Group Tied To Swift Boat Veterans, Willie Horton Ads Supporting Blue Dogs

[a kennedy]

has this been posted already??

By: Jane Hamsher

The American Future Fund is going to be running ads supporting Blue Dogs and their efforts to kill the public option:

The American Future Fund, a conservative group, has just announced a national television campaign defending the Blue Dogs, including Peterson. The Minnesota script, which starts, "Is our congressman, Collin Peterson, brain dead?" refers to Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who recently called the Blue Dogs "brain dead" and beholden to insurance companies.

In fact, the Blue Dog Political Action Committee has raked in more than $1.1 million for the 2010 election cycle, the most of any other leadership PAC on Capitol Hill, according to CQ MoneyLine. About $300,000 of that came from health care interests.

The American Future Fund is a 501(c)4 nonprofit that does not have to reveal its funding source and is not governed by the FEC. Key players in the group include GOP operatives like media strategist Larry McCarthy, the Ailes Communications veteran who produced the Willie Horton ad for George H.W. Bush. Last year the AFF ran an ad against Al Franken which triggered a complaint to the FEC from the Minnesota Democratic-Farm-Labor Party, saying the ad constituted electoral advocacy and was outside the bounds of what a nonprofit is allowed to do. The FEC found that there was no violation.

full article: <http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/09/14/group-tied-to-swift-boat-veterans-willie-horton-ads-supporting-blue-dogs/>

[nashville_brook]

1. "typical Blue Dog receives 25% more in health care industry donations than other Democrats"

more from the article:

"typical Blue Dog receives 25% more in health care industry donations than other Democrats, putting them closer to Republicans in attracting industry support."

___________

[MisterP]

2. but they're sending more Dems to Washington! *swoon*

I mean, that's what matters: fantasy-football statistics, not actual policies or crisis-handling ability

[DCKit]

3. Who told you the Blue Dogs were Dems? n/t