truthaction.org

[Col. Jenny Sparks]

"Truth Squadding" for the uninitiated, is "Bird Dogging" in 911 activism. "Bird dogging" is a journalist term for an organized coordinated attempt to get a public figure on record about a position:

I. What is Bird-dogging?

Bird-dogging is a tactic that many organizations and concerned citizens, use to pressure candidates or elected representatives to take a public stance on an issue, or to question a stance that they have already taken. It usually consists of one or more bird-doggers who go to a public event where a candidate or elected representative, such as a Member of Congress or a U.S. Senator, will appear. The bird-doggers ask pointed questions about issues they care about in order to elicit a response and educate the media and voters. Because members of the media often attend these events, bird-dogging plays an important role in getting candidates’ positions “on record.” We all know that politicians don’t always keep their promises once they’re elected, so this is a vital part of holding them accountable to their constituents.

This is from a peace site focusing on anti-nuclear activism, but the techniques can be applied anywhere. Also, visit: www.birddogger.org:

Bird-dogging Basics:
by Patrick Carkin

I bird-dogged all four of the major presidential candidates during the 2000 primary in New Hampshire, a state where the level of access to such politicians is unbelievably high. With this experience in mind, I'd like to focus on a few basic approaches that will make bird-dogging a candidate easier.

The first step to bird-dogging is finding out where a politician is going to be. The more secure a candidate is, the less available they will be to the general public. Thus, in some cases, a little detective work will be necessary.

Here are some basic tips to address this problem:

1. Subscribe to a candidate's email list. Sometimes a politician will just announce where he/she is going to be.

2. Subscribe to state and party email lists. Both groups frequently promote their favorite candidates.

3. Get in with the local party -- get on their snail mail list and meet some of their leaders. You'll pick up a lot of info this way.

4. Find someone who's been active with the party for a long time who will be willing to pass on information to you. In some cases these individuals would love to bird-dog a candidate but can't because of appearances -- but they CAN pass info onto you so that you can do the "dirty work."

5. Find friendly members of the media to get info from. Some reporters really would like progressive issues to be part of the political debate.

6. Check other media sources such as newspapers and newspaper web sites. In some circumstances, the papers will have calendars announcing when political candidates will appear. This is far less likely in a non-election cycle year.

Besides finding out where the candidate is going to be, you also have to prep for the challenge. Whatever your interest is, don't assume that you can nail a politician with something you think up at the last minute. Come up with your best questions/challenges and present them to at least one person who should play the devil's advocate. You'll quickly discover that many questions that you once thought were great can be quickly sidetracked or outright dismissed by a savvy politician.

The actual logistics of attending a political event and bird-dogging a politician before, during or afterwards, takes a little bit of thought. However, once you get the hang of it it quickly becomes easy.

1. It's best to show up at an event early, particularly if the politician is popular, leading in the polls, or if it’s late in the primary season. You can't challenge them if you're not in their line of sight.

2. If there's a question and answer period your pre-planning will quickly become useful. A general rule is that most people don't raise their hands immediately. They need time to get their courage up or just become involved in the situation. Thus, as a bird-dogger, it's imperative that you express your interest in asking a question as quickly as you can. If you're not called on first you'll likely be called on second or third. If you wait ten minutes half the room will have their hands raised and you'll never get heard.

3. Take notes. Since bird-dogging can be a little nerve wracking it might be necessary to do these things in teams. One person challenges the politician, the other writes the response down. Remember, it's not only important that you get them on camera at that moment, it's also important that you be able to accurately quote them later on so that others can pick up where you ended. This is an integral part of effective bird-dogging politicians - make 'em responsible for their words and actions.

4.
Work in teams of two or more people and disperse. Since bird-dogging can make many people nervous, it’s best to go in teams of two or more people. One person asks the question while another writes down the response. Dispersing at the event will possibly allow everyone in the group to ask a question. Be prepared with follow-up questions in case someone asks the question you intended to use.

Bird-dogging isn't just about asking questions. It can also take other forms such as street theater, pranks, or even a simple protest. The important aspect is: Does it get a response from the politician or his/her staff? If it does, that's half the battle. The idea is to be creative. Maybe play good cop/bad cop, maybe agree with the candidate (rather, appear to agree) on a controversial issue in order to draw out a response that will be damming later on for the politician. Think creatively -- but do something that gets a response. Responses mean you can use the information later on and it means that the media will pay attention. It all results in helping create real change in our electoral politics, from the people running for office to the media reporting the stories to the cynical public which thinks none of it matters.

Bird-doggers also need to remember that anger does not pay. When you're going after a politician, especially one you don't like, you have to try to be at least cordial. It's part of the game. Butter 'em up a bit. Compliment them for something -- anything that you can think of that you might agree with them on. Hardly anyone is 100 percent opposite of where you stand politically. If it becomes necessary, step up the tone a bit, but only enough to become effective. Perhaps in some cases anger will get the response you want from a politcian or their staff. You should not do civil disobedience and outright loud protests unless you've reached a point of last resort with a particular politician. At that point the best you'll likely get is a media report on your actions, but real interactions with the candidate will be greatly reduced if not impossible.

Last but not least, pass your experiences on to others by submitting a report to birddogger.org! Your work won't be lost, it will become part of a long term record that other activists will then be able to use to more effectively challenge a given politician.

Good luck.

Some 911 activists have got it into their heads that "bird-dogging" is showing up and harassing a candidate by yelling like an incoherent mob. There is a time a time and place for yelling at public figures who deserve it, but it is not "bird-dogging".

One could do worse than follow the examples of We Are Change UK, who do excellent "Truth Squadding".

This is a basic activist technique that produces powerful results. It's worth the time to get it right.
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http://coljennysparks.blogspot.com/

[johndoraemi]

Senator Obama,

If President Bush is ever judged before an international tribunal, do you believe he will be found guilty of war crimes? And, if you continue his illegal war, do you fear this same fate?




(That could be fun.)
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The Crimes of the State Blog
http://crimesofthestate.blogspot.com/

[Kim]

Excellent post Jenny, and Jondoraemi you have a very dark and dangerous streak . . . .
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"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." - Arundhati Roy, Porto Alegre, Brazil, Jan 27 2003