Democratic super PACs get jump on 2014, 2016

[highplainsdem]

Source: Politico

Shortly after Election Day, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and top White House aides spoke at a three-day secret meeting of major Democratic donors and officials from liberal outside groups gearing up for 2014, POLITICO has learned.

Among the groups represented: Priorities USA Action, the super PAC that is vowing to remain a player in Democratic politics, even though President Barack Obama won’t run for office again; American Bridge 21st Century, the oppo shop that helped sink Missouri Rep. Todd Akin’s GOP Senate bid; the Pelosi-backed House Majority PAC; the secret-money organizing nonprofit America Votes; and the pro-choice group EMILY’s List.

Some of those groups or their allies are considering expanding into state politics, policy fights or even primaries on both sides. And they have already gone back to their 2012 donors to ask for more cash while the euphoria from winning is still fresh.

-snip-

The three-day conference — the annual winter conference of the Democracy Alliance, an exclusive club composed of some of the biggest liberal donors — at Washington’s W Hotel featured presentations by top Obama campaign and administration officials including Mitch Stewart, Matthew Barzun, Gene Sperling and Jon Carson.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84205.html

[JackRiddler]

1. Neutral news at best...

How about "they get a jump on" overturning Citizens United? Ending corporate personhood? Restricting private money in elections? Free media access to all candidates as a condition for licensing broadcast networks? Public finance of campaigns? Forcing all spenders to disclose their donors? Forcing full disclosure of who pays for think tanks and studies and, often enough, supposedly neutral media reports?

Money out of politics apparently becomes passe soon as the election is over. Hip-hip-hooray, for today the good guys are winning the game of whoring themselves for cash to corporations and the rich. What could go wrong? It's not like there's any quo for the quid? Right?

[iandhr]

3. Talk about pie in the sky unrealistic.

As long we have SCOTUS justices Citizens United will stay.

So we need to play this game unfortunately. 2014 will be a tough year for us. The electorate is smaller and older in a non-presidentual year.


We need to have the funds to fight back. We cannot disarm unilaterally.

[JackRiddler]

4. Red herring.

No one said "disarm unilaterally." Go ahead and collect money. Fight for more seats. But never stop fighting for the necessary change. There is a lot of sentiment out there for money out of politics. It needs to be encouraged and mobilized. Those voters should be catered to! There is also money out there for money out of politics, at least until the goal is achieved. The "unrealistic" happens because people fight for it. Gay rights were also unrealistic quite recently. Every democratic and human rights achievement that people fought for and finally gained started out as "unrealistic," with someone always there to find excuses why we shouldn't bother.

[loyalkydem]

2. I rather

we get new democrats in office on the down tickets so we don't have to deal with these republicans.

[AdHocSolver]

5. Finally, some Democrats understand that we have to play poltics all year every year.

Finally, some Democrats realize that we need to have a 50-state strategy to win in a significant way.

The opposition doesn't close up shop and head home as soon as a presidential election is over. They have their surrogates and right wing media churning out lies and propaganda all year round.

Democrats have to counterbalance their lies and propaganda on a continuous basis.

This is a necessary antidote to the poison they constantly spew at the electorate.

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. So the Democrats can compete at serving the interest of the rich and powerful

If special interest cannot get 99% of what they want by financing Republicans - they will settle for getting 80% of what they want by financing Democrats - . This is not about winning back "Reagan Democrats" who left because of social/cultural conservatism. This is about winning over the "Country Club Republicans" who have always been socially moderate or liberal - but economically old style Reaganite Republicans. Until big money can truly be removed from politics democracy in any true meaning of the term will continue to die.