Backer of Swift Boat attack ads funds group targeting Democrats

[sabra]

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/15519148.htm

Backer of Swift Boat attack ads funds group targeting Democrats

WASHINGTON - The Republican donor who helped bankroll the Swift Boat attacks on Democratic Sen. John Kerry's war record has given $5 million to a new group targeting Democratic candidates.

Bob J. Perry, a Texas homebuilder with close ties to White House adviser Karl Rove and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, recently made the hefty donations to the Economic Freedom Fund, a newly created California group.

The group is a so-called 527 that is not subject to conventional campaign finance restrictions and can spend unlimited amounts on election advocacy, similar to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. In the 2004 presidential race, the group of Vietnam veterans made unsubstantiated allegations challenging Kerry's record of wartime heroism.

So far, the new group - which lists Perry as its sole donor - has spent slightly more than $500,000 on television ads and mailings criticizing Democratic Reps. Jim Marshall of Georgia and Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, according to a disclosure form filed last week with the Federal Election Commission.

[sweetheart]

1. They told uz...

Listen. And understand. That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

[Shakespeare]

17. Excellent post. n/t

[Monkeyman]

2. Yep some of us have been warning for a while now

[Rambis]

3. I don't think we ought to have 527s.

I can't be more plain about it. And I wish -- I hope my opponent joins me in saying, condemning these activities of the 527s. I think they're bad for the system. That's why I signed the bill, McCain-Feingold. I've been disappointed that for the first six months of this year, 527s were just pouring tons of money, billionaires writing checks. And I spoke out against them early. I tried to get others to speak out against them, as well. And I just don't -- I think they're bad for the system.

* August 23, 2004.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Evil!!! Swiftboaters, Rove, Delay. My blood boils...

just thinking about them. Imagine having $5 million to spend and spending it to Swiftboat military vets, and to assassinate the character of your political opposition. What's wrong with these people?

[Joe for Clark]

5. I think this is pathetic - Look -

Those bastards targeted one person in one election at one point in time. And they still had to cheat.

SO, tell me how in God's name they can target so many in so many elections this November simultaneously.

This is just BS.

You got my vote for best - These guys need to be "pulled under the light".

Believe you are gonna and you will. ALOT of Karma is coming around here!!!!

Joe

[BrotherBuzz]

7. Astroturf™

This 527 is registered in the same city Sal Russo operates out of, and I will bet dimes to doughnuts, the king of Astroturf™ is connected. Sal Russo collects names and e-mail addresses like kids back in my days collected baseball cards, only his list of names are nefariously collected through the guise of petition drives like the recall the governor petition in California. Does Sal Russo ring any bells?

Sal Russo of the 'Stop Michael Moore' campaign to discredit the film Fahrenheit 9/11, the 'Move America Forward' to discredit Cindy Sheehan, and the 'Truth Tour' to tell the good news that the old-line liberal news media won't tell you about the war in Iraq, was hired by the Kurdistan Regional Government to run a TV campaign to thank Americans, on behalf of the Kurds, for supporting the war in Iraq.

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=oid%3A45067

[Joe for Clark]

10. No bells yet - but by all means, lets see -

Sure sounds like an asshole -

Cindy Sheehan, DID AN AWFUL LOT for our kids. That is a fact. If this SOB really did as you say, he better have blood in the fight - and I am sure he doesn't.

GREAT POST,

Thank you,

Joe

[never cry wolf]

16. Yep, the 5 mil is just seed money

it's a slush fund, money flows out and flows in but the checks are always cashed....

[OnionPatch]

6. "Economic Freedom Fund"

Does that sound as creepy to anyone else as it does to me? Economic freedom....the freedom to claw your way to riches over the backs of everyone else, no matter how many people you exploit, rip-off and ruin in the process.

[brentspeak]

8. Karl Rove, Bob Perry,Sal Russo, Ralph Reed: the slime of the nation

[Ethelk2044]

9. http://www.votevets.org/

Please donate to the Votevets.org.  They will run the Ad
campaign in major cities against republicans where we need to
take back the Senate and the House seats.  Please consider
donating to their cause.  It will help us in November if they
are able to run the ad in major cities. 
We really need to take the House and Senate back.  We can
fight them back with Ads like this one.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

14. nice site...

and that commercial is good!

Welcome to DU!

[BootinUp]

11. He sure has lots of free $peech to spread around dammit!

[Anakin Skywalker]

12. Those oh-so-loveable Swifties are back, eh?

[EndElectoral]

13. Latest Santorum ad disgusting-accuses Casey of Abramoff type contributors

[LTR]

15. And weasel Paul O'Neill is sooooo tought...

...he's gonna sic his buddy on Kerry for badmouthing him:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2138251&mesg_id=2138251

[xchrom]

18. it seems to me that the answer to this 527 is

a progressive 527 that is solely dedicated to bringing this crew down.