Today I got what Salon Magazine calls a sketchy fundraising mail from Sharron Angle...

[cascadiance]

Kind of caught me by surprise, as many Democratic organizations have lost track of me since I moved to Portland a little over a year ago... When I picked it up and glanced at it while driving around on some errands, I was fantasizing on how I would figure out a way to use her "postage paid" label to ship a brick to her, and attach a note that this was to help her digestion when her mind appears to be very constipated now...

Unfortunately, she wants us to pay for postage too.

I thought to look around some on the net on how they might be trying to grab addresses for mailing this out and came accross the following articles:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/02/donors-to-sharron-angle-send-checks-to-washington-dc/

Donors to Sharron Angle Send Checks to . . . Washington, D.C.?

MATT LEWIS
Columnist

Last week, Salon published a column on Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle having paid more than $600,000 to a D.C.-based direct-mail firm called Base Connect.

According to the column:

"A Salon review of the Nevada Republican's FEC filings found that Angle has forked over about 20 percent of all the money she's raised to Base Connect, which is known for charging its conservative clients exorbitant fees -- as high as 80 percent -- and was recently dropped by a sitting Republican congressman because of its terrible reputation."

Having obtained a copy of Angle's most recent mailing, many readers might also be surprised to learn that donors to Angle's campaign are instructed to send their money not to Nevada but to a Washington, D.C., post office box:



What's more, disbursements listed on Angle's March 30, 2010, report show over $1,000 worth of bank fees paid to First Virginia Community Bank in Fairfax.

That envelope definitely matches the one I just got.

Here's the original Salon article:

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/07/29/sharron_angle_base_connect/index.html

THURSDAY, JUL 29, 2010 10:15 ET
Angle spends more than $600,000 on shady firm
The Nevada GOP Senate hopeful pays 20 percent of funds raised to controversial direct-mail outfit Base Connect
BY JUSTIN ELLIOTT

AP
More than a third of the money spent by Nevada Republican Sharron Angle's campaign has gone to a controversial direct mail firm
Sharron Angle, who has fallen behind Harry Reid in several recent polls and can scarcely afford to squander any resources, has sunk $637,000 into a notorious D.C. direct mail firm. A Salon review of the Nevada Republican's FEC filings found that Angle has forked over about 20 percent of all the money she's raised to Base Connect, which is known for charging its conservative clients exorbitant fees -- as high as 80% -- and was recently dropped by a sitting Republcian congressman because of its terrible reputation.

Formerly known as BMW Direct, Base Connect describes itself "a full-service creative agency for conservative candidates running at the national level." For the past several election cycles, the firm's M.O. has gone like this: find a longshot conservative candidate running against a well-established Democratic incumbent, then launch a national fundraising campaign by sending direct mail to a list of true-believing but small-time conservative donors around the country.

The catch is that as much 75 or 80 or even 95 percent of the money raised is paid back to Base Connect and its "partner" companies (which are based in the same suite in the same building just off K Street in Washington). GOP consultant Bill Pascoe dubbed this "subprime fundraising." And Erick Erickson once said that candidates who use the firm are in danger of losing RedState's endorsement, presumably because conservative donors' money is going to a fundraising agency rather than actually helping the cause. Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) dropped all ties with Base Connect after Talking Points Memo reported in March he was paying the firm 75 percent in fundraising fees.

...

They obviously missed their target of "true-believing but small-time conservative donors around the country" when mailing something to me, when I have a hard time even sending any donations to the DCCC or other DLC-infested fund raisers. I might speculate that they misinterpreted some of my "messages" I sent back to the DCCC as me being "conservative" instead of "too liberal" for the DCCC and decided to target me, but then the question would be why I don't still get DCCC mails up here in Portland if they have my address.

Anyone else getting these fundraising mails?

For your amusement, here's what the letter inside said.

SHARRON ANGLE
Official Republican Nominee to
Defeat Senator Harry Reid

My Fellow American,

I'm running for U.S. Senate against Senator Harry Reid -- conservatives' #1 foe -- and I need your help.

I'm asking you and every other conservative across America to support my campaign to unseat Harry Reid by signing your "Dump Reid" pledge right away.

And my friend, the impact your financial support in a state with a small population like Nevada cannot be discounted. I hope you will consider this and decide to help me today.

The impact of a gift of $35, $50, or even $100 in a state the size of Nevada will go much further than a $200, $500 or even $1,000 gift in a state like New York or California.

So please sign the enclosed "Dump Reid" pledge today.

For 24 long years Harry Reid has been a reliable liberal vote in the U.S. Senate.

Now as Senate Majority Leader he's the "ringmaster" of Barack Obama's far-left agenda.

More than any other Democrat, Barack Obama depends on Harry Reid to ram his agenda through the Senate.

Socialized Medicine, energy taxes, the so-called "Stimulus," repeal of the Bush tax cuts...

...on each of these issues, Reid is Obama's point man.

Obama and Reid are joined at the hip.

And as I said when I accepted the nomination to be the Republican candidate against Reid, defeating Reid would be a knockdown blow to Obama.

It's a blow I can -- and will -- deliver!

Because Reid's close association with Obama has come at a steep cost.

Reid is tied to every loony left part of Obama's agenda...

...but the people of Nevada are not liberals.

That's why it shouldn't come as a surprise that over 50% of Nevadans have an unfavorable opinion of Reid.

That number alone should mean the death of Reid's political career. But let me give you some more numbers.

45% of Nevadans would vote to replace Reid compared to just 35% who would vote for him.

My friend, I hope you understand how out of touch with mainstream American and Nevada Harry Reid is. (note: the grammar error here is NOT my typo!)

Reid is without a doubt the most liberal Senator ever elected from Nevada.

The people of Nevada know it.

They are sick of it.

And they want someone they can trust.

I will fight to return America to the conservative principles that made her great.

No matter how bad Reid's numbers are or how much Nevadans want change, unless conservatives rally around my campaign and take advantage of his weaknesses, he will slip past us on Election Day.

Why would I say that considering I just proved to you that Nevadans are so unhappy with Reid?

One word: Money.

You see, Reid doesn't just use his tremendous power as Senate Majority Leader to ram through Obama's agenda...

...he also leverages it so that millions of dollars in Special Interest money flow into his campaign office.

Every Special Interest that wants a favor, must first toss some money into Reid's tin pot.

The result: Reid has over $10 million cash-on-hand just sitting in the bank.

With that much money, Reid can buy his seat.

But I have a secret weaon that can neutralize Reid's money advantage...

...YOU!

By signing your "Dump Reid" pledge today you're joining my nationwide grassroots army against Reid. It's an army not only of Nevadans, but all Americans.

Because the Obama-Reid agenda is a menace to the entire nation and not just Nevada -- and it must be stopped!

And as I said earlier, your donation today of $35, $50, or $100 will have a greater impact in Nevada than in other states like New York or California which are much more expensive.

So conservatives from accross the nation have a real interest in helping my campaign and helping concentrate our fire where it can do the most damage.

That's why my campaign to unseat Harry Reid should be of double importance to every conservative in America.

The difference between Harry Reid and me could not be greater...

Harry Reid is a tax-and-spend career politician. Period.

I'm a fiscal and social conservative, a former citizen legislator with a strong record fighting for the Constitution, and a grandmother of 10 wonderful grandchildren.

Harry Reid is piling mountains of debt on our children and grandchildren by expanding the size and scope of government to unprecedented levels.

When elected I will speak out and vote against turning future generations into "tax slaves" oppressed by the reckless spending of Reid and Obsama.

My friend, I know how to run a tough but principled campaign against Harry Reid.

And with your help I will defeat Harry Reid in what will be the most watched race for the U.S. Senate.

That's why I'm asking for your crucial "Dump Reid" pledgefor my campaign against Harry Reid.

Your "Dump Reid" pledge and donation to my campaign will help me convince voters that we can't afford to have Harry Reid in the Senate leading the way for Obama's far left agenda.

And make no mistake... we're in a position to win!

But to run a winning campaign, I'm relying on the support of patriotic Americans like you.

That's why I need your "Dump Reid" pledge.

And when you send m your "Dump Reid" pledge, I'm asking you to send me a generous donation of $35.

If you think stopping Harry Reid, Barack Obama, and Nancy Pelosi is important, perhaps you could help my campaign with a gift of $50, $75, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or even $2,400.

I hope you agree that stopping Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is conservatives' #1 priority right now.

If you can write a check today for $2,400, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $75, $50, or even $35 -- please do so right away.

And remember, the impact of a $100 contribution in a Senate race in Nevada will go further than a $1,000 gift in a similar race in states like New York or California.

Please help me defeat Harry Reid and put the brakes on Obama's agenda. Twenty-four years of Harry Reid is enough...

Sincerely,

Sharron Angle
Official Republican Nominee to
Defeat Senator Harry Reid

P.S. Harry Reid is reponsible for getting Obama's agenda through the Senate. Defeating Reid is like cutting off the head of a snake -- it will spell doom for Obama's agenda!

I need your "Dump Reid" pledge today, along with your crucial donation of $35, $50, $75, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, or even $2,400.

After reading my letter more closely, the way they misspelt my name leads me to believe that the address was obtained through a certain local utility company. I think I might make a call to them tomorrow to see what's up with that!

[LAGC]

1. The Republicans are doing themselves no favors...

By letting that mailing outfit grift so much of the fundraising proceeds.

That's what they get for privatization/out-sourcing of their campaign efforts.

Let the idiots make those K Street cronies in Washington, D.C. rich.

Angle won't benefit. She is going down.

[cascadiance]

3. I think that mailing outfit just bought mailing address from some other spam outfit...

I noticed not long after I moved here and had my name entered in wrong by the utility that still mails it to my mispelled name, that I also got local coupon books addressed to that misspelled name too (Red Plum, etc.), which tells me that these guys were just trying to find some way to cheaply profiteer off of Angle. They frickin' deserve each other!

[LiberalFighter]

2. Don't tell Angle about this. I love it.