Home › Blogs › scharrison's blog ›

AFP to spend millions on attack ads against Obama

Submitted by scharrison on Wed, 08/08/2012 - 10:10am

While still keeping their donors secret:

"Over the past eight years, Americans for Prosperity has never advocated the election or defeat of any candidate choosing instead to focus on issue efforts," said Dallas Woodhouse, who heads the North Carolina chapter of AFP. He added, "In an unprecedented action for Americans for Prosperity, our organization will be purchasing paid media time to expressly advocate the defeat of President Barack Obama with a television, radio and social media effort launching on Wednesday, Aug. 8.

It's a testimony to how screwed up our election laws are that not-the-bus-driver could spout this drivel without being called out for it by the mainstream media. AFP has been running attack ads like this one against the President for quite some time:

Whether it contains "magic words" or not, that ad is designed to erode support for Obama, period. And the fact that AFP can broadcast such ads without disclosing who is actually paying for it is just plain crazy.

The next time one of your Republican buddies starts harping about Hugo Chavez or Iran sending money to Hamas, tell him: "At least we know who they are. Who is paying millions to run AFP ads on our (American) television networks?"

Tagged:

Comments

Solutions

Submitted by clarence swinney on Wed, 08/08/2012 - 10:19am.

GOD BLESS AMERICA
May it survive Corpocracy and go back to Democracy
My Solutions----
A. People repeal Corp is a man

B. Fed Fund Election-Stop two yr campaigns waste of money/ time
6 months--3 for Primary Campaign--3 For General Campaign
free equal tv time-provided by "our" tv airwaves
One Debate a week. That is 12 And is adequate to evaluate candidates,
This stops need to raise campaign funds. Congress and White House can stay on the job instead of constant traveling to raise funds. Restrict outside campaign funds.

C. Since there is no need for campaign funds BAN members of the government from receiving anything with a financial value current or future promises. Stop the bribing by Lobbyists.

D. Progressive Flat Tax By Group-we have a $14,000 income a 3800B budget yet rank #2 in oecd nations as lowest taxed. We refuse to tax wealth enough to pay our way. They have the money.
Top 50% get 87% (agi) of Income and pay 13.5% Tax Rate.
Bottom 50% or 70,000,000 workers get 13% not enough to pay much in taxes.
They pay a greater percent of that Income in payroll- state-local taxes than many top incomes.
It has been a disgrace that top ceos can get enormous increases in pay and many of 70,000,000 cannot get an increase in the minimum wage to better their standard of living.
In A Christian nation I often wonder what Jesus Christ would say to us?

E. Tax Book--burn that sucker. start anew. Any request for an exemption be televised so the public can watch attempts at bribery. It is so sad that in 2011 corporations with record profits paid 12.1% Tax Rate for second lowest in oecd nations. It is sad when we borrow $1300B with $14,000B income.
because we tax only $2300B or 16.4% Tax Rate yet top incomes had huge pay increases.
Job Creators=lowest since Hoover =while rich got ultra rich and masses borrowed from those rich to keep a decent standard of living. While top 10% gained to 73% of Net Wealth--to 83% of Financial Wealth and got 50% of individual income. While 70,000,000 got 13% of income.

F. Tight audits and cut spending on Defense and Medicare the too biggies on unnecessary spending.
Example—In San Francisco, colon exam is $7500 and $1500 in southern calif. hospitals.
This per Head of public employee health care for calif. Example:elevated blood pressure. Two tests. Nitro patch on chest in bed nine hours. $6,000. Yes! $6,000.

clarence swinney

Definitely related:

Submitted by scharrison on Wed, 08/08/2012 - 1:49pm.

Kudos to the Sunlight Foundation for keeping track of these big-spenders:

Texas-based billionaire Robert Rowling has given a total of $6.8 million to American Crossroads, the super PAC that has run ads criticizing President Barack Obama for, among other things, bailing out and bankrolling private businesses with public money. Yet Rowling, seen at right, a member of the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans who inherited his fortune, hasn't been averse to seeking taxpayer assistance in his own business ventures. And he's been willing to use his private fortune to seek public dollars.

But his giving isn't limited to religious and philanthropic causes, and often has a connection to his business interests. In February 2009, the Dallas City Council chose Rowling's Omni Hotels over Marriott as the operator of a proposed city-owned convention hotel. But the deal found opposition in Dallas real estate magnate Harlan Crow, another big Republican donor who spent nearly $5 million to fund an issue committee, Citizens Against the Taxpayer-Owned Hotel, that campaigned for Proposition 1, a ballot measure that would have forbidden the city of Dallas to own such a venue.

In response, proponents of the convention center hotel formed Vote No Dallas! and Enough is Enough to oppose Proposition 1. On April 23, Rowling contributed $25,000 to Vote No Dallas! Just two days before the election on May 9, TRT Holdings sent a $35,000 contribution to Enough is Enough, followed by another $15,000 in June, after the election had already taken place. The group ran ads like this one, that said the convention center would bring thousands of jobs to Dallas and said it would not be paid for with tax dollars. Rowling contributed $75,000 to oppose Proposition 1--a drop in the bucket compared to Crow's millions.

What a circus. And I guarantee you most of those Dallas/Ft. Worth voters assumed that their side (whichever one they picked) was a grassroots thing, when, in fact, both sides were rich Republicans trying to get richer.

Art Pope - Director of AFP

Submitted by wafranklin on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 5:27pm.

It may have escaped your notice that Art Pope (Pope Art) is a director for AFP. So be nice to Dallas Woodhead.

wafranklin

 

AFP ♥ MITT

Submitted by gregflynn on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 7:48pm.