Democrat Paul Hodes launched an eloquent attack against outside spending during last night's New Hampshire senate debate. Hodes claimed that outside interest groups have spent millions of dollars trying to tip the election in favor of his opponent Kelly Ayotte. He pointed to the barrage of misleading attack ads that have been airing on Granite State televisions for months now, declaring that the ads have been funded by millionaires and billionaires who want to see Bush era tax cuts extended across the board. Hodes supports extending tax cuts for the middle class, but believes that doing the same for the super rich will only increase the deficit.
Hodes has a point here. Independent expenditures in opposition to Hodes' campaign are close to reaching the $1 million mark, according to the Sunlight Foundation. So where is all that money coming from?
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: They've has poured $1,327,635 into the campaign. You can view one of their anti-Hodes attack ads online at Voteforbusiness.com. The Concord Monitor reports that the Greater Hudson Chamber of Commerce voted not to renew its membership in the national group because of the ad blitz. Members of other local chambers in New Hampshire have also complained about the ads, with one member quitting in protest.
American Action Network: You've probably never heard of them, but this tax exempt 501(c)(4) organization has spent $875,000 bashing Hodes. The National Center for Charitable Statistics lists the group's location as Washington, D.C. One of its major funders, Kenneth Longone, is worth around $1.1 billion, according to TPMMuckraker. Here is one of the most memorable scare tactic ads they've aired in New Hampshire:
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Rightchange.com: This conservative 527 group has spent $289,673.20 attacking Hodes. It is based out of Wilmington, NC. One of the group's board members is Fred Eshelman, CEO of Pharmaceutical Product Development. CBS News reports that Eshelman has spent $3.38 million trying to influence the outcomes of the nation's top Senate races.
Turns out that Hodes is correct in saying that Ayotte's campaign is supported by spending by millionaires and billionaires who live far away from the Granite State. He ended last night's debate claiming to represent the rest of us: folks like firefighters, shipyard workers, and teachers. As if to prove the point, Ayotte's campaign tastelessly aired an ad directly following debate. It was a tactless attempt to get the last word in. Ayotte is apparently incapable of standing on her own two feet, preferring to let high priced TV ads do the talking for her.
Picture of Paul Hodes with supporters from Wikimedia Commons.
Article ©2010 David Anderson for Gather.com. All rights reserved
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Comments: 26
People need to step back and think. What is in it for these big business' to fund these politicians? Answer: these Republicans will throw the average non billionaire under the nearest bus to help corporations, special interest and the super rich get even richer.
I just read in the Wall Street Journal today that the Tea Party Express was instrumental in encouraging Scott Brown to run for the Senate here. The Tea Party Express is not from Massachusetts. Scott Brown never indicated that he was in any way affiliated with the Tea Party during his campaign. Now, with typical Republican hypocrisy, he wants a plane built that the Pentagon doesn't want, because part of it would be built in Massachusetts. Corporate welfare is perfectly fine, if you are a Republican.
I also read in the same article that one of the founders of the Tea Party filed for personal bankruptcy. The group complains about Wall Street bailouts, but bankruptcy protection is a form of bailout, too. Your creditors typically settle for a fraction of the debt you owe and you are given a "clean slate" and allowed to keep some personal property. Maybe she should have been sent to debtors' prison, like in Dickens' time.
Just look at how NH went with 'gay' issues... even though the governor swore up and down he wasn't their puppet. Then he was caught at a secret meeting with them and they gave him MORE money!
Hodes is toast!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then I look at a group like the American Action Network. It didn't even exist until February of this year. Sole purpose seems to be to influence the outcome of this election, while undoubtedly banking a ton of quick money for the political consultants behind the group's attack ads. That's dirty politics in my book.
The ad is true.
The largest outside spenders by far in this election have been big union....I have yet to see any of you libs even make a mention of that. The bad thing with the union dollars is that it is our tax dollars that is used to generate higher wages and benefits that in turn create more due's dollars that big union then uses for campaign spending.
Big union has spent 1 billion in campaign spending, there is new poll showing that 67% of union members disagree with their leaders over spending their money this way.
The states that address this basic pay to play scheme with big union buying off politicians will see huge growth in jobs, pay and benefits for all their workers.
States that coninue to allow it will see a cut in jobs, benefits and wages and will watch as their economy slides down the road to bankruptcy.
That's highly debatable. Unions have raised some money, but so have Republican astroturf efforts like American Crossroads, which has milked anonymous millionaires and billionaires of over 60 million for the 2010 campaign so far.
For some FACTUAL perspective, try http://factcheck.org/playersguide2010/
The reason for this is simple economics.......the unions helped elect Obama....Obama gave them billions back in give backs...now they are returning the favor to try and elect more dems so that in the end they can get billions more in give backs....the cycle never ends.
Below is a taste of why the unions are doing this.
"presumably because its true goals were not just economic stimulus. Instead,
the Administration wanted to reward its constituencies
(unions, environmentalists, public education) and increase the
size and scope of government. This tactic is consistent with the
Administration’s policies in general. Across the board, it has
taken a big government, redistributionist approach, whether regarding
housing, unions, health, the auto industry, trade, antitrust,
or financial regulation. The Administration’s view appears
to be that government is better than individuals at deciding how
taxpayers get to spend their money and that government should
engineer large transfers from richer to poorer"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/29/AR2010102905966.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Obama is nothing of what he ran on...he has been very divisive, combative against 50% of the american people, handing billions to friends and allies at the cost of millions of jobs...now you libs are going to pay for this big time on Tuesday.
that happens to be bullshit.
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?type=L
Isn't it interesting how easy it is for a group to give up the right to free elections when its in their best interest not too....shame on you big union.
Big difference between a union that has active members and a long history in each state and a group like the American Action Network, which was conjured up out of thin air earlier this year. Most people in New Hampshire have never even heard of it.
The American Action Network's sister group is headed up by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a senior advisor (a.k.a. political consultant) to John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. Just months ago, Holtz-Eakin was traveling the nation singing a song about building bipartisan support for clean energy and climate change legislation. Now he's making money working closely alongside a group that airs scare tactic ads aimed at attacking climate legislation and those who support it. Just one of many who will say whatever they are getting paid to say.
These people don't care what happens to our nation. Politics is a money making business to them.
We are sick and tired of your percieved disgust while the dems do the same or worse...give us a break. No all you want to do is limit republican money while doing nothing to limit dem big union, big education dollars.....at least try and make sense.
Here are a few websites that may help clear things up for you:
FEC: Campaign Finance Reports and Data
OpenSecrets.org
Obama also received a record number of small donations from everyday voters, indicating that his election was not bought by special interests.