Saturday, June 19, 2010

Friday, June 11, 2010

"American Crossroads"

Founded by Karl Rove and former Republican National Committee Chairman, Ed Gillespie, this new conservative group has been established as a "shadow RNC" to solicit contributions from wealthy conservative Republicans and corporations. The organization claims to have raised $30 million and is well on its way to its $52 million goal. These resources will be used to target Democrats with a massive media campaign in the midterm elections. Given the background of this group's leadership, we can expect this organization to play fast and loose with the facts.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Committee for "Truth" in Politics

This group, which has no website and doesn't identify its staff, spent $2.3 million earlier this year on deliberately misleading ads against President Obama's proposed financial reforms, attacking it as a "$4 trillion bailout for banks." Its lawyer, James Bopp Jr., is best known for launching the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United Vs. FEC that overturned a century of precedent to allow unlimited corporate spending for or against individual candidates for election.

Monday, June 7, 2010

National Republican Trust PAC

This far right organization is best known for running a vicious ad at the end of the 2008 campaign smearing President Barack Obama through his association with the controversial Re, Jeremiah Wright. An ad it ran against Democrat Scott Murphy in last year's special election in New York had to be pulled when its claim that Murphy had created 1,000 jobs in India was proved flat-out false. Currently its website is touting "The Pelosi Index," a scale that ranges from liberty to tyranny on which congressional candidates are ranked. The site urges people to hold their legislator's "feet to the fire" in the upcoming election.

Friday, June 4, 2010

"Americans For Prosperity"

Connected to the politically conservative Koch family which owns the largest private energy company in the U.S., AFP helped launch the "tea party" movement that disrupted town hall meetings in the summer of 2009. It funded opposition to President Obama's economic stimulus legislation and is a major global warming denier. A sub-group, Patients United Now, posed as a grassroots group against health care reform. Other funders include oil giants like ExxonMobil and tobacco companies as well as right-wing foundations and individuals.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

"American Future Fund"

A Republican front group run by former GOP political operatives, many of whom worked for former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney. The group may have violated its non-profit status with a series of controversial ads in 2008 one of which praised former Sen. Norm Coleman. The group has spent $900,000 recently on anti-health reform TV and radio ads targeting 18 Democrats from Republican-leaning districts who voted for the legislation.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

"Americans for Responsible Health Care'

This group is currently running a completely deceptive attack ad targeting seven Democrats who voted for health care reform. The ad edits a statement by President Obama to make it sound like his intention was to "end health care" so the government could take over. The ads were funded solely by Parker Collier of Naples, Fla., a wealthy philanthropist and GOP donor. The group has just launched an online effort to collect 10 million signatures on a petition to repeal health care legislation. Its website does not identify staff, donors, or offer any contact information.