Public Campaign Action Fund issued a new investigative report today called Viewers Beware of Anti-Health Care Ads to expose the group behind the political ads, currently running in eight states, opposing health care reform. The ads are funded by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which has a record as a right-wing political operation and is headed by an operative with ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
"It's important understand who is behind this advertising campaign," said David Donnelly, national campaigns director of Public Campaign Action Fund. "Americans for Prosperity is led by a political operative with ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and funded by one of the biggest donors on the right in this country."
The report was released as anti-health care ads from the group are running in Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Virginia. Among the report's highlights:
- In addition to opposing a public health insurance option as part of health care reform, Americans for Prosperity opposed expanded coverage for children's health through SCHIP, opposed a Texas smoking ban, and suggests that the poor get their coverage through Medicaid while arguing that Medicaid costs are "bankrupting our country."
- Through several foundations, the founder of Americans for Prosperity, David Koch, has given $132 million to organizations, including a “Who's Who" of conservative groups. Koch has also given nearly $800,000 in federal political donations since 1989.
- The current president, Tim Phillips, worked with failed political candidate and former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed at Century Strategies, a public relations and lobbying shop they co-founded. Century Strategies was funded to further Jack Abramoff's clients' goals, including Indian casinos and maintaining sweatshops on the Northern Mariana Islands.
- The group organized some of the "tea party" protests and has signed up "Joe the Plumber" as a speaker at its events.
"The media - particularly the television stations profiting from these ads - have a civic responsibility to share with the public who is behind the anti-health care messages," continued Donnelly.
Public Campaign Action Fund is a national nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing comprehensive campaign finance reform. It also works to hold anti-reform elected officials accountable for their connections to special interests.
Comments
I would like to see names to go along with the assertions (although no doubt it is true).
I think any time a report such as this is made, the people involved ought to be called out by name.
Lets get rid of all our rights. I think I would like to leave it up to our current administration to make all of my decisions for me. Free health care is certanly not going to be free. And as far as Medicaid bankrupting the country, try putting the 11.9 million Illegal immigrants in the equation. Most of witch are recieving free health care, while getting paid under the table (not paying any taxes), and sending there cash back to old Mexico. Some call that theft or laundering. This article blows. I thank you for it for I have wasted 20 min of my life Thank you.
I have a lot of respect for any one who can write an article like this on and still sleep at night. All of anti or pro goverment action ads are funded by rich people either on the left or right. As many liberals have ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff as right winger read the articles and research it oh sorry you knew all this but it did not fit your agenda. You write this article and it makes me sick that there are so many people out there that will read this no talent hacks work and think that the socialist left have some kinda moral high ground. The left are the people who take funds from george "soreass" sorry thought the spelling was funny but I forgot the left has no sence of humor unless the joke is on god or white people living by high standards.
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