Subject: [big campaign] Exposing group behind anti-healthcare ads in eight states
From: David Donnelly <[email-masked]>
To: big campaign <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 15:34:01 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

All,

Public Campaign Action Fund issued the following release about our new
report exposing the connections between Americans for Prosperity's president
and Ralph Reed and Jack Abramoff.
http://www.campaignmoney.org/healthcare/AFP.

David

*'Viewers Beware' Report By Watchdog Group Exposes Conservative Group Behind
Anti-Healthcare Ads Running In Eight States*

  *Group led by conservative political operative with ties to convicted
lobbyist Jack Abramoff*

WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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.

A full copy can be found at *http://www.campaignmoney.org/healthcare/AFP*

"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.

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