David Brock, Dems plan $40M hit on McCain

[EV_Ares]

Wealthy Democrats are preparing a four-month, $40 million media campaign centered on attacks on Sen. John McCain. And it will be led by David Brock, the former investigative reporter who first gained fame in the 1990s as a right-wing, anti-Clinton journalist.

The planned campaign is the product of a shakeup in the top ranks of the struggling independent Democratic groups. Brock, now best known as the ex-conservative founder of the liberal group Media Matters, last month quietly assumed the chairmanship of what's expected to be the main vehicle for independent Democratic attacks on McCain, now called Progressive Media USA.

The move comes after the groups that had been expected to spearhead attacks on McCain — the Fund for America and Progressive Media USA's previous incarnation, the Campaign to Defend America — failed to raise the money needed to dent McCain's armor.

"We're a little behind where we need to be," he said.

But after a dinner Tuesday night at the Manhattan apartment of liberal megadonor George Soros, at which Brock and consultant Paul Begala laid out the group's plans, Brock said his group now has commitments worth $7.5 million — almost twice what the Fund for America is expected to report raising in the first quarter of this year. He said the group would begin running ads before it meets its $40 million goal.

Brock suggested that the group could do the work of a press corps that, he says, has "fallen down on the job" when it comes to McCain.

Link to entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080410/pl_politico/9514;_ylt=AgvhmiNXNcSCmh24QmSpSK6WwvIE

[senseandsensibility]

1. Somebody's gonna attack McCain?

I'm always up for something new and different.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

2. How is it Conservative a-holes like Brock end up spear-heading Democratic campaigns?

It makes no sense to me.

[Selatius]

3. They, unfortunately, know how to fight hard, whereas lots of Dems run. But for the life of me...

I dunno why he would switch sides and hit McCain.

[Eric J in MN]

9. His book on Hillary Clinton was more sympathetic than many conservatives wanted.

That was one aspect of his switching to our side.

"The SEDUCTION OF HILLARY RODHAM" by David Brock.

[senseandsensibility]

4. Huh?

Brock hasn't been rightwing for many years. He is a well know liberal now and runs media matters, which holds the corporate media and chimp's feet to the fire daily.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. You might be thinking of conservative a-hole David Brooks.

David Brock came over from the dark side years ago and has been beating up on the neocons very effectively ever since. He's one of the good guys.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. Can't we scrape a billion together?

[Eric J in MN]

10. Ari Fleisher's group is hoping for $250 million.

I wish we had a billion against that instead of only $40 million.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. The Devil is in the details.

[Eric J in MN]

7. Now Democrats can counter phony issue ads...

...with phony issue ads.

Phony not in the sense of false facts about the candidates,

but in the sense of getting around donation limits by pretending to be concerned about a general issue when the ads are really meant to affect the election.

Instead of Vote against McCain the ads will say Call Senator McCain and tell him that you don't like his policies.

[DerekJ]

8. Fight Dirty Against McCain

It works, fuck being nice, and taking the high road.

P.S:
Don't fight dirty among yourselves (AKA: The kitchen sink).

[loveangelc]

12. GOOD!

[razors edge]

13. How much did the right pay

for hits on JFK, MLK, RFK, and millions of other less notables?