[Rhodes22-list] Politics - Public Service Announcement

[Brad Haslett]

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.