The letter that began this movement:

Plan of Action to Take Back our Country

By Norman Sommer

May, 2003

To: Fellow Citizen PLEASE READ AND RESPOND
From: Norman Sommer

This letter does not request money from you at this time. At the outset, permit me to introduce myself, and provide you with my limited bonafides to have the temerity to suggest a plan to undo the severe damage done, not only to the media, but to the health and well being to our entire American democracy. I know how hyperbolic and boastful such a proposal will seem to you. I'm. a 77 year old member of the "Greatest Generation'. This "PLAN OF ACTION TO TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY" is, at the present, a one man endeavor, who feels strongly of what you are about to read. I am doing all the work and absorbing all the expense out of my sole income, $10,000 yearly Social Security. I had the 'chutzpah' to expose Henry Hyde (then chairman of House Judiciary committee about to deal in 1998 with the impeachment of a duly elected, sitting president) for the hyper hypocrite he is, (Read "The Moral Universe of Henry Hyde") and how unfair to permit him to be the judge, prosecutor and jury in this historic and precedent setting procedure. For this exposure I was threatened by Hyde to Federal prosecution and Tom DeLay, on behalf of the Republican House leadership, sent Louis Freek FBI director a letter requesting him to investigate, who had the temerity to attack back the assault on our republic and it's constitution. I played a role in saving the Clinton presidency (the duly elected President must not be impeached and removed from office for nothing short of committing an act of 'high crime or misdemeanor'). This took me seven months, 57 media contacts and out of pocket $2,000. I have many press clippings and letters during my 'fifteen days of fame' and am proud of the part I played.

I believe that most thinking, knowledgeable citizens who have paid attention to the changing scene and environment to the body politic, within the past 25 years to the media and most of our institutions, are aware of the gains of Conservatives and even dominance, at the expense of non Conservatives. Of what I've read regarding this phenomena and its ramifications, Eric Alterman's "What Liberal Media?" should be required reading for 'thinking, knowledgeable citizens', who share my concern with our current status, and what it portends for our future. In his book, Eric quotes from an article in the 'New Yorker' (pg. 258) by Hendrik Hertzberg as concise and comprehensive description of the achievements and assets the Conservative movement has assembled and is now employing to their great benefit, and at the expense of rest of us. If you're not familiar with this book and article, I suggest you read them. Both Eric and Hendrick, and others, have identified the problem which prompted me to think of a remedy/solution. It is one thing to "curse the darkness, it is another to light a candle". and thus, a "Plan of Action to Take Back Our Country."

Giving the "devil his due," one can learn from almost anyone, so the plan 'borrows' from our adversaries, the right wing conservatives, using what is applicable, embellishes on it with refinements, using the following strategy:

1. Create a list of prominent citizens from all walks of life, professions, political world, business, academia, foundations, non Conservative Richard Mellon Scaife and Rupert Murdoch types etc., who likely will have sympathy with the thesis established in Eric and Hendrick's writings on this subject. I made my own list with over 500 names and growing, and surely you could add to my list. A letter of explanation, with a complimentary copy of Eric's book and Hendrick's article, asking for their critique, opinion, and interest in becoming a part of this 'Take Back Our Country' movement.
2. From the response, a steering committee with prominent citizens such as Walter Cronkite, Paul Newman, Robert Johnson, Barry Diller, Robert Rubin, Norman Lear, Ted Turner, Gary Hart, Warren Rudman, George Mitchell, Donna Shalala, George Soros, Hodding Carter, Leon Panetta, Warren Buffet, Newton Mnow, Marion Dwight Edelman, and Arturo Moreno. (I have not contacted any of these prominent citizens, nor have they read this letter before you.) This committee will lay out the broad principles and objectives of this new movement and will select an executive director, who will design a fund raising campaign, recruit and hire an adequate staff, and organize an inaugural total membership conference. To cope with the organized conservative zealots, we must be organized with a plan.
3. The 'Plan" is to "Take Back" America by 'borrowing' from Hendrick's article, and from our opponents, "creating our own alternative intellectual and political universe using existing mainstream institution (or new ones) dedicated to our purpose of advancing our agenda. With a kind of Inner Movement, consisting of a few hundred funders, senior organization leaders, lawyers, prominent media personalities (but only a handful of practicing politicians, not only Democrats), and an Outer Movement, consisting of a few thousand staff people, grunt workers, and lower level operatives of one kind or another. The adversary has its own newspapers (the Washington Times, the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal's editorial page), its own magazines (Weekly Standard, National Review, Policy Review, Commentary, and many more), its own broadcasting operations (Fox News, and an array of national and local talk radio programs and right wing Christian broadcast outlets), its own publishing houses (Regnery and the Free Press, among others), its own academic research institutions (the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute), and even its own Republican Party, important elements of which (the party's congressional and judicial leadership for example) the Conservative Movement has successfully commandeered. These closely linked organization (the vanguard of the conservative revolution) compose an entire world with its own rituals, celebrations, and anniversaries, within it is possible to live one's entire life. It is a world with its own elaborate system of incentives and sancta, through which energetic conformity is rewarded with honors and promotions, while deviations from the movement line, depending on their seriousness, are punished with anything from mild social dis-approval to outright excommunications". I am not suggesting complete imitation in our plan, only using elements from which we can benefit and conform to our side's considerable belief in ethics and morality."

This condition and state of affairs didn't come about by a natural cycle, in a short period of time, but by design over a period of time. It will require, likewise, a design, or plan to reverse what has befallen us. For instance, we must reverse the concentration of the media into a few hands and minds. We must "de-Foxify," and insist on having truly "fair and balanced" reportage and editorializing, with no effort to afford opposing views "equal time." Whatever happened to the "fairness doctrine"? We must restore it. I've often asked myself, what prompts so many of our fellow citizens to vote against their own self interest?

The best example of this phenomenon was my late bridge friend Lenny, who was in a wheel chair all the time I knew him, and a "double dipper" (collecting government retirement and social security - besides the government was spending great stuns of money 'in his Medicare benefits to keep Lenny alive). During the election campaign of 1996 (Dole vs. Clinton), Lenny said he was voting for Dole. When asked why, his reply was "to get the government off my back and not to intrude in his life." Now where did he get this absurdity? It started with Reagan in 1980, with the clever sloganeering of "the government is not the solution, it's the problem" and "let's get the government off our backs", simple, but dangerous and effective as time has proven. The propagandists of the 1930's and since used tactics like this - if you tell a lie and repeat it often enough, it becomes the truth, accomplishes its purpose, to deceive the people for your own malicious end.

Given the facts of an obscene campaign finance system, and the millions of dollars spent in clever advertising, much of which is designed to misinform and deceive, it is no wonder that millions of "Lennys" vote against their own self interest. This must be corrected, if we are to improve and eliminate the shameful fact that currently we have the worst Congress that money could buy. We must insist on public financing of election campaigns, with no private interest moneys used to weigh the scales in favor of self interests. For our republic to flourish, elections must be fair, and not subjected to whoever has the most money.

I will certainly appreciate and welcome your acknowledgement, comments, critique, suggestions, and help.

NORMAN SOMMER,
The Umbrella Movement
PO Box 4296
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
nsommer@bellsouth.net