Spending blitz by outside groups helped secure big GOP wins

[CatWoman]

Source: NBC News

A tightly coordinated effort by outside Republican groups, spearheaded by Karl Rove and fueled by tens of millions of dollars in contributions from Wall Street hedge fund moguls and other wealthy donors, helped secure big GOP midterm victories Tuesday, according to campaign spending figures and Republican fundraising insiders.

Leading the GOP spending pack was a pair of groups — American Crossroads and its affiliate, Crossroads GPS — both of which were co-founded by two former aides in the George W. Bush White House: Rove, and Ed Gillespie.

Together, the groups — which are not formally part of the Republican Party — spent more than $38 million on attack ads and campaign mailings against Democrats, according to figures compiled by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign spending in congressional races.

A substantial portion of Crossroads GPS’ money came from a small circle of extremely wealthy Wall Street hedge fund and private equity moguls, according to GOP fundraising sources who spoke with NBC News on condition of anonymity. These donors have been bitterly opposed to a proposal by congressional Democrats — and endorsed by the Obama administration — to increase the tax rates on compensation that hedge funds pay their partners, the sources said.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39995283/ns/politics-decision_2010/

[varelse]

1. K&R

[Frank Booth]

2. Best democracy that money can buy.

Thanks, John Roberts!

Everyone should read this entire article. It lays out how these shadow organizations were formed in the wake of Citizens United.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. they won't even have to kick Steele out and can use him as a live trophy head

why cause a ruckus when you can act like you are acting on the up and up and still flood money around the corner to whomever you want, keeping it all in the shadows.

the Supreme Court handed the GOP all they need for the next 20 years of pouring money into corporate controlled seats, no question, if only the current House and Senate could impeach Roberts as a parting gift

[Frank Booth]

5. Decades from now, this decision will probably be considered along with

Dred Scott, Bush v. Gore, Plessy v. Ferguson, Korematsu, as the worst of all time.

Obama's criticism of the Supreme Court to their face was maybe the only time I really felt proud of him during his presidency. I just wish he'd punched Alito in the face.

[chill_wind]

4. I posted about Rove and Gillespie's start-up machine many months ago

and was dismissed by old-timers here who laughed at any possibility of their success.
You know-- Chill the Fuck Out- Dems have Got This and all.

[Solly Mack]

16. I remember that.

I remember reading some of the responses - such as: Rove had no more power and couldn't accomplish anything. How 'they' (Bush Inc.) were all out of office and in the past.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Wonder who made the money off of the 38 million in attack ads?

No...don't tell me!




The news media that started running against the Democrats an entire year ago?

[defendandprotect]

7. Agree...this is going to come down to rw $$ paying for T-baggers deception, lies.....

all adding up to wins !!

There is only one way the right wing can rise and that's via political violence

and we've had more than 50+ years of right wing political violence --

stolen elections and lies.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

8. Any 'carried interest' legislation in the House should draw Justice Dept and Senate Ethics investiga...

attention.

Wouldn't it be just delicious if Rove gets indicted for quid-pro-quo fundraising?

IMO, wise Democrats will take strong stands against "carried interest" treatment of hedge fund capital gains no matter how much money they're offered. This could be a Republican Abscam.

[0rganism]

9. this is the *real* story of the 2010 election...

and it's still only at an experimental stage where the big money testing what it can efficiently purchase in 2012: "How crazy a candidate can we run in state X? When do diminishing returns kick in? What's the perfect mix of TV ads and billboards?" They were just focus-grouping us this time; I'm 100% sure the corporados have legions of analysts pouring over the details right now.

2012 is going to make this shit look tame.

[krabigirl]

11. I agree.

[Democat]

10. Democrats allowed Alito and Roberts and so did Nader

This is largely a result of weak leadership and Ralph Nader's ego.

[laughingliberal]

12. Yep. nt

[MilesColtrane]

13. Before January 21st this would have been considered criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

Roberts and the SCROTUS (Supreme Court Republicans of the United States) did exactly what they were hired to do...change Republican tactics from crimes to standard operating procedure.

[avaistheone1]

14. I know

it hurt Grayson.


k&r

[DFLforever]

15. Citizens United is the real reason Dems lost

in the House and our few Senate seats. I don't think anything else came anywhere near as close. No messaging could ever overcome this media blitz.

[notesdev]

17. Are we done casting false blame yet?

The Democratic Party and supporters outspent the GOP and its supporters this year.

It wasn't money which caused this loss, we had enough to be more than competitive, we just didn't have enough to overcome abysmal leadership.