Posted on 08/05/2004 11:40:42 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A wealthy Texan and prolific Republican donor is helping bankroll a television ad assailing Democrat John Kerry's decorated military record in the Vietnam War.
Houston homebuilder Bob J. Perry has donated at least $100,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a suburban Washington-based group airing a new ad in which Vietnam veterans who served on swift boats accuse the Democratic presidential nominee of lying about his war record.
The group bought $500,000 of airtime for the 60-second ad to air in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Ohio and West Virginia.
The effort is reminiscent of a 2000 effort that helped drive George W. Bush's then-rival John McCain from the presidential race.
Four years ago, Dallas brothers Sam and Charles Wyly financed $2.5 million in ads run under the auspices of "Republicans for Clean Air" criticizing McCain in the week before GOP presidential primaries in California, New York and Ohio. Those ads promoted then-Texas Gov. Bush's environmental record and criticized that of McCain, the Arizona senator. Bush won the primaries in all three states.
Perry's June donation accounted for most of the $158,750 that Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, founded in April, reported raising as of June 30. John Krugh, a spokesman for Perry Homes, declined to comment on Perry's contribution.
"This is a personal action on his part," Krugh said Thursday. "We don't participate in media interviews."
Perry didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Last year, Perry Homes donated $10,000 to the Republican Governors Association. Perry has given at least $260,000 to Republican candidates and party committees on the federal level from the 1999-2000 election cycle to the current cycle, according to donation data compiled by the nonpartisan Political Money Line.
Perry's donations in the 2003-04 cycle include $10,000 to the pro-Republican Club for Growth political group and at least $19,250 to federal candidates and party committees, including $2,000 to Bush's re-election effort.
He is also a major giver in Texas. A 2002 study by the campaign finance watchdog group Texans for Public Justice ranked Perry as the No. 3 donor in the state that election cycle, with at least $1.5 million in contributions to Republican candidates and political action committees in Texas.
Perry's support for the veterans group comes as Republicans search for major donors to help counter the efforts of wealthy Democrats such as George Soros and Peter Lewis. Each has given more than $12 million to anti-Bush groups running ads and get-out-the-vote efforts.
The biggest known donor so far among pro-Bush groups is Jerry Perenchio, chief executive of the Spanish-language media company Univision, who gave $1 million in June to the Progress for America Voter Fund.
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Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
When was the last time the AP got all knicker-twisted about Soros? Hint: The 12th of Never.
Interesting background on the donor.
I admit I am a bit tired so forgive the question, is this article incorrect?
This was beyond predictable, but it wont matter.
In fact, it just makes more people seek out the ad.
There's a lot of people in the democratic party unfamiliar with the term "tar baby".
Yeah, this is now the weak defense the media is staging. Oh, let's not talk about Soros and his $15M for 527 orginizations.
Frankly I would think it is better to have all the info out there, so they dems cant say we are HIDING anything.
Damned wealthy Texan Republicans interfering with the rat media agenda.
This just in: New Necked Abu Grabe Photos!!!!!!!!!
$158k? Teresa farted that out after her Frosty at Wendy's. Soros eats $158k for breakfast. It is up to us to start confronting the media. Any ideas?
and these people claim objectivity. sheesh.
No it's not. Bush didn't call into question McCain's patriotism. McCain lost because he's too damn liberal.
If I lived in Texas I'd buy a Perry home. Thank goodness someone is helping these guys be heard.
Those pesky evil rich Republicans! /sarcasm
I must donate more!
I'll tell you what the left is going to do. They're going to say his donation violates CFR, and call for Congressional hearings over it. McCain and Feingold will preside.
Since the lamestream media can't refute what the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have to say, this is the best they can do.
Understand your reasons for moving out of state to find work. The tax structure in this state is so punitive it has forced a lot of companies to move out as well over the last few years.
It's college graduates.
And that is no joke. I know too many UM or MSU grads out here in Oregon doing well to think otherwise.
Soro's, Moore, and Move On are financing ads against Bush. So what the point?
Someone has to help these guys get the truth out. T'ressa won't pay for it!
Thank God there's someone out there who cares!
Heck, this same man also donated to Democrat politicians. Why did they leave that part out? Huh? Huh?
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