Leftist Group Begins Intimidation Campaign Against Biggest GOP Donors
Right about now I want to line up all the jackass leftists that stand in front of crowds and belch speeches warning of “a vast right wing conspiracy“, “censorship”, “intimidation”, “silencing”, and “chill wind” … a smack the living shit the hell out of them.
By MICHAEL LUO - (NYTimes)
Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding “warning” letter in the mail next week.
The letter is an opening shot across the bow from an unusual new outside political group on the left that is poised to engage in hardball tactics to prevent similar groups on the right from getting off the ground this fall.
Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years, the newly formed nonprofit group, Accountable America, is planning to confront donors to conservative groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions.
“We want to stop the Swift Boating before it gets off the ground,” said Mr. Matzzie, who described his effort as “going for the jugular.”
The warning letter is intended as a first step, alerting donors who might be considering giving to right-wing groups to a variety of potential dangers, including legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives.
The group is also hoping to be able to respond if an outside conservative group broadcasts a television advertisement attacking Senator Barack Obama, or another Democratic candidate, by running commercials exposing the donors behind the advertisements.
Judd Legum, who was the research director for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign, has signed on to play the same role for Accountable America.
The group has raised only $200,000, but Mr. Matzzie said he expected to collect more than $500,000 by next week, with an ultimate goal of $2 million.
Mr. Matzzie said he had decided to focus exclusively on conservative donors because such an effort could be done cheaply.
“It’s targeted,” Mr. Matzzie said. “We don’t need $25 million.”
Mr. Matzzie recently served as one of the leaders of Progressive Media U.S.A., a group that was intended to lead a left-wing media effort in the presidential election, but the group folded several months ago after it failed to raise enough money, partly because of signals from the Obama campaign that donors should not give to outside groups.
Mr. Obama and other Democratic officials have issued warnings about possible activities by outside groups like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which helped sink Senator John Kerry’s presidential bid in 2004. But activity among outside conservative groups has been decidedly low-level.
Still, Accountable America has singled out some major Republican donors, including Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino mogul, and Mel Sembler, a former ambassador and real estate magnate, both major donors to Freedom’s Watch, a conservative group.
Calls to Mr. Sembler and Mr. Adelson were not returned, but Ed Patru, a spokesman for Freedom’s Watch, scoffed at Mr. Matzzie’s plan.
“This idea sounds even more sloppily thought out than his last venture, which, of course, went belly-up for lack of financial support,” Mr. Patru said.
“I doubt anyone will be intimidated by him,” he said, “but if it gives anyone pause, they are always welcome to give to Freedom’s Watch — all of our donors are entitled to complete anonymity by law.”
Indeed, anonymity is a potential obstacle to the group’s efforts. Outside political groups organized as 501(c)4 entities, including Accountable America, do not have to disclose the names of their donors.
Chris LaCivita, a Republican strategist who helped organize the Swift Boat effort, said Mr. Matzzie’s group was likely to have the opposite effect on potential donors, firing them up instead of discouraging them.
“They’re not going to be intimidated by some pipsqueak on the kooky left,” Mr. LaCivita said.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Mr Tom Matzzie doesn’t realize what can happen if you catch a tiger by the tail.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:24 pmIf a billionaire casino owner got threatened by some punk like Tom Matzzie Some of the boys from out of town might just show up to talk some sense into him.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:22 pmBe careful what you wish for Mr. Matzzie. The ill will you wish upon yourself can always return to you….
August 8th, 2008 at 9:34 pmheh heh, where I said yourself I should have said others, but maybe it was a freudian slip…
August 8th, 2008 at 9:35 pmFuck the NYSlimes.
“Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years……. Mr. Matzzie recently served as one of the leaders of Progressive Media U.S.A., ”
lmfao
August 8th, 2008 at 9:36 pmMatzzie and the Slimes are both losers.
The totalitarian left compulsively coninues to crudely expose their disgusting blood encrusted hands and posterior. It is obvious to anyone capable of rational to publically propose a plan for silencing their opposition and not realize that the use of intimidation tactics in a free society will not backfire disasterously on themselves.
August 8th, 2008 at 10:07 pmTyrants and totalitarianism have never appealed to American voters. Any group or individual that would espouse threatening and trying to silence those who disagree with themselves in a society that embodies freedom of expression as a founding princip;e is certainly not thinking or acting rationally. Such efforts at halting free expression by conservative groups will bring about a fierce blowback/ ackfire.
I had never heard of Freedom’s Watch but you can bet I have written a check to that organization and will do so every first of the month for until well after the November election.
The libs and their loony left shock troopers in their relentless efforts at silencing opposing opinion in a free society show all that they hate free expression and democracy and openly acknowlege they have neither facts, truth, or rationality in their manic efforts to force upon our country their mad long ago thoroughtly discredited Big Brother blood soaked tyranny spawning ideologies.
One way to combat this is to widely publicize Matzzie as a Henchman for Obama. The more we can tie these anti American groups to Obama the better.
Maybe they are vying for a place on Obama’s Civilian Gestapo Corps.
August 9th, 2008 at 4:46 amHmmm… A left-wing wannabe political hack wants to play hardball with a billionaire casino mogul and the like. I wonder who is going to win that game? The lefties make me laugh sometimes.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:29 am[…] Leftist Group Begins Intimidation Campaign Against Biggest GOP Donors August 9, 2008 — budsimmons http://patdollard.com/2008/08/group-plans-campaign-against-gop-donors/ […]
August 9th, 2008 at 10:44 amI guess it’s too late. I already donated. Oh and I’m sure someone who donates based on his/her convictions is going to be intimidated by leftist pussies. Just because that’s what works with their kind.
August 9th, 2008 at 12:14 pm