sold out before the opening".
Let's say in his first year in office, after 9-11, President Bush has the NEA round up a bunch of artists dependent on tax-payer dollar-funded grants and 'asks' them to help him sell his agenda to the American public – including the coming wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Let's leave aside the fact right here the lefties scream all 'serious' artists like those funded by the NEA are lefties and would tell Bush to get lost. Yes yes, we all know that.
But imagine Bush had the gall to ASK anyway.
With the idea being put out there, you know as a artist you're dependent on these NEA grants, which we give you, for your artistic work. You really should play ball with us, if you catch our drift.
THE LEFT WOULD HAVE SCREAMED BLUE BLOODY MURDER.
A Presidential administration using taxpayer dollars to fund artists sent out to sell it's agenda to the public? The hard earned cash of good Democrats everywhere funneled into artistic displays to sell a conservative agenda – or at least make it look more appealing?
You lefties tell me you wouldn't have screamed at the top of your lungs.
Celebrities and wanna be celebs have been loudly voicing there political opinions for years. If the electorate are stupid enough to vote for someone just because celeb x or wannabe Y does then that says more about there mentality than they would probably want to be made public.
Great article Adam.
Ask as a noun is the next evolution in street language right after "my bad" Therefore
My bad I forgot to give you your ask!
Replaces
My apologies I forgot to honor your request.
That was one of the best episodes of one of the best shows……
Why does Josh Wheldon always seem to end his shows after one season…..
I want more Serenity!!!!
Adam is so spot on with his posts….
The title made me think of the old twilight episode "To Serve Man" and how this is what I expect from Obama's To Serve message.
This led me thinking about other twilight episides like the one with Mr. Wordsworth where in his execuiton he outfoxes his fascist interrogator and the state. I seem to remember when the sturggle against totalitarianism was the purpose of art. The artists in the NEA seem to have now forgotten this.
I have no problem with volunteering but I do have a problem being told how & where to do so. This country has a rich history of those who volunteer with time and/or financial or other aid. Most of these are members of religous organizations or people who feel they have been blessed & would like show their thanks by helping others. Somehow the idea of volunteering becomes hollow if you are guilted into doing so.
Yvonne
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