Democrats' Allies Use Undisclosed Dollars to Target Republicans

[cal04]

A new group called Communities United to Strengthen America has opened 12 ``resource centers'' this year for the avowed purpose of educating citizens about issues such as health care and energy conservation.

It's probably no coincidence that all 12 are located in Republican-held congressional districts targeted by Democrats trying to recapture control of the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections.

Campaign-finance experts cite Communities United as an example of the type of nonprofit group that Democrats and their allies are creating to help their campaign, permitting unlimited and undisclosed donations from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals.

``It walks like a duck, it quacks like a duck,'' said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a Washington-based watchdog group. ``The IRS and FEC ought to find out if it is a duck,'' he said, referring to the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Election Commission, which determine whether Communities United should be classified as a so-called 501(c)(4) group, entitling it to tax-exempt status.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=amBhS3CZRRrE&refer=home

[babylonsister]

1. Fred Wertheimer is clueless? Why? And who is HE, anyway?

Sounds good to me otherwise!

[countmyvote4real]

2. The "Club for Growth" name was already taken. (sarcasm)

I don't have a problem with this as long as it's not against the law. And that's the difference between Rebs & Dems.

[NJmaverick]

3. The RNC has been doing this for years

Just go to their website. They list them as friends. They used to be listed as Republican groups until Raw Story ran a story pointing out what they were doing was illegal, so they changed the wording a bit.

[mopinko]

4. dems hang for misdemeanors,

while thugs get away with murder.

[Guaranteed]

5. What exactly should we call Fox News, Mr. Wertheimer?

Fox News doesn't just walk and quack like a duck, it shits, smells and flaps its wings like one, too. It's a goddamned propaganda network for your party, and the only thing propping you up right now. So shut the FUCK up.

[gratuitous]

6. Wertheimer really is pretty even-handed

But the GOP has been using undisclosed dollars in their campaigns for decades. I have yet to see a full accounting of all the money Richard Mellon Scaife (for example, and there are lots of others) has spent fouling our political climate since the 1970s. To get all upset about Communities United is straining out a gnat while swallowing camels whole.