Free Republic

GOP money floods battlegrounds, threatens Dems' hold on SenateBy Alexander Bolton - 05/01/12 05:00 AM ET Third-party groups allied with the Republican Party have vastly outspent Democratic incumbents and their backers in Senate battlegrounds. The disparity in advertising firepower threatens Democratic control of the Senate and could have an impact on the presidential race as well. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a first-term Democrat from Ohio, has been the primary target of outside groups, which have outspent his allies by a ratio of 10-1 this election cycle. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Crossroads GPS and 60Plus Association have funded the bulk of...

A national Democratic committee has asked local television stations to stop airing a campaign commercial that attacks U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski's support of the health care reform law. In a letter dated Friday to the stations, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee lawyers sharply challenge the accuracy of the commercial paid for by the 60 Plus Association, a conservative-leaning group that bought $465,000 in air time on the local stations starting last week. "This advertisement is false, misleading and deceptive," the lawyers wrote. The commercial argues Mr. Kanjorski voted for a $1 trillion health care bill that raises taxes, cuts $500...

Founded in 1958, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has been the primary organization representing individuals over the age of 50. According to AARP, the group has a membership of 40 million and is listed as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. The AARP includes a Public Policy Institute which promotes legislation related to those over 50 years of age. AARP's Mission Statement reads the group's goal is "to enhance the quality of life for all as we age, leading positive social change and delivering value to members through information, advocacy and service." The AARP has come under criticism in the...

Don't mess with a Marine. Definitely not with my favorite Marine, Jim Martin. Jim is president of the 60 Plus Association, a dynamic and politically influential seniors organization based in our nation's capital. Like AARP in many ways, but more conservative in political and economic outlook, 60 Plus stumps for seniors 24/7, across the board. It lobbies Congress for the absolute abolishment of the "Death Tax," the name Jim gave appropriately to the "estate tax," which unconscionably robs seniors of their life savings, homes, and businesses when they die – though they've paid their taxes and still managed to save...