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> From: William Gallagher <luxefa...@gmail.com> > Date: August 6, 2010 5:13:18 AM PDT > To: luxefa...@gmail.com > Subject: The Shadow GOP > > rove rove rove your boat > > get ready for the first mormon president > > > A guide to the ‘shadow GOP’: the groups that may define the 2010 and > 2012 elections > By Holly Bailey > > > This is the second of what will be a regular "Longshots" feature. > "Longshots" are The Upshot's longer reports on major issues of the > day. > It's a nondescript office building just two blocks from the White > House — but in politics, it's ground zero for what many are referring > to as the "shadow GOP." On the 12th floor of this New York Avenue > office complex, four separate conservative groups are collectively > planning to spend at least $70 million to help Republicans win back > control of Congress this November. > But the effort isn't limited to 2010. In an operation modeled after > the ambitious fundraising, organizing, and research infrastructure > that Democrats built up during the George W. Bush years, GOP political > strategists are looking to achieve the same goal that their Democratic > counterparts did in 2006: They want to win back the White House. > The four groups — American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS, American Action > Network and the American Action Forum — are all part of a larger GOP > network assembled in recent months to help rebuild the Republican > brand. While dozens of former GOP lawmakers and seasoned Republican > strategists are involved, the effort largely springs from the work of > two former Bush aides: Ed Gillespie, the former Republican National > Committee chairman who later served as White House counselor, and Karl > Rove, the man Bush once described as the "architect" of his > presidency. > All of the organizations were founded separately and organized as > individual groups. But each is working closely in concert — they share > the same office space within the New York Ave. building, and according > to Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for American Crossroads, his group > rents its offices from American Action Network. > They identify each other as "sister" groups, even though officials > involved in the effort are cagey about exactly how closely they are > coordinating their efforts and message. > "We work together as much as the law allows, though obviously you can > glean information from what's in the public domain," Collegio told > The Upshot. The groups, however, are strictly prohibited from > coordinating directly with individual candidates or political parties. > Other groups closely involved in the effort are Resurgent Republic, a > polling and research group that aims to shape the GOP message, and the > Republican State Leadership Committee, a group focused on state > elections. Both were founded, in part, by Gillespie. > As was the case with the Democrats' 2006 initiatives, much of the > money going into the GOP effort is secret. While a few of the groups > are registered as so-called 527 organizations under federal tax code, > most are registered as 501-c4 nonprofit groups. That designation means > they don't have to disclose either their donors or where they're > spending all of that money. Unlike contributions to political > candidates and parties, individual donations to such groups aren't > capped or regulated. And that makes them very attractive to big-money > donors trying to affect the outcome of an election. > The rise of the so-called shadow GOP comes amid serious drama at the > Republican National Committee. Party chairman Michael Steele has > drawn harsh criticism from party leaders for what they characterize as > over-the-top spending alongside lackluster fundraising. Some of the > party's biggest donors have since rerouted their checks to other party > committees and to groups within the Rove-Gillespie GOP network. But > Collegio insists this cluster of organizations isn't trying to usurp > the RNC. > "Nearly all of our donors have already maxed out in contributions to > the party," he says. > Here's a quick guide to the groups, the interests behind them, and how > much money they are planning to raise ahead of November: > American Crossroads: Founded in March by Rove and Gillespie to counter > ad spending from liberal outfits like MoveOn.org and labor unions, > this 527 group says it plans to raise and spend upwards of $50 million > before November. So far, the group is focusing on 11 key Senate races, > including Nevada, where the group has run two ads attacking Senate > Majority Leader Harry Reid. But Collegio says American Crossroads will > begin targeting House races closer to Election Day. According to > Internal Revenue Service records, the group has raised roughly $8.5 > million so far — including $1 million from Dallas energy executive > Trevor Rees-Jones. > Crossroads GPS: A spinoff of American Crossroads, this 501-c4 group > can keep its donor list private — a major selling point for > individuals and corporations who want to anonymously influence > elections. While it won't run ads, the group is picking up some of the > pricey administrative tasks that the RNC has usually taken on, > including building a database that allows them to microtarget voters > in certain congressional districts with outreach specific to their > interests. > American Action Network: Modeled in part after the liberal Center for > American Progress, this 501-c4 group is headed up by former Minnesota > Sen. Norm Coleman and managed day-to-day by Rob Collins, a former top > aide to House Minority Whip Eric Cantor. Together with its sister > group, the American Action Forum (see below), the outfit plans to be > something of a GOP think tank, helping to craft the Republican > message. But this side of the operation will focus more on advocating > candidates than on policy development. A GOP source tells The Upshot > the group is looking to spend as much as $25 million to influence the > midterms. Already, the group has launched an ad against Charlie Crist, > who quit the GOP to run as an independent in Florida's Senate race. > The group has just launched a $450,000 campaign trashing Democrat Paul > Hodes in New Hampshire's Senate race. > American Action Forum: An offshoot of the American Action Network, > this group will focus more on formulating policy and helping GOP > candidates deliver their message than on running ads attacking > specific candidates. Fronted by Doug Holtz-Eakin, a former economic > adviser to John McCain's presidential campaign, AAF lists Coleman and > former governors Jeb Bush and Tom Ridge as board members. > Resurgent Republic: Founded by Gillespie and several GOP pollsters > last fall, this group aims to be the Republican equivalent of > Democracy Corps, a polling and research group founded by Democratic > pollster Stan Greenberg and former Clinton operative James Carville. > The nonprofit group will try to improve GOP messaging through polling > and research groups and will work directly with other Republican > groups in the network. > Republican State Leadership Committee: This 527 group plans to spend > at least $40 million to influence state elections, including > gubernatorial races, ahead of next year's planned redistricting > debate. While Gillespie is the chairman, other advisers on board > include former Rep. Tom Reynolds, who used to chair the House GOP > campaign committee, and former RNC chair Mike Duncan (who is also > working for American Crossro
