Free Republic

The IRS unit headed by Lois Lerner not only harassed conservative nonprofits seeking tax exempt status, it evidently set in motion harassment of donors to nonprofits. Talk about a chilling effect! The details are laid out in a Wall Street Journal story: At the same time the Internal Revenue Service was targeting tea-party groups, the tax agency took the unusual step of trying to impose gift taxes on donors to a prominent conservative advocacy group formed in 2007 to build support for President George W. Bush's Iraq troop surge. The probe of the group, Freedom's Watch, began in the unit...

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will head to Las Vegas at the end of the month for a well-backed, high-priced fundraiser with perhaps the Republican Party's wealthiest donor. Crist will benefit from a fundraiser at the Palazzo Hotel and Casino, one of the newest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, on Oct. 29. His host, Las Vegas Sands Corp. CEO Sheldon Adelson, is the 26th-richest man in America, according to Forbes magazine. Adelson funded the conservative group Freedom's Watch during the 2008 campaign, spending millions of dollars to attack then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Democratic candidates up and down the ballot....

What lessons are to be learned from recent news that conservative advocacy group, Freedom’s Watch (FW), is shutting their doors? Mistakes of 2008 must be the stepping stones upon which the future of the conservative movement is built. Here are some thoughts on the FW collapse: 1) Speak softly and carry a big stick. FW turned this concept on its head. From the onset they proclaimed themselves to be the “conservative answer” to MoveOn.org. In addition, they made public the fact they were planning to raise $200million for the 2008 cycle, falling embarrassingly short at $30million. Making public their lofty...

Freedom's Watch, a conservative political advocacy group bankrolled mainly by casino owner Sheldon Adelson that poured $30 million into this year's political races, is shutting down. Multiple sources said the board of directors, which includes former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer and former Ambassador to Italy Mel Sembler, has decided to close down rather than just scale down post-election. "There are no ifs or buts," said a Republican operative close to the situation. "The board has made the decision to shut the doors." The group had always planned a reduction after the election and up until the Thanksgiving holiday it...

The former campaign architect for U.S. President George Bush is urging Republicans to fund political attack ads, The Washington Times reported Monday. One-time White House adviser Karl Rove has been asking top GOP campaign contributors to give money not only to the Republican National Committee but also to independent political action groups that specialize in issue-oriented attack ads, the newspaper said. Rove is said to be especially favoring Freedom's Watch, a group co-run by former GOP campaign officials Carl Forti and Tony Feather.

Ads attack Las Vegas Sands kingpin’s largesse to GOP Sheldon Adelson is being taught some blunt lessons about politics after aggressively inserting himself into state and national races this year. The majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands and leading Republican fundraiser, who hasn’t been so publicly involved in politics since 1998, has himself become an issue in several House races across the country and could be targeted in many more. Adelson money — Forbes ranks him the 12th-richest man in the world — is pushing three ballot questions before Nevada voters. One would require two-thirds of voters to approve tax...

All too familiar with the gambles of war, Jimmy Kinsey, Kyle Riley and a few dozen fellow soldiers landed in the desert. But for these guys this Memorial Day, the most at stake is a few bucks. The soldiers-turned-high rollers took a private jet to Las Vegas over the weekend for an all-expenses-paid getaway with all the perks normally saved for casinos' richest regulars. They were greeted at the airport by Wayne Newton, chilled backstage with the guys from Blue Man Group and hobnobbed with Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino mogul who runs Las Vegas Sands Corp. and paid for...

Democrats are trying to chase from the political playing field a new conservative group expected to spend tens of millions of dollars this year attacking liberal candidates. Using accusations of links to gambling and "forced abortions," the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is striving to make the group, Freedom's Watch, too toxic for Republicans to stomach. "House Republicans and Republican candidates need to decide whether they can afford to partner with Freedom's Watch, a group that embodies the Republicans' culture of corruption by consistently breaking the law and is bankrolled by money that is inconsistent with their values," said Jennifer...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The term "freedom's watch" is not distinctive enough to warrant a lawsuit over trademark infringement, a federal judge has ruled in a case that pitted a one-time hero of conservatives against former aides and financial backers of President Bush. Larry Klayman, who persistently took President Clinton and his administration to court a decade ago, lost his fight against a well- financed group that is planning to be a major presence in this year's elections and beyond. The group, called Freedom's Watch, is positioning itself as the conservative alternative to liberal organizations such as MoveOn.org and has recently...

A premature withdrawal from Iraq, giving al Qaeda a huge victory and giving terrorists a base from which to attack America, Europe, and Israel. An end to developing a missile defense system to protect us from missile attack, and "deep cuts in our nuclear arsenal." Cutting billions of dollars in programs needed to modernize our Army so it remains the most powerful force on earth. This is Senator Barack Obama's plan for a national "defense" - in his own words. Click here to view this video and then share it with your friends. We need to get out the word...

Here comes Big George again. Billionaire George Soros is weighing in heavily with more cash, delivering $2.5 million to a new political organization called Fund for America. According to a year-end campaign report filed with the Internal Revenue Service and uncovered by The Times' Dan Morain, Fund for America was organized by Taco Bell heir Rob McKay, former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and Anna Burger of the Service Employees International Union. The SEIU matched Soros with another $2.5 million, too. Other major donors include investor Donald Sussman, who has given $1 million and AKT Development of...

Colonel Harry Riley, USA Ret, Chairman of EaglesUp has a message for America. You can read that message on the EagleUp website.Chris Hill, National Director of Gathering of Eagles has this message: All of us remember St. Patrick's Day, 2007. It was blustery, cold, bitter and just about perfect. The time has come to revisit that emotion. Those that would disparage our brave men and women in uniform are planning to congregate in our nation's Capital once again this coming March. On March 15, 2008, Gathering of Eagles, in coordination with Move America Forward, Freedom's Watch, The Band of Mothers,...

Would Network Air Comedian’s Troop Shows Today?NBC sank to a new low last week when it rejected ads thanking American troops for their sacrifice and offering them Christmas greetings. A network official deemed the spots produced by Freedom’s Watch, a pro-troop organization to be “too political.” The ensuing backlash from patriotic Americans convinced an adult at NBC to reverse the decision after a few days. The controversy underscored the liberal bias of the Old Media that can no longer be hidden or denied. The mindset that perceives a message of gratitude and support for American troops as "too political" defies...

You’ve all been following the moonbat-influenced decision by NBC to turn down pro-troops public service ads from Freedom’s Watch. The Peacock Network says the ads were too “political.” Because, you know, simply saying “thank you” to the troops and asking others to do the same is just like calling an American general a traitor or exploiting the death toll in Iraq…which MoveOn.org did in an ad that ran on the Today Show, according to Newsbusters. After enduring a nationwide backlash, it seems NBC may be flip-flopping. Drudge reports: Under pressure from outraged viewers, NBC has reversed its decision not to...

WASHINGTON -- NBC reversed course Saturday and decided to air a conservative group's television ad thanking U.S. troops. The ad, by the group Freedom's Watch, asks viewers to remember the troops during the holiday season. NBC had refused to air the ad because it guides viewers to the Freedom's Watch Web site, which NBC said was too political. But in a statement issued Saturday evening, NBC said: "We have reviewed and changed our ad standards guidelines and made the decision that our policy will apply to content only and not to a referenced Web site. Based on these amended standards...

Jeff ZuckerPresident and Chief Executive Officer, NBC Universal30 Rockefeller Plaza12th FloorNew York, NY 10112 Dear Mr. Zucker,My name is Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx. I've served in the military over seas. I know how hard it is to be away from family during the holidays. I can remember how the slightest mention or reminder of home, family, or loved ones would send my stomach and my emotions into full throttled anxiety. The feeling was an unbearable reminder of the overdose of loneliness I regularly experienced. But whenever I heard from home, in a letter or on the telephone, it was like a huge...

WASHINGTON — NBC has nixed holiday advertisements meant to thank troops for serving overseas in opposition to the inclusion of a non-profit's Web address. The ads, paid for by the non-profit Freedom's Watch, are a simple thank you, the group says, with people shown paying gratitude to members of the military and the final frame showing the group's Web address, www.freedomswatch.org. Click here to see the ads on Freedom's Watch's Web Site. NBC is refusing to air the ads as long as the address is included, according to an e-mail exchange between NBC and the group, which Freedom's Watch provided...

NBC has rejected a TV ad by Freedom's Watch, a conservative group that supports administration policy in Iraq, that asks viewers to remember and thank U.S. troops during the holiday season. NBC said it declined to air the ad because it refers to the group's Web site, which the network said was too political, not because of the ad's message. "Anybody in the world who would look at this ad would come away with nothing other than we should thankful for their service," Freedom's Watch president Brad Blakeman said. The spot was to be part of a seven-figure campaign that...

WASHINGTON — NBC has nixed holiday advertisements meant to thank troops for serving overseas in opposition to the inclusion of a non-profit's Web address. The ads, paid for by the non-profit Freedom's Watch, are a simple thank you, the group says, with people shown paying gratitude to members of the military and the final frame showing the group's Web address, www.freedomswatch.org. Click here and here to view the ads that NBC won't air.

WASHINGTON (AP) - NBC has rejected a TV ad by Freedom's Watch, a conservative group that supports administration policy in Iraq, that asks viewers to remember and thank U.S. troops during the holiday season. NBC said it declined to air the ad because it refers to the group's Web site, which the network said was too political, not because of the ad's message. "Anybody in the world who would look at this ad would come away with nothing other than we should be thankful for their service," Freedom's Watch president Brad Blakeman said. The spot was to be part of...