-Caveat Lector- You have been sent this message from [EMAIL PROTECTED] as a courtesy of the Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com
To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16477-2002Oct25.html Million-Dollar Ad Blitzes Irk Democrats By Jason Thompson Democrats are crying foul over a barrage of negative ads sponsored by a Republican-leaning organization that is dropping big bucks into some of this year's tightest Senate races. Democratic candidates and party members in New Hampshire, Minnesota and Colorado have spoken out against Americans for Job Security, a Washington-area group classified as a nonpolitical trade association. The organization is sponsoring million-dollar TV ad blitzes in the campaign season's final weeks, yet the group's status as nonpolitical organization frees it from having to disclose the source of its money, which has raised the ire of Democrats locked in tough races. In Colorado, where the group is running ads in support of Republican Sen. Wayne Allard, Denver's Democratic district attorney, Bill Ritter, called a news conference yesterday to publicly criticize AJS for being a "stealth" political organization and to accuse it of undermining the political process. In New Hampshire, the Senate campaign of Gov. Jeanne Shaheen cried foul this week over an AJS-backed ad blitz in support of her Republican opponent, Rep. John E. Sununu,and claimed Sununu is indirectly responsible for the ads due to his close relationship with a consultant for the group. In Minnesota, AJS is running negative ads attacking the record of Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone, who is facing a strong challenge from Republican Norm Coleman. The Wellstone campaign says the group is a front set up "to funnel money" to Republican candidates. As far back as August, the state Democratic party chairman filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service requesting that AJS be reclassified as a political organization. American for Jobs Security president Michael Dubke dismisses the criticism and says candidates like Wellstone are "trying to change the subject when they don't like what is being debated in a public arena." He confirmed that the organization keeps its financial backers secret but said the membership includes "companies, individuals, associations." By incorporating itself as a trade organization instead of a political organization, AJS is not required by law to disclose its financial backers. Dubke is steadfast in refusing to name the group's membership list, despite the stepped-up criticism. "We've made the decision we're going to take that hit, and that's fine," he told the Rocky Mountain News. Dubke said AJS was founded in 1997 as a trade association with an agenda in business issues, such as "free enterprise issues, cutting taxes, foiling bureaucracy, education." He says ads like the anti-Wellstone campaign in Minnesota are "absolutely not" intended to influence the election but rather an attempt to bring up the issue of the trustworthiness of public officials." Campaign finance watchdog groups like Democracy 21 argue otherwise, saying it's "dead wrong" for an outside organization to spend large amounts of money in a campaign without disclosing where that money has originated. The Republican candidates being supported by the ads have far fewer criticisms. Sununu's campaign disavowed any direct association with AJS, saying the consultant in question by the Shaheen camp is indeed a family friend but is not, nor ever been, on the Sununu payroll. In Colorado, Allard campaign manager Dick Wadhams responded that Ritter's criticism was hypocritical since "liberal special interest groups" have funded anti-Allard attack ads without disclosing their donor base, while admitting little knowledge of AJS. "I don't know anything about this group," he said. • Shaheen Targeted in Ad Blitz (Rocky Mountain News, Oct. 25) • No Donor Names Required or Given for Anti-Wellstone Ads (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Oct. 24) • Shaheen Targeted in Ad Blitz (Concord Monitor, Oct. 24) It may be too early to tell how successful the last-minute AJS ad blitzes will be, but the Sununu, Coleman and Allard campaigns certainly won't refuse any help. All three are locked in toss-up races expected to go down to the wire. In New Hampshire, Sununu and Shaheen will face off Friday night for their second debate in five days with poll numbers showing the race is a statistical tie. A survey released Thursday by the American Research Group gives Sununu support of 48 percent of those polled and Shaheen 46 percent, with the remaining 6 percent undecided. Pollster Dick Bennett credited Shaheen's gain to a growing appeal among indpendent voters, and said the numbers started to move after an anti-Sununu television ad that portrayed him as a GOP loyalist begain airing. The previous ARG poll had Sununu holding an 8-point lead. • Poll: Shaheen, Sununu About Even (Associated Press, Oct. 24) • Governor, Senate Debates Coming (The Union Leader, Oct. 23) • No KO’s as Shaheen, Sununu Spar (Portsmouth Herald, Oct. 22) In Minnesota, the anti-Wellstone ad barrage doesn't appear to be aiding Coleman. A Minneapolis Star-Tribune poll released over the weekend shows a slight change of fortune for Wellstone, who has been in a dead heat with Coleman for most of the year. The first-term incumbent now holds a 47-41 percent lead in his reelection bid, the poll shows, though 7 percent of respondents said they were still undecided – a potentially decisive number given Minnesota's unpredictable electorate. • Wellstone Edges Into Lead in U.S. Senate Race (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Oct. 20) And in Colorado, President Bush is making a return visit to the state on Monday in hopes of rallying more support for Allard, who continues to battle Democratic attorney Tom Strickland. Allard has pulled away slightly from Strickland, according to a Denver Post/9News/KOA poll released Thursday, which gives the first-term incumbent a 42-36 percentage point lead. But a high number of undecided voters – 16 percent – leaves the race up in the air. • Bush to Pay Another Call on Denver (Denver Post, Oct. 25) • Bush Returning to Denver to Boost Allard (Rocky Mountain News, Oct. 25) <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
