Wheeler gets Tea Party-associated opponent

Mike Darger of Gresham has filed to run against incumbent Ted Wheeler for Multnomah County Chair. Darger, who apparently sells insurance (I can find no information online) and is either a current or former truck driver, lists "Americans for Prosperity" under "Occupational Background" on his filing papers. AFP is an astroturf group that has figured prominently in the Tea Party movement. He is not listed as a member of the Gresham Tea Party group, but listing his association with AFP means he will be looking to Tea Partiers to support his campaign against Wheeler.

AFP in Oregon is Jeff Kropf's pet project and is run from Kropf's home outside of Sublimity. It receives support from the far-right propaganda organ, Cascade Policy Institute. Carla Axtman did an excellent background piece on Kropf and AFP in Blue Oregon in 2008.

AFP has a nifty Oregon website which tells visitors how they can help refer "job killing tax increases" to the ballot — oh wait, that's already happened. They also call for "Eternal Vigilance" (against the likes of me, no doubt) and continue to warn against the Dems and their union flaks; they also tell why the cell-phoning-while-driving ban is a failure (despite massive data that proves otherwise). Most importantly, they feed contributions to the national organization.

To learn more about AFP (google their sites on your own; I'm not providing them with links):

Think Progress looks at their basic MO ...

...and Rachel Maddow opens a can of whupass on AFP's founder.

Hopefully, Darger will be an articulate (and clean) spokesperson for AFP and the Tea Party movement. The more we hear directly from those who oppose government serving citizens, the better we'll understand why protecting government is one of the great things we can do for democracy.

The one word to remember with AFP: astroturf. This is not an organic grassroots organization; it was built with national money to promote national goals. That goal, of course, is best summed up in Grover Norquist's infamous, and ugly, phrase about shrinking government until it can be dragged into the bathroom and drowned in the bathtub." Just remember that when you think of our men and women serving in the military (both of my sons, one in Iraq), your parents' Medicare and Social Security, and the police and fire protection that keeps us safe.