The Condordia Group, Des Moines political consultants, have released the following video on YouTube supporting Republican Cynthia Golding in her special election Iowa Senate race against Liz Mathis.
 |
| Jill Latham |
The Concordia Group's video targets gay marriage despite the fact that Golding recently said "I have not had a single person ask me about gay marriage." Golding also has said she would support referring a gay marriage ban to voters; Mathis opposes such a move.
 |
| Nick T. Ryan, Santorum advisor, founder of Concordia Group and American Future Fund |
American Future Fund is registered as a 501(c)(4), which means it can receive unlimited donations and does not have to disclose its donors...Iowa's special election is to replace Sen. Swati Dandekar (District 18) whom GOP Gov. Terry Brantstad appointed to an $85,000 per year job at the Iowa Utilities Board.
It expects to spend between $20 million to $25 million on political ads this fall [2010]. Federal Election Commission data show American Future Fund has spent $6 million in 16 states in independent expenditures as of Oct. 12.
Although the group has not publicly disclosed its donors, Hawkeye Energy Holding CEO Bruce Rastetter acknowledged to the New York Times that he donated an undisclosed amount in 2007 to help get the group started. In an Oct. 11 story, the Times described Hawkeye as "one of the nation's larger ethanol companies," and noted that most of the incumbent congressmen targeted for defeat by American Future Fund "have seats on a handful of legislative committees with a direct say in the ethanol industry." Ryan sits on the board of the Rastetter Foundation and was chairman of a state political action committee "financed largely" by Rastetter. Daniel Stockdale, Rastetter's attorney, told the Times that his client has no "decision-making authority" at American Future Fund.
Bruce Rastetter
By appointing Sen. Swati Dandekar to the Iowa Utilities Board, Gov. Terry Branstad ensured Republicans would have a shot at sharing control of the state Senate, a chamber where Democrats have used their narrow 26- to 24-seat majority to block a number of GOP efforts, most notably a proposed constitutional amendment to overturn Iowa's gay marriage law...Branstad has denied that his selection of Dandekar last month was related to his desire to remove a Democratic roadblock to his agenda, which besides [attacking] gay marriage includes extending abortion restrictions and reducing business taxes.Although Dandekar wasn't among the 17 who applied for the $85,000-a-year job, Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said the governor "recruited her for this position because of her immense knowledge and talent."Dandekar has no experience specifically related to utility regulation but she and Branstad have noted she has a chemistry degree...Democrats have laughed off the governor's denials that he was using a government appointment to achieve his political goals."Of course he is. It would be silly to say otherwise," said Ron Parker, a top staffer for Senate Democrats.The GOP has a narrow edge in the district, with 16,008 Republicans and 15,745 Democrats, but both parties are outnumbered by the 19,960 voters who registered without declaring a party preference.
What a propaganda piece you have written here!!! It looks like what media matters does for a living.
ReplyDeleteOf course Garriage is part of this election. Every body knows it but you and the Soros/Tim Gill funded faux-press who would like us to believe it!