Arianna Footing Bus Fare for 14,000 People - 250 Buses - to 'Restore Sanity' Rally

October 18th, 2010 1:25 PM

Astroturfing when committed by conservatives -- as contemptible as it gets, according to liberals.

Astroturfing when committed by liberals -- problem, what problem?

In other words, do as we say, not as we do too.

Looks like Huffington Post publisher Arianna Huffington has gotten quite the response to her offer of free bus transportation from New York City to Jon Stewart's so-called Restore Sanity rally in Washington on Oct. 30.

Appearing on the weekly radio show "Both Sides Now" over the weekend, Huffington told host Mark Green and fellow guest Mary Matalin that "the Huffington Post is now at 14,000 people who've signed up for the buses."

"How many buses?" Green asked.

"We're at about 250 buses," Huffington answered. (link here for podcast of the show; quoted remarks start at 28:38)

The response should come as no surprise, seeing how few liberals can pass up a free ride. Indeed, the survival of their political philosophy depends on as many people as possible doing likewise across the board.

Huffington's largesse was estimated to cost at least $250,000 and came as a "shock" to her underlings at HuffPo, according to The Wrap, especially considering Huffington's stinginess in paying few of the bloggers who toil at her site. A working-class hero is something to be ...

Her willingness to pad attendance at the rally dovetails nicely with the pretense of an equally partisan Stewart assuming the role of would-be political arbiter in restoring "sanity" to political discourse. Vilifying liberals with the same frequency and gusto with which he goes after conservatives might be a more tangible step in that direction.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of carbon footprint is created from 250 fully loaded buses making 450-mile-long round trips?