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People United Means Action
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People United Means Action or PUMA (not to be confused with cougars
) was a group of disaffected Hillary Clinton-supporting "Democrats" who not only opposed Barack Obama's 2008 nomination but opposed his presidency. They provided a good source of conspiracy theories about Obama for wingnuts at the other end of the spectrum.
The name "People United Means Action" is widely regarded as a backronym, even within the PUMA community, and is generally only used in polite company. Among the sane, the acronym means "Party Unity My Ass."[1]
PUMA is most notable for starting[citation needed] the rumors that Barack HUSSEIN Obama wasn't actually a "natural-born citizen," later taken up with such theatrics by the Birthers.[2]
Notable PUMAs[edit]
Darragh Murphy[edit]
The undisputed queen of the PUMAs, Murphy is the founder and owner of PUMA PAC. She is a "lifelong Democrat," except for 2000 when she donated money to John McCain (and only John McCain)[3] and voted in the Republican primary.[4] Of course, there's no reason to suspect foul play based on this alone, but Murphy's repeated failure to file a report with the FEC seems a bit suspicious.[5]
Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild[edit]
Lady de Rothschild (especially not to be confused with cougars) was a major Clinton fundraiser (or "Hillraiser" as she insisted on being identified) who supported John McCain in the general election. The Lady de Rothschild set some record for irony when she appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 and called Obama an elitist, even though he grew up on food stamps and she was the daughter of an aircraft tycoon who married into one of the wealthiest and most influential families on the planet.[6]
Amy Siskind[edit]
Amy Siskind is the founder of the website The New Agenda. Siskind is vehement that her movement is unconnected to PUMA; however, the fact that the group is composed of members of PUMA groups[7] and sides with the PUMAs on every significant issue would suggest otherwise. She is perhaps best known for her inexplicable attack on National Organization for Women president Kim Gandy[8] (who, by the way, backed Clinton during the primaries[9]).
Larry Johnson[edit]
Larry Johnson is a CIA analyst-turned-consultant-turned blogger. His website, "No Quarter," was a haven for PUMAs throughout the 2008 election and continues to be so today. He is best known as the originator of the "whitey tape" hoax.
Harriet Christian[edit]
Harriet Christian is a popular figure among the PUMAs. Although she has no authority in any PUMA groups, she is one of their most well-known members, courtesy of an unhinged rant in which she infamously referred to Obama as an "inadequate black male."[10] At one point, there was actually a movement among the PUMAs to get Christian appointed Senator for New York.[11]
External links[edit]
- Website
- Old website
- A Field Guide to Fraidy Cats - A good overview of the current PUMA movement
References[edit]
- ↑ 'Party Unity, My Ass' - what the Pumas really stand for, The Guardian
- ↑ The 'Birthers' began on the Left, The Daily Beast
- ↑ Donor Lookup: Darragh Murphy, OpenSecrets
- ↑ Puma PAC’s founder Darragh Murphy (hearts) John McCain
- ↑ Copy of the FEC letter, November 3rd, 2008
- ↑ AC360 Clinton Hillraisers - "Frankly we don't like him"
- ↑ A copy of the press release
- ↑ No Way, No How to Kim Gandy for Director of Women’s Bureau
- ↑ NOW PAC Chair Kim Gandy Endorses Hillary Clinton
- ↑ Here
- ↑ Sadly, the Appoint Harriet website is no longer around, but here's proof that it existed
