On the way to work today I was shocked to hear insults on the radio from an organization claiming to support Republican unity and encouraging listeners to thank Barbara Comstock for her vote.
The Ad
“Mainstreet Advocacy” purchased ad time to support six Republican members of Congress who voted with the Democrats in favor of full DHS funding thereby ignoring realistic concerns that Obama’s executive amnesty would be allowed to stand. The ad includes the following:
75 Republicans stood against the Congressional bullies who want to lie about amnesty
Call Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, and thank her for putting our safety above petty politics.
“Bullies” and “Lies.” That’s what conservatives are reduced to.
The ad ends by stating it is paid for by Main Street Advocacy.
The Organization
Who or what is Main Street Advocacy? Main Street Advocacy is one of a handful of organizations run by Sarah Chamberlain and Steven LaTourette that supposedly work for the benefit of main stream Republican values.
The major organizations are:
REPUBLICAN MAINSTREET PARTNERSHIP PAC, a traditional PAC that gives most of its money directly to Congressional campaigns, and follows traditional PAC fundraising rules with donation limits of $5,000 per person.
And
DEFENDING MAIN STREET SUPERPAC INC, a traditional superpac operating largely outside of campaign funding and spending rules as long as it does not directly coordinate with a candidate.
Main Street Advocacy appears to simply be a spending vehicle for the superpac.
Main Street Advocacy claims to support the following:
unity instead of division, pragmatism instead of social dogma. It’s what conservatives have traditionally stood for – and we take pride in that heritage.
Having like-minded conservatives called bullies and liars is not uniting, its not pragmatic, and it is not what conservatives have traditionally stood for.
Follow the Money
Then we get to play the money game because for the “Main Street” groups the sources of fundraising are almost comical.
The superpac appears to be the vehicle for which the ads were ultimately purchased. As reported by Michele Malkin the “Main Street” groups have substantial left wing funding. She identified approximately $400,000 as coming from labor unions per a National Journal Article. But let us delve deeper.
According to the FEC, the superpac has received the following during the 2014 election cycle:
- $500,000 from International Union of Operating Engineers (Union)
- $500,000 from Working for Working Americans (Union)
- $275,000 from Laborers’ International Union of North America (Union)
- $175,000 from Laborers Political League Education Fund (Union)
- $150,000 from National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Union)
- $100,000 from Air Line Pilots Association (Union)
- $50,000 from LIUNA Building America (Union)
- $50,000 from Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (Union)
- $10,000 from Electrical Contractors PAC (Union)
- $10,000 from Teamsters (Union)
- $5,000 from Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (Union)
Total of Union money $1,825,000
Non-union money of note:
$57,225 Congressional Leadership Fund (House Republican Congressional Leadership)
Total fundraising by the superpac during the 2014 election cycle:
$2,001,499
This means over 91% of the superpac funding came from labor unions.
Citizens in northern Virginia are being told by unions to call Barbara Comstock and thank her for standing up against the lying bullying congressional conservatives. Perhaps now that you know the truth you can point out to your Congresswoman that you don’t appreciate shadowy left wing organizations masquerading as republicans implying that you are a bully and a liar for standing up for conservative principles.
