Conservative groups running issue ads with corporate money: how to hang this albatross around the G

[babsbunny]

Conservative groups running issue ads with corporate money: how to hang this albatross around the GOP’s neck


http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2010/09/20/corp-ads-gop-albatros/

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Brian Angliss

I read via the AP today that the two conservative groups founded by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, have raked in so much money from donors that this midterm election will likely be the most expensive yet. According to the AP, the two groups combined have raised about $32 million so far this year.

While we don’t know where the money for the supposedly “non-profit” Crossroads GPS comes from, American Crossroads is a registered 527 and so we have some information on its donors. Since its inceptions, American Crossroads has had eight donors of $50,000 or more each, with six of those donors hitting or surpassing the $1 million mark.

That wealthy donors are allowed to give massive amounts of money to political 527s is perhaps not a surprise. What’s new this year is the fact that corporations are allowed to give directly, and of those top eight donors, three are corporations, rather than people: TRT Holdings Inc. ($1 million), Southwest Louisiana Land LLC ($1 million), and Dixie Rice Agricultural Corporation ($1 million). This is legal during this year’s election because the Supreme Court, in a supremely bad decision, ruled that, because corporations are people, corporations are allowed to donate to unregulated agencies like 527s as much as they want, just like any flesh-and-blood human. It’s entirely possible that a corporation run by a billionaire could donate a couple of million dollars as the corporation while the billionaire himself also donates a couple of million dollars. And five conservative Supreme Court Justices thought that this was a good idea.

[Blue Owl]

1. Money CAN buy oblivion!

Wouldn't it be sweet if America said FUCK YOU to the Supreme Court 5 who think Democracy can be bought!

That would make my year.

[BeFree]

2. Just an investment

That will pay off if they can get control again.

I'd bet most of that $$ however, will go right into Rove's, et al pockets.