MADISON – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has doubled down with over $200,000 more in attack ads on behalf of Ron Johnson, according to records from media buyers obtained by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. To date, the Chamber has spent $742,206 airing TV attack ads on Ron Johnson’s behalf. Media reports indicate that the chamber is raising money in part from foreign sources.
According to Think Progress, “the Chamber funds its political attack campaign out of its general account.”
Here’s how the Chamber raises foreign money to fund its attack campaign, the largest of any organization this year.
Media reports also indicate the Chamber shares Ron Johnson’s support for shipping American jobs overseas.
Millionaire Ron Johnson, who has used his family fortune to spend over $10 million on an empty campaign of hallow TV attack ads, is also embracing outside groups that have spent more than $2.6 million trying to buy the Wisconsin election.
“Ron Johnson has made it clear he will be a voice for the corporate special interests who already have far too much power and influence in Washington D.C.,” said Mike Tate, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “If Ron Johnson can’t stand up and reject groups that raise money from foreign groups to fund their attack campaigns as a candidate, it’s clear as a Senator, Ron Johnson would be nothing more than a voice for those corporate interests in Washington.
Among the outside groups spending on Johnson’s behalf: Include the NRA Political Victory Fund, which has spent $300,510 to date; National Association of Manufacturers, which has spent $186,304 to date; Speechnow.org, which has spent $121,965 to date. Other outside groups funded by corporate special interests that are trying to buy more power and influence by electing Johnson, include:
The Committee for Truth in Politics
$600,000 spent to date
Agenda: Unfair Trade Deals That Ship Jobs Overseas
Launched by a North Carolina Republican operative, the shadowy out-of-state organization has fought to hide the source of the group’s money. National Public Radio reported:
With a reputation for running false, negative attack ads, even the organization’s very name is misleading. The organization’s attorney, James Bopp, defended Johnson campaign consultant Darrin Schmitz before the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a false, misleading ad Schmitz ran attacking justice Louis Butler. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported:
FactCheck.org called their 2008 ad “absurdly wrong,” WISC-TV (Madison) said their ad is “misleading.” (Channel 3-Madison- “Reality Check”)
American Action Network
$536,880 spent to date
Agenda: Unfair Trade Deals That Ship Jobs Overseas, Health Care Repeal
Formed by Republicans such as former Bush political operative Karl Rove, Nixon political operative Fred Malek and Norm Coleman, the organization is funded and guided by extremists with a history of intolerance and funded by millionaires who back the Bush agenda of unfair trade deals that ship jobs overseas and cutting taxes for the rich.
The organization supported unfair trade deals such as the Panama and Columbia Trade Deals, even though unfair trade deals have led to at least 64,000 Wisconsin workers losing their jobs. [AAN, accessed: 4/20/10]
Johnson has taken the same stand as AAN on trade, saying in July that unfair trade deals “have actually been successful for our economy.” [WPR 7/26/10]
Malek, the organization’s chairman, was denied a post by the U.S. Senate because as a member of the Nixon Administration he killed a lawsuit on blatantly political grounds that sought to end discriminatory hiring practices at the University of Texas. Malek resigned from the RNC in disgrace in 1988 after he was exposed for playing a role in the Nixon administration’s plans to discriminate against members of the administration of Jewish descent.
Another Republican affiliated with the group, Haley Barbour, spoke at the white supremacist group, “Council of Conservative Citizens,” an organization that regularly publishes articles condemning “race mixing,” and laments the decline of white, European civilization.” (Southern Poverty Law Center, “Council of Conservative Citizens,”)
George Allen, a board member of American Action Network, was criticized by a Washington Post editorial for his use of a racial slur towards S.R. Sidarth, an Indian-American tracker for Jim Webb’s campaign. [Washington Post Editorial, 8/15/06]
Club for Growth
$169,000 spent to date
Agenda: Budget-Busting Bush Tax Cuts for Rich, Health Care Repeal
Bankrolled by Wall Street special interests, Club For Growth has been attacked by fellow Republicans for its extreme agenda that supports the rich. Senator John McCain’s office has said the club is a ‘bagman for the ultra rich.’” [Washington Post, 1/17/03].
Club for Growth has a history of false, misleading attack ads, including one dubbed “incorrect” by Politifact on health care that falsely attempted to scare seniors into believing they would be denied expensive treatments.
[Politifact, http://www.politifact.com/
Club for Growth has called for the privatization of social security, and says its “first policy goal” is the extension of the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich even while it opposes an increase in the minimum wage. [Club for Growth, Online]
Americans for Prosperity
$22,000 spent to date
Agenda: Climate Change Denial, Environmental Deregulation
Americans for Prosperity is led by David Koch, whose companies have been repeatedly fined for environmental violations. In 2000, the EPA gave the company a massive fine for causing more than 300 oil spills across six states. [Bangor Daily News, 11/16/05] And the company has faced charges for illegally releasing benzene from an oil refinery, pled guilty for hiding information from investigators, among other charges.
AFP has a history of lobbying against efforts to reform energy and environmental policy. Koch PAC gave Johnson $5,000 on July 16. Johnson and Koch share a similar extremist philosophy, and have tried to invent their own set of facts to deny climate change.
David Koch praising climate change:
Johnson famously blamed “sunspot activity” for climate change last month, a claim widely debunked by scientists.
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