It’s not the ghouls and ghosts that should scare young people on Halloween this year, according to Organizing for Action. It’s the fact that the Koch brothers are apparently trying to trick them into not getting health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
In a fundraising email sent out on Wednesday night, OFA — the Obama campaign engine turned nonprofit organization — lashed out at “the Koch brothers’ group” for handing out free beer and koozies on college campuses. The group set up its booths right next to organizations trying to help young people sign up for Obamacare, the email claims.
“When the facts aren’t on your side, and you don’t have good ideas of your own, there’s only one thing left to do: Pass out free beer and koozies,” the email reads. “That’s not really true, but it does happen to be exactly what the Koch brothers’ group has been doing at college campuses across the country — all to try to convince young people not to get health insurance.”
While not directly mentioning the group by name, the email is presumably referencing youth-oriented organization Generation Opportunity. OFA also hit GenOpp in fundraising emails earlier this fall for using Creepy Uncle Sam videos to dramatize why young people should be worried about government-run healthcare. In response, Organizing for Action called the group “shady” and “despicable.”
And since the success of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law rests squarely on enough young Americans signing up, it’s no wonder OFA is doing everything it can to combat efforts like these.
David Pasch, director of communications for Generation Opportunity, told Red Alert Politics that OFA is “terrified” young people will find out the truth about Obamacare.
“I think it’s a sign of desperation that Obamacare’s allies need to call out people like us for doing our best to educate young people of the health care options available to them in addition to the expensive and creepy Obamacare exchanges,” he said.
He added that Organizing for Action and similar organizations are trying to convince young people to “take a bad deal.”
And despite its harsh criticism of using “free stuff,” OFA hasn’t shied away from utilizing freebies to promote issues or lure fundraising. In June, the group fundraised off the opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid trip to meet President Barack Obama, though a donation was not required to enter. OFA also sent out Obamacare bumper stickers to donors this summer.
And during the 2012 election cycle, when Organizing for Action was still Obama for America, the group arranged free concerts — with Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z — at Obama campaign rallies across the country.
Obama for America also sold Vice President Joe Biden koozies in its online store.
