itsmeeeeeee

Beverly Davis: Pro-Clinton Group Swiftboating Obama In Indiana - Off The Bus on The Huffington Post

The gritty black and white ad soon to be unleashed in Indiana by the pro-Clinton American Leadership Project is tough:

"Our economy is in trouble, rising prices, unemployment, foreclosures, so what's Barack Obama's plan?...The Associated Press reported that Obama's proposals to cleanup financial markets had no specifics and the Washington Post wrote that what Obama would actually do remains a mystery in too many areas. Call Barack Obama and tell him to give Hoosiers a real plan to fix our economy."

Indiana's 84 delegates are up for grabs, with the candidates running neck and neck in the state, according to polls. Both Democratic contenders and The American Leadership Project (ALP), a pro-Clinton stealth non-profit operating outside the campaign finance laws, are planning on airing competing ads in the Hoosier state, but it's the ALP ad and the organization's $700,000 buy that has the Obama campaign scurrying to reporters in an effort to blunt the attack.

In a press phone call conference, Heather Higginbottom, the Obama Campaign National Policy Director said, "The substance of the ALP attack ad is baseless. Senator Obama has set out a plan with specific policies. He [Senator Obama] has a 48-page economy policy paper to strengthen the economy and it is posted on our website."

Obama supporter, State Representative Ryan Dvorak from Indiana said, "What we got is a lot of Hoosiers excited by a candidate that would bridge the political divide and then we saw Ohio and Pennsylvania inserting a lot of negativity. The ALP is just one of Hillary Clinton's pal groups, run by one of Mark Penn's employees. What I get from my district is that my people want to see a positive outlook."

The American Leadership Project operates under the IRS tax code "527" often referred to as 'stealth non-profits' because they can raise funds and pay for advertising outside the regulations required by the Federal Election Commission.

One famous 527 was the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that ran negative ads against John Kerry, credited for helping to sink his White House ambitions.

Bob Bauer, Obama Campaign Chief Counsel said, "We've seen ALP before...and they are completely breaking the law. They've modeled themselves after the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth. It has been organized by her [Hillary Clinton] supporters and supported by her campaign and the consequences are going to be severe. The standards of the FCC are being completely violated. Sometimes people in desperate situations do desperate things."

Bauer stopped short of saying that he would file a complaint against the ALP but promised that the people involved in organizing and running the ad runs a high risk of being prosecuted by federal authorities.

With the race up for grabs in the last delegate rich state left on the map and Obama's recent losses in Ohio and Pennsylvania, 527's with their rich coffers and scant oversight by federal watchdogs will figure larger in this primary race for the nomination than ever before.

This video is from American Leadership Project, broadcast April 29, 2008.



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Rollerball

You know, if any one would be prosecuted for violating 'swift-boat' laws it would be a Democrat. I'll bet a Republican president could even get away with getting a blowjob and lying about it. That's just the way it works these days.

K2Flex

Jesus, right out of the Karl Rove playbook! Can this get any worse?

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Even though I walk through the valley of shadow and death, I shall fear no evil. For I'm the meanest motherfucker in the whole fucking valley!
What is the goal of fear.....Power.

EvilMonkey

Maybe it's just me but I have a feeling this line isn't going to go over too well for her. It's one thing to hit Obama and it's another to attack the one thing that they really hold dear.

ibex

I don't know if I would call the message "swiftboating" even though it's obviuosly bullshit. It's the method, an allegedly "independent" group sponsoring these ads that's reminiscent of the 2004 slime attack against John Kerry. God help Hillary if and when an "independent" advocacy group decides to trash her. There's a thirty plus year pile of dirt on the Clintons big enough to fill the Grand Canyon.

mudwhistle

Obama's economic plan was introduced in the Senate and defeated resoundlingly. He even voted against his own plan.

It was John McCain who tried to get rid of all this political advertising. A pro-Clinton group (moveon.org) who found the 527 loophole and started all this with their smear Bush campaign.

ibex

Mudpie, now that you're here, care to discusss James Hagee? You know, the preacher whose endorsement was openly sought by McCain? He said that the city of New Orleans brought the wrath of Katrina upon itself because it planned to hold a gay pride parade that weekend. Was he right? Or should we be just as indignant about Hagee as you seem to be over the Reverend Wright? Or do you share Hagee's nut job views? I'm waiting.........

Chantytown

Don't forget about the "great whore" thingy...

Which, If I were the catholic church, I'd take as a compliment.

Much better than being a subpar hoo-ah.

itsmeeeeeee

Obama Campaign Files FEC Complaint Against Pro-Clinton Group

Obama Campaign Files FEC Complaint Against Pro-Clinton Group - Politics on The Huffington Post

CNN reports:

Barack Obama's campaign has filed a formal complaint over a pro-Hillary Clinton group running ads attacking the Illinois senator on jobs and the economy in the critical primary state of Indiana.


The American Leadership Project, which includes veterans of the Clinton administration and longtime supporters, is a "527," which means it is not bound by federal campaign finance laws as long as it does not directly advocate on behalf of a particular candidate.

The group announced earlier this week that it was planning to buy $700,000 worth of airtime in the state leading up to Tuesday's vote.

The Obama campaign planned a conference call this morning with general counsel Bob Bauer to discuss the specifics of the complaint filed Tuesday with the Federal Elections Commission.

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mudwhistle

This question is off-topic and calling me out. I already addressed that question in the correct thread.