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Gearing Up For Midterms, GOP Heavyweights Raise $30M For New 527 Group

Former RNC Chair Mike Duncan and former White House adviser Karl Rove

Some of the biggest names in the GOP are organizing an outside group to help Republicans win in the 2010 midterms — and donors have already pledged a whopping $30 million for the new project, according to National Journal.

The new group — which, as a 527, can collect unlimited soft money donations and won’t be regulated by the Federal Election Commission — is called American Crossroads. It’s a name you’ll likely hearing a lot, in part because, as the Wall Street Journal points out, the group’s ambition to raise $52 million makes it “the largest ever planned by a pro-Republican outside campaign entity.”

Those involved include Karl Rove and Republican consultant Ed Gillespie, who have reportedly been hitting up donors for American Crossroads. Its director is Mike Duncan, who preceded Michael Steele has chair of the Republican National Committee.

Steven Law, the general counsel of the Chamber of Commerce, will be the group’s president, according to the Journal.

While media reports have noted that American Crossroads may be able to exploit the RNC’s recent troubles, Peter Stone at National Journal reports that the genesis of the group predates the tough patch for the party committee. Stone has more details.

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