In case you don't get the subtle, underlying message here, the Republicans are extreme or something.
Former White House officials launched a new group on Friday intended to fend off conservative attacks on President Obama's reelection with unlimited campaign cash.After decrying anonymous donors to the GOP, this extremist group will be raking in money from anonymous donors.
Former Obama deputy press secretary Bill Burton announced the long-expected formation of Priorities USA and Priorities USA Action, twin groups that will take advantage of campaign finance loopholes President Obama had previously decried.
The groups opened up shop on Friday with a website and video attacking the "extreme right," showcasing examples of some Republican presidential candidates' harsh rhetoric toward Obama, as well as the deep-pocketed conservatives that support them.
The groups in many way mirror their counterparts on the right, American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, the two GOP-boosting groups founded by Bush political guru Karl Rove and another senior Bush aide and longtime Republican figure, Ed Gillespie.
Crossroads GPS took advantage of elements of the tax code to collect unlimited donations from individuals and corporations to spend tens of millions of dollars against Democratic candidates in the 2010 election.
Priorities USA Action will take advantage of the same part of election law, opened by the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision, to raise and spend millions in similar, unlimited donations, to defend Obama and go on the attack against the GOP.
Mr. Obama has spoken out against such outside groups in the harshest terms, using a radio address in August to complain of their ads, “We don’t know who’s behind these ads and we don’t know who’s paying for them.”CNN's Paul Begala, aka The Forehead, will be among the extremists behind this shadowy group.
But the White House gave its veiled, but public approval to Democrats looking to form such groups after the party took a beating in last fall’s congressional elections and the Republican groups indicated they planned to play an even bigger role in 2012 against the President.
Officials with the group said seed money has come from the Service Employees International Union and the film mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg.
"We're eager to meet Karl Rove and the Koch brothers in the public arena," said Begala. "As long as they're spending millions telling lies in their effort to destroy the middle class, we will answer them by telling the truth."
I'm not sure exactly what this gains Democrats. For YEARS, Democrats have been funnelling "unlimited" money through 527s, unions, etc., where the donors don't need to be identified. All this does is change the name on the ultimate recipient of the check, but I don't see how this actually ADDS to the amount that Democrats will be able to raise. Unlike Republicans, this isn't new funding: it's just renaming and reshuffling the same old funding they've always gotten.
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