Can I tell you how many ways this “Club for Growth” makes me queasy?
Businesses Say Ads Can Target Lawmakers
Wed May 7,10:35 AM ET
By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the nation’s most powerful political lobbies, has concluded that a court ruling on the new campaign finance law allows it to run ads targeting members of Congress.
The business lobby isn’t entirely pleased with the overall federal ruling’s 1,600-plus pages and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, but it does not plan to ask a court to block the decision from taking effect in the meantime, attorney Jan Baran said.
One group still considering whether to seek a stay of the court’s ruling, the Club for Growth, also believes the Friday decision lets it run ads mentioning lawmakers.
It plans to start airing a second batch of ads Thursday pressing two reluctant Republican senators, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Ohio’s George Voinovich, to support President Bush’s tax-cut package if congressional negotiations over the proposal do not succeed before their vote is needed.
“We think a reasonable reading (of the ruling) is that they’re not covered by this new language and also that it’s so far away from the election — as far as far as I know Voinovich doesn’t have an opponent — so it would be hard to make the case that we’re trying to influence an election when no one’s running against him,” Club executive director David Keating said. The group ran its first ads before the court ruled.
I saw the new ad this morning. “President Kennedy cut taxes and created millions of new jobs. So did President Ronald Reagan. Now President Bush wants to do the same, but some like Senator George Voinovich want to stand in the way. Hey Ohio — tell George Voinovich to support the Kennedy/Reagan/Bush plan to cut taxes and create jobs.”
My ENTIRE ass.