Posted on 10/24/2015 4:52:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
This particular campaign story arc has been rolling out over the course of the week but it’s looking like a smart move on the part of The Donald. Part of his appeal to those preferring an outsider candidate is the fact that Trump will largely self-fund his campaign (with the more recent addition of accepting private, small donor dollars) leaving him free of the influence of the Big Dollar. But some Super PACs popped up which have been supporting the real estate mogul, some with ties to his business empire. This has drawn a lot of criticism in the media with charges of hypocrisy filling the airwaves. Earlier this week Trump took steps to correct the issue, telling the PACs to cease and desist. (Washington Post)
Donald Trump has asked the nine super PACs that appear to support his presidential campaign to stop raising money using his name, likeness and slogans and to return any donations they have already received. Trump then challenged his Republican and Democratic opponents to do the same and reject “dark money.”
The existence of these super PACs — with names like Make America Great Again and the Art of the Deal — did not match Trump’s campaign promise to self-finance his campaign and only accept small donations that are limited by federal law. The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Trump’s campaign has multiple connections to the Make America Great Again PAC, run by Colorado-based operative Mike Ciletti. That PAC announced Thursday night it is shutting down.
This is most likely a win-win for The Donald no matter how you slice it. It’s not as if he actually needs the Super PAC money (unlike many less well funded candidates) and by taking a brickbat to them he gets to stick it in the eye of his competitors. But some of the charges which were being hurled are rather sketchy at best. First of all, saying that a Super PAC is being run by people “with ties to” the candidates is rather laughable. How many complete strangers are going to start up an expensive operation like that for someone? Pretty much every major PAC out there has people “with ties to” the candidate they are supporting.
The other question here is what Trump could really do about it. The laws which prevent him from coordinating with the Super PACs would also seemingly forbid him giving them any orders, up to and including telling them to close up shop. But Trump isn’t claiming that sort of power. Instead, he seems to be using his business and legal experience to forbid their using his name, likeness and image to raise money. That would probably carry a lot of weight in court if it came down to it, though the courts likely don’t have much experience with politicians taking people to court to stop them from helping them.
But it probably won’t need to wind up in a courtroom anyway. Word of the orders from on high has made it around the nation’s political donor class already. Who wants to sink their cash into a group which has been publicly chastised by the person you’re seeking to help? As I said at the top, it looks like a rather cagey move. This costs Trump nothing he couldn’t get elsewhere and allows him to turn the attack on his campaign into a weapon to use against the rest of the field.
He is the only candidate not for sale. Ever.
PING
He is the only candidate not for sale. Ever.
At least in the media age.
This is truly remarkable.
Who knows what deals the others have to cut? I really like Cruz. Carson is someplace or other on my list above the bushies. But even they are going to have to go on bended knee to the rich guys to finance a national campaign.
Not Trump.
Say what you like, but that’s impressive.
He bought some hats and is flying ....
Its not that impressive coming from a billionaire who knows the other candidates can’t run effective campaigns without the PACs.
If he were to win the nomination, the democrats will bury him or any other GOP candidate under the weight of $20 billion dollars or so. How much did unions alone dump into the presidential race last time (and didn’t even have a primary). Add in the likes of Tom Steyer, Warren Buffet, George Soros, Geoffery Imelt etc and you’ve just eliminated any chance of any republican winning.
I believe the big fight that broke the friendship between Jefferson and Adams was over Adams desire for an aristocratic house of lords. Jefferson was vehemently opposed and wanted the pauper sitting next to the baron as an equal in congress.
Yep, but I would treat him to a lunch of my choice if he had the time.
Bush campaign manager cost Bush nearly as much a Trump spent on his entire campaign.
Thank God America is awakening.
If the Bush PAC’s start running millions of dollars of negative ads,
I would not hold it against Trump if he had PAC money too.
LOL
Asking PACS to cease collecting is all fine and good. However, in the future how would any candidate fund their campaign? Back to donations from Grass roots/individual, small donations? No candidate should be bought and paid for, but every candidate would find themselves unable to survive as TRUMP has done. Our Founding Fathers intentions that any American has the opportunity to run for office...rich or poor. When this eventually shakes out, it might not be exactly to the specifications envisioned. Granted, many pollsters, campaign managers, and the like would no longer be collecting extra large paychecks But would TV/Radio ads be any less expensive? Hopefully there are a number of thinking minds across the country who are able to form meaningful changes and progress in order to get back to our F.F. way of ‘doing business’.
Pre-emptive, smart, and the right thing to do.
Trumps story about buying Doral for 20 million less than the contract he signed.
https://youtu.be/gwgFlLlMqOQ?t=2546
BRILLIANT. Rubio and Bush would shrivel up and die without the SuperPACs. Bush is barely hanging on WITH them. Trump can make this a BIG issue now with his only remaining true rival (Rubio) and demand he only take donations from supporters or NAMED big money interests. Then Trump can expose the pro-gay (Paul Singer) and pro-amnesty (Koch and Adelson) douchebags who fund 80% of the Bush/Rubio/Kascich/Fiorina campaigns.
Pretty damn brilliant.
They likely wont stop, but it give him monster PR points.
The Washington Post, which refused to call for the arrest of Lois Lerner for multiple felonies involving the release of confidential IRS taxpayer files, can jam it up their Obama.
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