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Dems Jump Ship from "Bi-Partisan" Group Targeting Dems
As we reported Monday, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies launched a national ad campaign lambasting House Democrats for not passing the Senate surveillance bill, which comes complete with retroactive immunity for the telecoms.
As of Friday, the group, which claims to be non-partisan, boasted a number of Democrats on their board of advisors. Those were: Donna Brazile, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Rep. Elliot Engel (D-NY), Rep. Jim Marshall, and former Georgia governor Zell Miller. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), listed as a Democrat on the site, is one of five "distinguished advisors."
Since the group launched the ads, Brazile, Schumer, Engel and Marshall have all resigned from the group. Zell Miller, well, he spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Our call and email to Sen. Lieberman's spokesman were unreturned.
In her statement, Brazile said that no one from the group had consulted her about its activities "in years." And that the once "bi-partisan organization" had, "due to the influence of their funders... morphed into a radical right wing organization that is doing the dirty work for the Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans."
TPM alum Spencer Ackerman, reporting on the resignations over at The Washington Independent this morning, cites Democratic sources as saying that Marshall was "appalled" by the ad.
Schumer also said that he hadn't been consulted about the group's activities and that he regretted the "partisan agenda that the organization has pursued." His full statement is below.
Brian Wise, the group's spokesman, said that he was "sorry that the senator feels that way," but that the ads are "not political ads, they're issue based ads." The ad, which you can see here, ran nationally, with a slightly different version airing in local markets targeting 15 House Dems. Those ads ended by encouraging viewers to contact their representative and urge them to convince the House leadership to bring the Senate bill to a vote -- because "the law that lets intelligence agencies intercept Al Qaeda communications" has expired, "crippling" surveillance. They will run throughout the week, Wise said.
Wise has refused to reveal the donors behind the ad, which was run by a 501(c)(4) affiliate group simply called Defense of Democracies. Wise told me yesterday that group was formed last week. When I asked if telecommunication companies had put up the money (Democratic officials estimate the buy to be in the millions), he laughed, then conceded that he didn't know who had. "To my knowledge, we've never been associated with the telecom industry." He added "we have no interest in any outcome other than national security."
Schumer's full statement:
"The Foundation for Defense of Democracies was founded in the aftermath of 9/11 as a nonpartisan group committed to defending our democratic values against the threat of Islamic terrorism. However, the foundation has strayed considerably from its original purpose. I regret this development--and I regret even more the partisan agenda that the organization has pursued instead. I recently severed all ties to the foundation upon learning of the divisive, political attacks it has sponsored against dedicated public servants. I was never consulted about these activities and, of course, condemn them. While I remain committed to the proud cause of defending our nation's democratic principles, I can no longer support an organization that has ventured so far afield from that goal.
Comments (19)
And no one saw the swift-boat season coming???
February 27, 2008 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Donna Brazile, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Rep. Elliot Engel (D-NY), Rep. Jim Marshall,
is that the list of usual suspects ???
or just the finalists in the contest to find the STOOOOPIDEST Democrats on the PLANET ???
I can't tell
February 27, 2008 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Schumer is a putz anyway you cut it. Islamic terrorism? It's Muslim extremist you moron!
501(c)(4) equals another way to lie and propagandize without repercussion.
February 27, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
501(c)(4)'s will be the new 527's of this campaign season. c4's are not allowed to do politics, only lobbying, but enforcement is SLOW, SLOW, SLOW, so expect a lot of abuses.
Grover Norquist's Americans For Tax Reform is a c4, and we know all the bad stuff and money laundering he did for Jack Abramoff.
Without penalties.
February 27, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
And now, with nothing better to do evidently..our illustrious members of Congress are demanding the DOJ investigate Roger Clemens for lying under oath..gimme a f'n break:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23342772/site/21683474/
February 27, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Shumer had not caved in and supported Mukasey as Attorney General, we might have an investigation into illegal spying on Americans going on now rather than the scam for telecom immunity.
And Zell Miller, who might as well be a Republican? If he's leaving this group, it has to be pretty bad.
You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
February 27, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yo, Bushie --
I'd go easy on applying the "P" word to Sen. Schumer. It didn't work at all for Al D'Amato in 1998!
February 27, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about Arab Extremists. As far as I know most Muslims are Asian and we don't hear anything about them. And I'm pretty sure they don't like being lumped in with the bin Ladens of the world either.
February 27, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
So call the number in the ad, 202-225-3121, and tell your congress critter to vote AGAINST the Senate's version of the Terror Surveillance Bill! (to be clear, voting against is the opposite of what the ad asks for.)
February 27, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Call them every time you see or read about the ad. Let them know you're against retroactive immunity for the law breaking telecoms.
It's especially absurd that they are providing immunity for NOTHING in return. The legislative branch really agrees the administration's plan. As long as it looks like they're fighting it, they will always allow just enough votes for this kind of crap to pass.
February 27, 2008 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am withholding my support until they reject, denounce, and condemn everything this group has done, will do, and might think about doing.
Down with the tepid water!
February 27, 2008 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, who would have ever thought that joining a group with directors such as (this list from Spencer) Steve Forbes, Jack Kemp, Newt Gingrich, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Gary Bauer, Bill Kristol, Richard Perle, Jim Woolsey, and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va), and directed by Cliff Freakin' May, would turn out to be a bad idea?
Brilliant, Chuck, just brilliant.
February 27, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chuck Schumer finally listens to sysprog and quits FDD!
http://haloscan.com/comments/glenngreenwald/117093444398700627
February 27, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
your analysis is incorrect and slightly (if unintentionally) offensive.
February 27, 2008 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
February 27, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
February 27, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
PNAC II - Electric Bugaloo: The Defense of Democracy!
February 27, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I pooped my pants!
Wow, I'll be doing that a lot this year if those scary thugs keep terrorizing me!
February 28, 2008 4:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can a Dem org put up a counter-ad rebutting this one in the same districts? It's an important issue, and we shouldn't let this BS go unanswered.
Serious question.
February 28, 2008 6:44 PM | Reply | Permalink