Jim Lakely, Heartland’s communications director, takes Daniel Souweine of the TV meteorologist hassling group Fabricate Forecast the Facts to task in this piece on the Heartland blog:
Reports of Heartland’s Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated
By Jim Lakely
Yesterday, the boss addressed an article in a recent edition of The Economist reporting wishing for the downfall of The Heartland Institute. Definitely check it out — especially for the part in which the esteemed international publication acknowledged Heartland’s important and influential position in the climate debate.
On the heels of that Economist story came a piece at the Huffington Post by Daniel Souweine, the campaign director for Forecast The Facts — a recently cooked-up astroturf outfit that has engaged in a social media and letter-writing campaign against some of Heartland’s corporate donors.
The title of Souweine’s piece is, “The People-Power-Inflicted Downfall of Heartland.” Hate to break it to you, Dan, but there is no “downfall.” While you and your leftist activist buddies have been exchanging high fives and taking a “victory” lap, Heartland has been keepin’ on keepin’ on — and better than ever.
Below is what I wrote in the comment section below Souweine’s piece. The response to my dousing of rain on their parade brought predictably lame counter-comments — which have added amusement to my weekend. Anyway, on to what I wrote:
The big trouble with your piece, Daniel, is that its overall theme – that Heartland is in “decline” and has brought about its own “downfall” – is simply not true. Or, to borrow from Mark Twain: Reports of Heartland’s demise are greatly exaggerated.
As Mr. Bast explains in his blog post, the idea Heartland lost nearly $1 million in donations is false: “Most of the donors who have said they won’t continue to support us have agreed to fund new or existing groups that will continue our work; some already contributed this year before their announcements; and others had indicated they would not fund us even before the billboard controversy. We have now raised considerably more from current and new donors than we may have lost due to the controversy.”
So not only is Heartland not “down” a net $1 million, Heartland is not even at a net “zero” after spinning off its dedicated insurance projects. We’re up in funds, overall. Heartland has already doubled the number of individual donors since Peter Gleick’s Fakegate scandal, and we expect that number to continue to rise steeply throughout 2012.
In short, exactly the opposite of what leftist activists intended – let alone claim to have achieved – has actually occurred. If you think 2012 marks the “demise” of The Heartland Institute, I suggest you check back with us in five, 10 or 20 years. We’ll still be here, fighting for smaller government, individual liberty and free markets – just as we have for the last 28 years.
And I’m betting Forecast the Facts won’t exist anymore in three years. Any takers?
We might have more to say about this, and in greater detail, at a later date. But know this: The leftist “victory” over Heartland is all in their heads.
If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donatation to The Heartland Institute, visit this site.
what goes around, comes around
Way to go Heartland…..
Kudos to Heartland. Perhaps they can find out why Alberta’s new premier Allison Redford is meeting with the Bilderberg Group. Albertans should be nervous about this. Especially since the MSM has been mute on this meeting. Hmmmm, …
Thanks, Andi. I’ve chuckled privately at the “victory laps” Heartland haters have taken in the last few weeks. The ignorant and self-congratulatory high-fives were hilarious, but ridiculous.
This week, Joe and I decided it was time to take the private chuckles public. The joke’s on them. Hundreds attended our latest climate conference. Just 25 protesters showed up across the street from the hotel — but I could be over-counting with police, photographers and ICCC7 attendees (including me) over there. Hundreds more watched our conference live online, and nearly 10,000 people from every continent have viewed the videos at our conference video page (so far).
If you’re interested in checking out the science we presented, the link is below:
http://climateconferences.heartland.org/
Ofcourse the “high fiving” will turn into rage as well as frustration, as their AGW “heroes” are taken down one by one and demonstrated what liars and dishonest individuals they really are. They will not win this argument even though they have tried every way possible to try and discredit everyone involved in the “questioners” corner..
“And I’m betting Forecast the Facts won’t exist anymore in three years”
What, is Soros going to give up? FTF will likely continue their tirade as long as they continue to get paid.
forcast the facts has a very short shelf life. no bet.
it goes into decline when the funding stops after the Rio debacle
but the country is already far into decline.
the economy is in very rapid decline for over a decade and headed down.
at a certain point, nobody will be donating to anybody because the only charity they can afford has to stay at home – as it always should- notwithstanding just how cheap talk is.
so all activist organizations are on the same path to extinction.
they aren’t an industry that contributes to the gdp, are they?
the world will not suffer for lack of them.
If you’re up for some punchy fun, head over to HuffPost and read those comments — and perhaps consider a comment of your own. Of course, such action would give Daniel Souweine more traffic than he deserves — and WAY LESS than Anthony gets on his slowest day (I expect this thread at WUWT to have more comments) — but it still might be worth it. Just for fun. Your call.
I don’t care about the mindless comments about me. It bounces right off my well-scarred back. But some of HuffPost’s lefty commenters think they know the science. They don’t, of course … so fight ignorance! That’s what WUWT does every day.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-souweine/heartland-institute-gm_b_1557552.html
I was one of the ones who sat on the fence on the vote. I was unsure of either negative or positive repercussions, although I was sure of Heartland’s motives. I now applaud the minority who, against the grain said “Good on ya mate!”. Although I cannot count myself among those insightful enough, I do count myself among those who can say, “Ahh… Just so…”
Further, I would add this: All those of you who adopted the moral high ground (Including the logic-guru Donna Laframboise) take note: All is fair in love and war. Heartland have shown clearly that immoral fire CAN be fought with moral fire.
We are in a war. It is time to put your life(style) on the line. Defend each other, be safe, eliminate enemy attacks, move forward towards the goal and regain enemy-held territory. Global warming is, after all, one of the many wedges used to subvert and undermine our freedoms.
This vote of financial confidence in Heartland is enough to show that the little guy can stand up and be worthy of being counted.
Heartland, you go where angels fear to tread. Keep it up guys n gals.
“And I’m betting Forecast the Facts won’t exist anymore in three years. Any takers?”
==========
Does this mean they are not “too big to fail”, or has the game changed again ?
Glenn says:
June 2, 2012 at 9:55 pm
“What, is Soros going to give up?
At 81, this ex Hitler Youth member is rapidly closing on the average life expectancy of 82.6 years (for a country with a per capita GDP of 48,100) Unless he has some secret sauce up his sleeve, I don’t think he is going to be a perpetual threat. His nefarious organizations will live on, but it’s only a matter of time before they too will have to pony up and pay Charon. This fate awaits us all, I would rather spend my time enjoying life rather than hating other people and society in general, but that’s what gets them off.. so be it.
@Mike Jowsey: Your kind words will be shared at the Heartland HQ.
Heartland has RUSH LIMBAUGH IDIS…. each time they are impugned those that impugned ended up with egg on their faces… shoot, Harry Reid even got over a millions dollars in donations for the wounded soldiers fund (course Rush had some fun with the letter) the same Reid that called our troops baby killers and rapists…
Its nice to see our side (so to speak) stand up and take them to task…
We need to see more of this light shined where lies are king…b
Jim, can you put those videos on Youtube. makes it easier to put them on forums and open discussions.
My support goes to the Heartland Institute and its members.
Over the past couple months, I’ve seen personal and ourageous attacks being directed towards it, and yet you have always responded logically, and rationally, and armed with an array of facts. You guys have more patience then me, and I’ve been married!
Being the sceptic that I am, I have never donated to an organization before in my life. You, however, are the real deal. Congrats on being the first I donate to. It is well deserved.
Am I a conspiracy theorist? No. Do I recognize the politicalization of science (a.k.a. the cause)? Yup.
Jim Lakely says:
June 2, 2012 at 10:12 pm
If you’re up for some punchy fun,…………
=================
Take it somewhere else.
Cheerleading and gloating, doesn’t play here.
Thank goodness. The u.k.(us) police are here to monitor Anthony’s blog for him. I think misinterpreting all the while.
@Grey Lensman
We have them queued up. Should be live next week. But the vids at climateconferences.heartland.org are share-able.
Jim
I wonder how all those people Forecast the Facts tricked into harassing people will feel when they realize they were tricked by the Gore/Hansen/Mann/Jones climate criminals?
Will they turn on the whole greenie thing?
Thanks
JK
u.k.(us) says:
June 2, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Take it somewhere else.
Cheerleading and gloating, doesn’t play here.
And you were appointed moderator when exactly?
u.k.(us) says:
June 2, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Jim Lakely says:
June 2, 2012 at 10:12 pm
If you’re up for some punchy fun,…………
=================
Take it somewhere else.
Cheerleading and gloating, doesn’t play here.
Plays pretty well with me mate. By the way, U.K. (US) – why don’t you post under your real name? Too scared????
@Mike Jowsey – Totally agree.
If the net effect of the billboard campaign has been to increase donors and donations, time to start another billboard campaign.
“We do have to think up new ways to get the message across, and some of them will have to fit on a billboard over a highway.”
http://thepointman.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/what-im-going-to-say-will-upset-a-few-people/
Pointman
Jim
Glad things worked out OK for Heartland (although the Unabomber poster could have been much better.)
Who cares what Unabomber thinks about anything?
But what about:-
Robert Mugabe
Fidel Castro
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Evo Morales
Hugo Chavez
Miliband+Cameron+Clegg (if you want to branch out to the UK)
Julia Gillard (ditto OZ)
and of course your very own Al Gore.
Very well documented thermageddonist statements from them all.
Several have had standing ovations at the big alarmist bunfights.
So the greenies would have difficulty in criticising posters featuring these creeps as unfair.
But I suspect that American public opinion might not entirely chime with the greenies’ views on these particular ‘heroes’!
Worth a try?
u.k.(us) says (June 2, 2012 at 11:26 pm): “Take it somewhere else.
Cheerleading and gloating, doesn’t play here.”
I liked it. Good news to me.
Wow,
sorry all, just a bad mood I guess.
Please proceed.
[Reply: Good for you! Everyone has a bad day now and then. ~dbs, mod.]