[Rhodes22-list] Politics - Public Service Announcement

[Herb Parsons]

I'm typically influenced by emails I receive. I've given lots of support 
to folks in Nigeria, and had my sex life modified numerous times. This 
just MIGHT get traction ya know.

Brad Haslett wrote:
> Any of you conservatives on the list (what are we up to these days, three?)
> thinking about contributing to 527's beware, there is a new group of
> whacked-out lefties who are threatening you.  Ya gotta love these folks who
> believe in free speech, just not for you.  Now how dumb is it for people who
> don't believe in owning guns to threaten those who do?  Duh!
>
> Brad
>
> -----------------
>
> from the NYT's
>
> August 8, 2008
>  Group Plans Campaign Against G.O.P. Donors By MICHAEL
> LUO<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/l/michael_luo/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>
> Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes
> across the country will probably receive a foreboding "warning" letter in
> the mail next week.
>
> The letter is an opening shot across the bow from an unusual new outside
> political group on the left that is poised to engage in hardball tactics to
> prevent similar groups on the right from getting off the ground this fall.
>
> Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with
> some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years, the newly formed nonprofit
> group, Accountable America, is planning to confront donors to conservative
> groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions.
>
> "We want to stop the Swift Boating before it gets off the ground," said Mr.
> Matzzie, who described his effort as "going for the jugular."
>
> The warning letter is intended as a first step, alerting donors who might be
> considering giving to right-wing groups to a variety of potential dangers,
> including legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through
> their lives.
>
> The group is also hoping to be able to respond if an outside conservative
> group broadcasts a television advertisement attacking Senator Barack
> Obama<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per>,
> or another Democratic candidate, by running commercials exposing the donors
> behind the advertisements.
>
> Judd Legum, who was the research director for Senator Hillary Rodham
> Clinton<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/hillary_rodham_clinton/index.html?inline=nyt-per>'s
> presidential campaign, has signed on to play the same role for Accountable
> America.
>
> The group has raised only $200,000, but Mr. Matzzie said he expected to
> collect more than $500,000 by next week, with an ultimate goal of $2
> million.
>
> Mr. Matzzie said he had decided to focus exclusively on conservative donors
> because such an effort could be done cheaply.
>
> "It's targeted," Mr. Matzzie said. "We don't need $25 million."
>
> Mr. Matzzie recently served as one of the leaders of Progressive Media
> U.S.A., a group that was intended to lead a left-wing media effort in the
> presidential election, but the group folded several months ago after it
> failed to raise enough money, partly because of signals from the Obama
> campaign that donors should not give to outside groups.
>
> Mr. Obama and other Democratic officials have issued warnings about possible
> activities by outside groups like the Swift Boat Veterans for
> Truth<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/swift_boat_veterans_for_truth/index.html?inline=nyt-org>,
> which helped sink Senator John
> Kerry<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/john_kerry/index.html?inline=nyt-per>'s
> presidential bid in 2004. But activity among outside conservative groups has
> been decidedly low-level.
>
> Still, Accountable America has singled out some major Republican donors,
> including Sheldon
> Adelson<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/sheldon_g_adelson/index.html?inline=nyt-per>,
> a billionaire casino mogul, and Mel Sembler, a former ambassador and real
> estate magnate, both major donors to Freedom's
> Watch<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/f/freedoms_watch/index.html?inline=nyt-org>,
> a conservative group.
>
> Calls to Mr. Sembler and Mr. Adelson were not returned, but Ed Patru, a
> spokesman for Freedom's Watch, scoffed at Mr. Matzzie's plan.
>
> "This idea sounds even more sloppily thought out than his last venture,
> which, of course, went belly-up for lack of financial support," Mr. Patru
> said.
>
> "I doubt anyone will be intimidated by him," he said, "but if it gives
> anyone pause, they are always welcome to give to Freedom's Watch — all of
> our donors are entitled to complete anonymity by law."
>
> Indeed, anonymity is a potential obstacle to the group's efforts. Outside
> political groups organized as 501(c)4 entities, including Accountable
> America, do not have to disclose the names of their donors.
>
> Chris LaCivita, a Republican strategist who helped organize the Swift Boat
> effort, said Mr. Matzzie's group was likely to have the opposite effect on
> potential donors, firing them up instead of discouraging them.
>
> "They're not going to be intimidated by some pipsqueak on the kooky left,"
> Mr. LaCivita said.
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