Tag: NRCC

GOP presses ahead in casting Soros as threat amid criticism that attacks are anti-Semitic


The billionaire philanthropist has long been a point of conversation for Fox network hosts and guests alike. (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

Republicans pressed ahead in casting financier George Soros as a threat, shrugging off criticism that the attacks are anti-Semitic, days after a fervent supporter of President Trump was charged with sending a mail bomb to Soros’s home and a gunman opened fire at a Pittsburgh synagogue.

The National Republican Congressional Committee continued airing an ad Monday criticizing a Minnesota Democratic candidate and Iraq War veteran over his job at a foundation funded in part by Soros. The Michigan Republican Party promoted a digital ad depicting Soros among forces “looking to rig Michigan’s elections.”

On Friday, hours before the arrest and charges in the mail bomb case, the GOP nominee for Florida governor described what he called the threat posed by “Soros-backed activists.”

The attacks on the 88-year-old Soros, a multibillionaire who has underwritten left-leaning civic groups and political campaigns in the United States and abroad, come amid a larger effort by Republicans to portray protests on the political left as “mob” tactics as they seek to rouse base voters. But the attempted bombing of Soros and other prominent Democrats, and Saturday’s synagogue attack, have placed references to Soros in a darker light.

View the October 29 article by Mike DeBonis on the Washington Post website here.

New Record for ‘Outside Spending’ on Minnesota House Races

With nearly three weeks to go before Election Day, outside special interest groups have already spent a record amount of money in Minnesota. This week, the outside spending surpassed $27 million, more than the record $26.9 million spent in the entire 2016 election cycle.

“Money is attracted to competitive races and we’re right in the middle of that,” said Steven Schier, a political scientist from Carleton College. “I think money is going to Minnesota because the polling on both sides that we don’t see publicly shows a lot of competition, particularly in the congressional races.”

KSTP ‘Vote 2018’ Election Coverage

A review of outside spending records at opensecrets.org shows a pronounced increase in spending on Minnesota’s U.S. House races. In 2008, just $5.7 million was spent in the state. That figure jumps to $21.9 million in 2014 and now to more than $27 million.

View the complete October 17 post on the KSTP.com website here.

Paulsen, NRCC, CLF Ignore Public Shaming, Double Down on Lies

Paulsen’s coordinated smear campaign reaches an unprecedented low as he ignores requests from survivors to stop who demand better

Excelsior, MN – Erik Paulsen’s desperate and disgraceful coordinated smear campaign against Dean Phillips reached new lows this week when the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), Paulsen for Congress and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) released new coordinated ads featuring claims that have drawn extraordinary blowback from one of the Twin Cities’ most important health providers, prominent Republicans, community and business leaders, and the sexual assault and harassment survivors Paulsen is using as political pawns.

The women, represented by attorney Lori Peterson, recently called on Paulsen to take down his ad and apologize for exploiting their trauma and drawing them into a political attack based on a lie. Instead, Paulsen and his special interests patrons are doubling down.

“This is the most vile, offensive and objectively untruthful campaign ever conducted in Minnesota, and Erik Paulsen is to blame,” said Zach Rodvold, campaign manager for Phillips for Congress. “In Congressman Paulsen’s desperation to hold onto power, he’s shown that he is willing to do and say anything to win, even forcing survivors of sexual assault and harassment to relive their trauma for his own personal gain. Those women have joined with Republicans, business and community leaders and people across the district in calling on Paulsen to take his ads down and apologize. That’s exactly what he should do.” Continue reading “Paulsen, NRCC, CLF Ignore Public Shaming, Double Down on Lies”

NRCC Lies, Again, in Ad Titled “All True”

Credit: Fibonacci Blue

Excelsior, MN – Erik Paulsen and the special interest PACs and outside groups bankrolling his campaign are continuing to run a dishonest campaign, seeking to distract attention from Paulsen’s voting record on healthcare, taxes, and gun violence prevention that are deeply unpopular in his district. A new ad released today by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), ironically titled “All True,”  continues this well-coordinated disinformation campaign.

The latest ad repeats a debunked attack on healthcare benefits at Penny’s Coffee, which has been debunked as false and misleading by local TV stations, and was called mostly false, distorted, and out of context by Politifact just this week. The ad also repeats the false claim that Phillips sought to profit off a marketing campaign that was the subject of a complaint filed by a private citizen. Phillips challenged this claim in a letter to the FTC earlier this week, citing that the complaint was filed by a private citizen to an industry group two years after he had stepped down from his position as CEO of Phillips Distilling and had no financial stake in the company.

A stinging report by Politico, released today, outlines Republicans’ coordinated effort to buy seats with attack ads full of lies and distortions in districts like MN03: Continue reading “NRCC Lies, Again, in Ad Titled “All True””

So, you saw a nasty ad …

As you may have noticed, Erik Paulsen and his special interest patrons are spending millions of dollars to flood the airwaves with negative attack ads again Dean Phillips. You might have questions, and Dean and his campaign team were happy to shed light on the truth:

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Dean Phillips is running a people-powered campaign because he believes that our politics are broken — and these kind of ads are part of the problem. Dean has taken $0 from PACs, lobbyists or members of Congress; instead, 64,000 individuals have contributed to the campaign, at an average donation of us $32. Change is coming, and everyone’s invited!

 

New wave of attack ads shows Democrats on offense, Republicans on defense

Washington (CNN) — The DCCC and the NRCC — each party’s main congressional campaign committee — combined to release more than 20 new ads this week amid the intensifying battle for the House of Representatives, with a range of targets and messages reflecting their opposing strategic priorities in the final month of the midterm elections.

On the Democratic side, the committee is on offense, releasing new attack ads in a slew of races against vulnerable GOP incumbents, and also a key open seat race in New Mexico’s 2nd district. Among those targeted: CO-06, ME-02, VA-10, OH-01, NM-02, NJ-07, IL-13, and KY-06. The DCCC is also going up with their first ads in PA-16, NC-02 and WV-03 this week.

Some of the ads hammer GOP incumbents as out of touch with their constituents, such as the ads against Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01) — “career politician” — or Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) — “being in Congress changes people.” It’s a key message in a range of Democratic pick-up opportunities against vulnerable Republican incumbents, particularly those in districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

View the complete September 29 article by David Wright and Aaron Kessler was posted on the CNN website here. (Good charts)

Paulsen’s Patrons Filling the Airwaves with Even More Falsehoods and Distortions

New NRCC ad attacks Dean Phillips for something that happened two years after he stepped down as CEO of Phillips Distilling

Excelsior, MN – Just days after Erik Paulsen and the special interests supporting his campaign were called out for running false and misleading ads against Dean Phillips, party committees and special interest super PACs benefitting Congressman Paulsen are doubling down on their dishonest attacks, with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launching yet another smear ad featuring false claims.

The new NRCC ad claims that Dean Phillips “profited” from — and his company was “cited” for — marketing alcohol to underage people. The private citizen’s complaint to the Distilled Spirits Council referenced in the ad by the NRCC occurred in 2014, two years after Dean Phillips left his position as CEO of Phillips Distilling, and while he held no financial stake in the company.

“Negative ads are one thing,” said Dean Phillips. “But spending millions of dollars to repeatedly and intentionally mislead voters is beneath the dignity of a member of Congress and his allies. That’s why I’m on a mission to change the culture of corruption caused by big money in our political system.”   Continue reading “Paulsen’s Patrons Filling the Airwaves with Even More Falsehoods and Distortions”

Don’t be Fooled: The Truth About the Alphabet Soup at the End of Those Attack Ads

We’re sure you’ve been been seeing the mudslinging ads attacking Dean Phillips by massively distorting the fact and using quotes out of context.  There’s always “legalese” at the end of those ads.  Most people don’t know what those organizations are.

Here are the Facts

These ads are coming from people who are doing everything they can to protect Erik Paulsen’s seat in Congress.  They’re doing that to make certain they control what happens in Congress after the election be it another tax cut for the rich, attack on our health care, moving to dismantle Social Security and Medicare “because the deficit is out of hand”* and so much more.

Rep. Erik Paulsen — We find it interesting that after holding his seat since the 2008 election, Erik Paulsen has nothing positive to say about what he’s done for his constituents, which only leaves him the option of parroting the falsehoods of the PACs supporting his re-election.

CLR (Congressional Leadership Fund) — This Super PAC is the dishonest organization that released the CIA confidential security clearance application of a DFL candidate in Virginia to use for political purposes.  It was formed in 2011 and is closely aligned to House Speaker Paul Ryan.  Their purpose is to elect Republicans and do what they can to oppose the election of Democrats.

NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) — This is an organization that supports the election of Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives. Its leadership is made up of Republican Representatives..

Open Secrets’ Report of 2018 Expenditures:  https://www.opensecrets.org/races/election?id=MN

Washington Post post of media money reserving spots:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/r/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2018/09/16/National-Politics/Graphics/tracking912_18.pdf?tid=a_inl_manual

MPR News:  Who is Spending in Your District? (Updated daily):  https://features.mprnews.org/2018/campaign-spending/#

Open Secrets Listing of Paulsen Independent Expenditures this Cycle:  https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/other-data?cid=N00029391&cycle=2018#ind

*  There are theories out there that this tax cut (it wasn’t a rework of the tax code and benefits for average Americans go away in 5 years) has cut the income coming into the Treasury and exploding the debt. That will allow a Republican majority in Congress to do away with social service programs because they can’t be paid for — because they cut the taxes of the richest American and corporations.

 

Expanding map creates tough choices for GOP

The following article by Melanie Zanona was posted on the Hill website April 4, 2018:

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin

The House GOP’s campaign arm is facing tough choices about where to shift precious resources in the midterm elections, as Republicans desperately try to stave off a potential blue wave this November.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) must decide how much focus should be placed on competitive and Democratic-leaning districts that Hillary Clinton carried — or if the party should put more energy into protecting solid GOP seats that could be in danger if a wave materializes this fall.

“Not every seat is created equal. … Ultimately, you have to decide what is the best path to holding the majority,” said Matt Mackowiak, a GOP strategist based in Texas. “You’re dealing with a chess board that has 30 or 40 pieces on it, and you’re trying to figure out how to get from here to there.”“It’s a judgment call both sides have to make,” he added. “And it’s challenging.” Continue reading “Expanding map creates tough choices for GOP”