New Swift Liars: Americans for Honesty on Issues

[ProSense]

From Talking Points:

(October 14, 2006 -- 10:39 PM EDT)

Bob J. Perry strikes again. The GOP stalwart and financier of 527 groups like Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004 and the Economic Freedom Fund this year has donated $2 million to a 527 group called Americans for Honesty on Issues, according to a recently filed FEC report.

According to the New York Times:

The leader of Americans for Honesty on Issues is Sue Walden, a close ally of Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader who left Congress amid questions on ethics and fund-raising. Ms. Walden has also raised money for President Bush and served as an adviser to Kenneth L. Lay, the former chief executive of Enron who died in July.

The group has already spent almost $1.5 million in attack ads on Democratic candidates. MyDD has the rundown on which districts Americans for Honesty on Issues has targeted.

Update: FEC reports this past week show that Bob Perry has also contributed $1 million to the Free Enterprise Fund, which has begun running TV ads against Ned Lamont in Connecticut.

[Eric J in MN]

1. I'd like loopholes regarding 527s to be closed to stop soft-money

...TV ads against candidates. That includes both Democratic and Republican 527s.

The next Congress will probably include Reps and Senators who were smeared by soft-money 527s and who don't like the loophole, either.

[MH1]

4. I don't know

I really don't want to see limitations on speech. There are probably some "loopholes" that could and should be closed, but if I want to produce a mass communication (tv, newspaper, internet or whatever) to raise points that I think need to be raised, I should be allowed to do so. However if I make negative statements about a person that turn out to be untrue, and I failed to perform due diligence on my sources, then I should face serious penalties. With rights comes responsibility.

[Eric J in MN]

5. I'm only referring to ads with paid placement.

I want you to be able to spend as much money as you want producing videos against candidates.

I want you to be able to upload those videos to YouTube (for free) and your own website.

But when it comes to PAYING another company to place an ad on a website or during a TV show, I want that to come from small donations (within $10,000 per person, for example.)

It's a question of the rich being able to have too much impact on elections.

[salin]

2. they are spending huge bucks in Indiana

both central and southern - their orwellian name is indicative of their orwellian ads against Candidates Hill and Ellsworth.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. More 1984 Doublespeak tax-empt BS on the way. n/t

[justgamma]

6. They're spending

bucks in Iowa too. They are showing an ad with a soldier stripoping down to his skivvies and saying that our Dem candidate wants to take away all their protection. Disgusting.

[salin]

7. orwellian ads, aren't they

esp given the repub resistance to amendments to defense spending bills that were to set aside funds specifically to make sure that our troops were adequately equipped.

[C_U_L8R]

8. Honesty / Freedom / Truth / etc

The Repukes just can't help themselves...
they trot out these hamfisted group names that
are such complete bullshit. And everyone knows it.