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WASHINGTON - A conservative independent group that ran millions of dollars in ads against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004 will pay $750,000 to settle charges that it violated federal campaign laws. The penalty, announced by the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, is the third largest in the history of the commission, which regulates election money. The FEC's six commissioners approved the settlement unanimously. The group, Progress for America Voter Fund, raised nearly $45 million in 2004, making it the best financed Republican-oriented group in that campaign. The FEC said that it "failed to register and file disclosure reports...

WASHINGTON -- In an early sign of the imagery that may flood the nation's television screens as congressional elections approach this fall, a conservative political group closely aligned with the Bush administration has launched a blitz of television ads to shore up sagging public support for the war in Iraq. The television commercials feature vivid portraits of smoke pouring from the World Trade Center and the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Madrid and London as veterans of the Iraq war and parents of fallen soldiers make the case for continuing the U.S. military campaign in Iraq.

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Contact: Jessica Boulanger 202-777-1569 WASHINGTON Progress for America Inc. (PFA) today announced an initial one-week, $1,000,000 advertising, grass roots, and e-campaign to persuade opinion leaders in Washington, DC and across America that Judge John G. Roberts is a fair judge who deserves a fair up or down vote. "Judge Roberts was confirmed unanimously by the Senate just two years ago," said Brian McCabe, president of PFA. "His colleagues have praised his 'integrity' and 'fair mindedness.' A fair minded judge deserves a fair up or down vote." "BRILLIANT" TV AD (30 Seconds) & "ROBERTS" RADIO AD (60 Seconds) National television and...

Left Declares "State of Emergency" For Immediate Release / Contact: Jessica Boulanger 202-777-1569 The United States of America: Saturday, 84 degrees, overcast. Homeland Security threat advisory: Yellow. Families preparing for 4th of July celebrations: flying flags, cooking hotdogs, baking pies. And yet, Liberal special interest groups declare: "STATE OF EMERGENCY!" As Progress for America predicted in Tar & Feather, Inc.: A Liberal 10-Step Plan for Judicial Character Assassination, this Independence Day weekend, the Left is whipping their members into a frenzy in preparation for the first Supreme Court vacancy in 11 years. For the Left, there will be no picnics...

What if???"Anchorman: The President nominated George Washington for the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by Sandra Day O'Connor. Democrats immediately attacked Washington for his environmental record of chopping down cherry trees."Click here to see the newscast!Some Democrats will attack any Supreme Court nominee, but past attacks have been called a "smear" and "dishonest." When there is a real nominee they deserve real consideration, instead of instant attacks.Make sure you're ready for the liberals' attacks. 1. Read "Tar & Feather Inc., A 10 Step Guide to Judicial Character Assassination"2. Forward this newscast to your friends.

Predictable Left Begins Judicial Character Assassination Campaign; Day 1 Brings Step 1 of Tar & Feather 10-Step Plan Within just one hour of the announcement of a Supreme Court vacancy, liberal groups were whipping their members into a frenzy as PFA predicted in Tar & Feather, Inc.: A Liberal 10-Step Plan for Judicial Character Assassination. For the Left, it seems the sky is falling: Planned Parenthood screamed that "Women's Health and Safety [are] on the Line." People For The American Way breathlessly claimed "our very national identity hangs in the balance and progressives must be loud and clear." The Alliance...

WASHINGTON - An organization with strong Republican ties intends to spend $1.5 million on television commercials over next two weeks to help Senate GOP leaders in a showdown over President Bush's judicial nominees. The group, Progress for America, "will also run $350,000 of radio ads on Christian stations," according to a memo describing the plans. The effort underscores the political stakes in a struggle that revolves immediately around seven controversial appeals court nominees — but also has implications for any Supreme Court vacancy that occurs during Bush's term. Democrats blocked 10 of the president's first-term appeals court nominees by filibuster,...

Progress for America Voter Fund Launches Fourth National Social Security Ad: Stopwatch The $1 million national TV buy is part of a $4.85 million March media and grassroots campaign. 3.22.05Laura Braden DlugaczProgress for AmericaWASHINGTON - Progress for America Voter Fund launched a powerful new ad challenging Democrats to present plans to reform and save Social Security. The ad is entitled "Stopwatch" and began running today in a national cable television buy costing $1 million. This 30 second ad will run for approximately 1 ½ weeks on national cable channels, complimented by a grassroots program designed to educate lawmakers and the...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 - The McCain-Feingold law, which did more to change how American political campaigns are financed than any legislation since the 1970's, got its first real-world test in this year's election. And now its critics are more emphatic than ever in arguing that the law has fallen short of its goals, and even some supporters are calling for revisions. The 2002 law demolished the system that for more than a decade had allowed political parties to feed on unlimited soft-money contributions from companies, labor unions and donors. But what rose in its place remains the subject of fierce...

A group of anti-Kerry Vietnam veterans whose television commercials attacking the senator shook the presidential race filed a report Friday showing it raised about $9 million through the end of September, and the group says it has raised millions more since then. The numbers came as the group announced its largest advertising buy ever - more than $3 million- this week. One commercial shows a series of veterans questioning issues like Mr. Kerry's service medals and his meeting with North Vietnamese in Paris at the time of the peace talks there. The last veteran states flatly, "John Kerry cannot be...

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Stockton businessman Alex Spanos is among the top donors to a political group recently formed by backers of President Bush that has amassed a treasure chest of $35 million. The group plans a barrage of commercials criticizing Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry, even though the president this week denounced such outside organizations for running negative campaign ads. The Progress for America Voter Fund was launched in May after the Federal Election Commission refused to shut down a crop of well-funded liberal organizations that were going after the president. Those groups, known as 527s, had formed quickly and begun raising large...

Liberal-leaning groups have dominated the use of an emerging political tool known as a 527, pouring tens of millions of unregulated dollars into efforts to defeat President Bush, but Republicans have ramped up efforts to close the gap before the November election.     "We felt it was imperative that we engage in the debate and help level the playing field to counter what the liberal 527s have done over the past year, beating up President Bush," said Brian McCabe, president of Progress for America Voter Fund, a 527 that had raised only about $3 million until about six weeks ago.     The...

How will Kerry's allies in big media spin this news, from the Wall Street Journal: "A political group recently formed by backers of President Bush has amassed a treasure chest of $35 million and plans a barrage of commercials criticizing Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry, even though the president this week denounced such outside organizations for running negative campaign ads. The Progress for America Voter Fund was launched in May after the Federal Election Commission refused to shut down a crop of well-funded liberal organizations that were going after the president. Those groups, known as 527s, had formed quickly and...

WASHINGTON - A pro-Republican get-out-the-vote group aimed at counteracting multimillion-dollar organizations that oppose President Bush has logged its first $1 million donation. The Progress for America Voter Fund received $1 million in June from Jerry Perenchio, chief executive of the Univision Communications Inc. Spanish-language media company. Perenchio, a volunteer GOP fund-raiser, has also raised at least $100,000 for Bush's re-election effort. Perenchio's donation was among three accounting for nearly all the $2.26 million the Progress for America Voter Fund raised in the second quarter, a report by the group to the Internal Revenue Service shows. The group also received $500,000...