Groups trying to oust Bush may face setback - Fundraising called evasion of law

Mercury News ^ | 1/31/04 | Thomas B. Edsall - Washington Post

[NormsRevenge]

Major liberal donors are demonstrating their willingness to fund a new shadow Democratic Party, according to reports filed Friday by a network of nominally independent organizations committed to defeating President Bush in November.

At the same time, momentum to bar their activities gained new strength. On Thursday, the legal staff of the Federal Election Commission proposed regulations that could choke off the groups' plans, with backing from an alliance of Republican Party leaders and campaign-watchdog groups.

The reports filed Friday with the Internal Revenue Service and the FEC showed millions of dollars flowing from unions, wealthy individuals, environmental groups and others on the left into such organizations as America Coming Together (ACT), America Votes and the Partnership for America's Families, which are known as ``527'' groups for the section of the tax code governing their activities.

[NormsRevenge]

Sorry folks, It's originating from the WP.

Worth a click or two to read all about the "shadowy"party.

[Cicero]

Evidently they thought there would be one law for the Democrats and another for everybody else. If clinton were still in office, they would have gotten away with it. After all, not even George Soros is as fishy a donor as the Chinese Communist secret police.

Now, hopefully, the FEC will even the playing field.

[JohnnyZ]

Another reason why McCain-Feingold was such a sham.

The people have a right to know who's being funded by whom.

[ambrose]

One interesting theory I've read is that Soros will massively short S&P futures in October, hoping to induce a market crash right before the election.

[BenLurkin]

Evidently they thought there would be one law for the Democrats and another for everybody else. If clinton were still in office, they would have gotten away with it.

[aruanan]

America Coming Together (ACT)

If that doesn't sound like a liberal group....

[sinkspur]

One interesting theory I've read is that Soros will massively short S&P futures in October, hoping to induce a market crash right before the election.

If you know about, so will everybody else. It won't work.

[Old Professer]

The big news on Dean lately is that he's down to his last $4M.

[TheGeezer]

The ban has proved far more damaging to Democrats than to Republicans, who are far better at raising smaller, and still legal, ``hard money'' donations.

This has fascinated me since I first read about it months ago. For the 2000 campaign, the average donation to the "party of the common man" - allegedly the DemocRats - was up in the 5 figure range, but the average donation to the "party of the rich" (the Republicans) was only about $1,000. Or something like that.

It seems that the liberal elite are supported by fellow elitists, not the common man. Fascinating.

[Let's Roll]

Can't the SEC put Soros under the jailhouse for conduct that outrageous?

And while Soros may be a citizen now that reminds me what about all these foreigners being solicited for money - isn't that expressly forbidden in the Constitution? I mean, duh, just what the Founding Fathers would have wanted - interference by foreign governments at a time when they were trying to get free of foreign control.

[RobbyS]

The wealthy in the United States are far more liberal than the people as a whole. When they complain about the Bush tax cuts, they manage to define rich to mean family incomes as low as $50,000. Even at $200,000 a year a family is not rich. Indeed, a presidential salary of $400,000 barely qualified Clinton.

[EggsAckley]

And where DID his $40M go......??

[DJtex]

...America Coming Together, an initiative to mobilize Democrats in 17 states that may prove crucial to the outcome of the 2004 presidential race.

The event also was intended to build support for the Media Fund, an effort organized by Harold M. Ickes, a former key aide to President Clinton. This group hopes to raise as much as $80 million to fund an independent advertising campaign for the eventual Democratic presidential nominee.

This is the Shadow Fund that the Clinton's are master-minding and intending to control. The formal Democratic Party can just wither now as far as they are concerned. If ACT and the Media Fund can raise unlimited large donations (i.e. $10 million from George Soros) then Campaign Finance Reform means nothing--as maybe it should be.

It is wise of the Republicans to respond in kind and to force the issue. Just so we have a level playing field, good will triumph. When history is written, Bill Clinton, just like Gorbachev, will be listed as the cause of the final demise of his political party.

[Tamzee]

Fantastic news! I've been watching this one closely and have high hopes that the ruling will go against these slimey groups like MoveOn.

[Terry Mross]

I can only imagine what the dems would say if a group of wealthy republicans started a group that does the same thing.

[Marianne]

. . . into such organizations as America Coming Together (ACT), America Votes and the Partnership for America's Families, . . .

Excerpt:
CLINTON & CLINTON
The Wall Street Journal
January 29, 2004, page A-18
By R. Emmett Tyrell, Jr.
“Clinton lieutenant Harold Ickes is directing funds to what is expected to become a $250 million behemoth political organization called America Votes, which will rely on shared polling data, research, and mailing lists, including ‘Demzilla’ – the data bank on voters minted by the DNC. ‘It doesn’t take much to figure out what the issues are and the messages you need to be helpful,’ the clever Mr. Ickes told one reporter.”

[George W. Bush]

I think that this is Soros & Co., sprinkling money to Left organizations. The money will be for raises to staff. The staff will be made to understand that they're to become $2000 donors to the Dim nominee. If they don't, a few judicious firings will make the point clear about the consequences of failing to donate to the Party.

The monied Left has the money but not the numbers and CFR hobbles them. And unlike businesslike GOP donors, they are typical liberals and think that only others must pay for expanding socialism.

[bornintexas]

"that Soros will massively short S&P futures in October, hoping to induce a market crash right before the election"

I heard a similar theory right here on FR around the time we went into Iraq. Except, the poster was stating that he thought that it would be China that would mess with Wall Street. I found it an interesting theory. Can't remember his name, tho.

[cwb]

Yep...and to think of all those millions of dollars going to the Party elite, that could be better used to help the poor and homeless that compassionate liberals remind us of so often:) The very people who wanted to get money out of politics are now the ones working to keep it in. I can only take so much of this hypocrisy.