Conservative attack group riling Democrats

May 9, 2008
By Stephen Dinan
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NATION/658959326/1001

- Democrats are trying to chase from the political playing field a new conservative group expected to spend tens of millions of dollars this year attacking liberal candidates. Using accusations of links to gambling and "forced abortions," the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is striving to make the group, Freedom's Watch, too toxic for Republicans to stomach.

"House Republicans and Republican candidates need to decide whether they can afford to partner with Freedom's Watch, a group that embodies the Republicans' culture of corruption by consistently breaking the law and is bankrolled by money that is inconsistent with their values," said Jennifer Crider, communications director for the DCCC. Billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson is the principal financial backer for the group, which has taken a major role in attacking Democratic candidates in recent special congressional elections.

Faced with the group's deep pockets, the DCCC has fired off mail and broadcast ads highlighting Mr. Adelson's gambling interests and ties with China, which they argue is "a country notorious for forced abortions."

Democrats this week filed a third legal challenge to the group with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). "It's been reported that Freedom's Watch intends to spend up to $200 million this cycle against congressional Democrats, and that's money coming from sources that believe very different things than the people in Louisiana, Mississippi and elsewhere across the country," Miss Crider said.

Freedom's Watch officials said they would not discuss the organization's financial wherewithal, but disputed the reports of a budget upward of $200 million. Ed Patru, vice president for communications at Freedom's Watch, said the effort to sully candidates by association is silly.

"'Vote against candidate X because he has common values with philanthropist Y, who has business interests in China where, by the way, abortion is legal.' What a dynamite argument," Mr. Patru said, adding that the House's top Democrat is also susceptible to guilt by association. "Given Nancy Pelosi's relationship with Syria's [President Bashar] Assad, we're not surprised her campaign arm is going after one of Israel's most prolific benefactors." (Love it!)

"There are numerous degrees of separation between the issues in Mississippi and issues in Chinese provinces. We're looking forward to getting linked to Kevin Bacon next week," he said, referring to the parlor game of trying to link movie stars to the ubiquitous actor.

With House Republicans' own committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), reeling from poor fundraising and an embezzlement scandal, the ads from Freedom's Watch have filled a gap. At stake is Democrats' majority in the House, which they won in 2006 after 12 years in the minority.

Freedom's Watch is organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Service code, which frees it from certain fundraising limits and reporting requirements that apply to traditional political groups. In 2004, liberal 527s far outspent conservative ones, though Democrats are still furious over one 527 group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which attacked presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry.

The stated goal of Freedom's Watch is advancing conservative causes, and Mr. Patru said that includes defending Democrats when they share the same positions. He pointed to ads that the group ran last year defending Rep. Brian Baird, Washington Democrat, against attacks by liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org after Mr. Baird concluded that the surge of troops in Iraq had been a success.

After a staff shake-up earlier this year, Freedom's Watch has become far more active in day-to-day politics, sending reporters several e-mails a day that attack Democratic leaders. The group has taken a broader role in electoral politics: In recent months, Freedom's Watch ran ads boosting Republican Bob Latta, who won a special election for an open congressional seat from Ohio; ran $560,000 in ads attacking Democrat Don Cazayoux, who won a congressional seat from Louisiana last weekend; and is airing an ad in Mississippi's open congressional district, which holds a special election Tuesday.

To counterattack, the DCCC sent 20,000 pieces of mail in Louisiana's 6th Congressional District to Republican and independent households tying the Republican candidate, Woody Jenkins, to Mr. Adelson. "A casino mogul who made his money in Las Vegas uses it in a country that forces its citizens to have abortions and for Woody Jenkins," reads one mailing.

In March, Mr. Adelson ranked 12th on Forbes' list of wealthiest people in the world with a net worth of $26 billion. He runs several casinos, including two in Macao, a Chinese territory. The DCCC has also filed complaints arguing that Freedom's Watch and the NRCC coordinated their campaigns, which would violate federal laws, has charged that the group goes beyond the activities allowed by IRS code, and this week filed a complaint that Freedom's Watch didn't file the right forms from its ads in Louisiana. Freedom's Watch said the forms were filed, and the FEC has been slow to post them.

Both Freedom's Watch and the NRCC said the collaboration charge is wrong. "If Democrats want to waste their time and resources on filing politically motivated complaints, then we hope they continue to do so. Their obsession with this conspiracy theory has gone from being ridiculous to the point of sheer lunacy," said Ken Spain, the NRCC press secretary.

Well isn't this rich?! (excuse the pun)

The liberals accusing Freedom's Watch of nefarious ties while somehow ignoring George Soros.

There is the fact that speculation in foreign currencies a la Soros, can beget economic havoc in countries. In 1992, Soros earned one billion dollars in a one day by betting that the British pound would fall. Although Soros denies it, there are some that accuse him of causing the 1997 Asian economic crisis by his betting against the Thai baht. .....we believe he is a more destructive person — a self-hating Jew whose money gives him a podium to spout his nonsense.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1203/mason_soros.php3

Lets not forget Hilary Clinton's acceptance of $850,000 from about 260 donors who had been recruited or tapped by Norman Hsu, who fled arrest and is now under investigation for his fundraising practices

How about Marc Rich, fugitive American businessman; Denise Rich, songwriter and socialite
Over seventeen years after Marc Rich fled to Switzerland to avoid charges of racketeering, illegal trading, and tax evasion (he owed $48 million), Bill Clinton pardoned Rich during his last moments in the White House. His ex-wife Denise's generous donations and Friend of Bill status gave the pardon a particularly rotten stench.

Or Aaron Tonken, former Hollywood fund-raiser, current federal penitentiary inmate in California.
Tonken originally drew interest from the FBI for failing to report some donations from the event to the FEC. Although he was never charged for election-law violations, in 2003 he pleaded guilty to stealing from charities, including, according to an ABC News report, the Betty Ford clinic. He is currently serving a five-year sentence for mail and wire fraud.

Or Peter F. Paul, renaissance man, jack of all trades
He co-hosted the 2000 fund-raiser with Tonken.
How did Paul underwrite the gala? According to The Washington Post, by improperly borrowing more than $4 million from Merrill Lynch. Shortly after that was discovered, Paul hopped a plane to Brazil and spent years waging a two-front war: fighting extradition and trying to sue Hillary for underreporting the value of the event. In 2003, Paul was extradited to the U.S., and Clinton agreed to pay a $35,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission.

The list goes on and can be found here: http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=076fd56f-4aca-4683-a9d1-3c55d748946e

Or the fact that elected officials serving as superdelegates have received about $890,000 from Obama and Clinton in the form of campaign contributions over the last three years," the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics reported today.
http://www.opensecrets.org/

Kinda like the kettle calling the pot black!

Well one thing for sure is that Freedom Watch has got
the liberals worried hence the smear campagin.
However it appears the Freedom Watch is more than up to the fight!

Carry on Freedom Watch!