Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Robert J. Perry is Back
First reported on The
Patriot Project and Huffington
Post

So my friend Robert
J. Perry, the original swiftoboating
money man, has just plunked down the $5 million seed money to start up yet another
front group entitled the Economic
Freedom Fund.

The Republican donor who helped bankroll the Swift Boat attacks on Democratic Sen. John Kerry's war record has given $5 million to a new group targeting Democratic candidates. Bob J. Perry, a Texas homebuilder with close ties to White House advisor Karl Rove and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, recently made the hefty donations to the Economic Freedom Fund, a newly created California group. The group is a so-called 527 that is not subject to conventional campaign finance restrictions and can spend unlimited amounts on election advocacy, similar to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. In the 2004 presidential race, the group of Vietnam veterans made unsubstantiated allegations challenging Kerry's record of wartime heroism. So far, the new group which lists Perry as its sole donor has spent slightly more than $500,000 on television ads and mailings criticizing Democratic Reps. Jim Marshall of Georgia and Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, according to a disclosure form filed last week with the Federal Election Commission. … Swift Boat Ads Backer Funds New Group

Memo to Mr. Perry and his pals: we know what you're doing and we're ready to
push back. By “we” I mean The Patriot Project.

Dave Johnson wrote about the Economic
Freedom Fund earlier today. They may get their
money from Robert
J. Perry, but their main contact is Charles
Bell, “general counsel to the California Republican Party, Vice Chairman
of The Federalist Society's free speech and election law practice group, and
is active in the Republican National Lawyers Association,” as Dave reported.
Bell is just one of the people behind this front group.

Well, we also learned today that EFF is now on the ground and up and running
in Indiana. This is part of an email we received, which I think you'll find
interesting.

FYI, the Economic Freedom Fund has been running “push polls” here in the 9th district in Indiana. They are, of course, viciously distorted to smear Democrat Baron Hill, who is opposing Republican Mike Sodrel. As I understand it, these automated calls violate Indiana’s no-call law and at least one citizen has begun legal action against the Swiftboaters. - a concerned Indiana citizen

If you live in Indiana, let me know what you're hearing.

Also, make sure you check out TPM Muckraker. The picture of my friend Mr. Perry is compliments of them.

But if you hear anything in your city The
Patriot Project wants to know about it. Front groups are alive and well
and The Patriot Project is going to expose who is behind them. But we need your
help to do it.