Monday, March 04, 2013

Conservative circular firing squad continues while Dems prepare to defeat Republicans

While Virginia conservatives are in a circular firing squad excoriating and trying to destroy a conservative Republican governor for his landmark transportation bill that will -- gasp! -- build and repair roads, President Barack Obama and Democrats are concentrating on making sure Republicans do not win upcoming elections.

Ironically, a tea party leader, who has spent the past week hammering on the Governor and his supporters because of transportation, posted this morning on her Facebook page about the outside groups who are lining up with Obama:
Obama veterans are building a wide network of deep-pocketed groups and consulting firms independent of government, the Democratic Party and traditional liberal groups, a sweeping — if not unprecedented — effort outside the White House gates aimed at promoting the president's agenda and shaping his legacy.

From campaign strategists to online gurus and policy hands to press agents, Obama loyalists — including many who discovered that a second term yields fewer administration job vacancies — are slicing his agenda into smaller parts and launching highly targeted efforts on subjects including health care, job creation and electoral politics.
...
The lynchpin of the effort is Organizing for Action (OFA), a nonprofit run by former Obama advisers that has essentially transformed his re-election campaign into a grassroots machine to support his initiatives. In its early stages, the group is raising millions from big and small donors alike and whipping up support for issues like gun control and an immigration overhaul.
If that does not chill you to the bone, perhaps this will:
OFA's close ties to the West Wing and its control over the former campaign's resources has raised questions about where the nonprofit group ends and the White House starts. The group controls Obama's massive email list and also his campaign Twitter handle, which has more than 27 million followers and frequently tweets links to his government website.
And then there's this:
"Organizing for Action is unlike any entity we have ever seen before tied to a president," said Fred Wertheimer, a campaign finance reform advocate with Democracy 21, a Washington nonprofit. "This group is so tied to Obama himself, that it creates opportunities for corporations and individuals to buy corrupting influence with the administration — and at a minimum, to create the appearance of such influence."
Maybe it is time to ratchet down the rhetoric against Governor Bob McDonnell and others who support his transportation bill, and turn that energy toward the Democrats. If that cannot be done, Republicans will continue to lose because they will be out-maneuvered by Democrats. A house divided and all that....

No comments: