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| Home Front: Politix |
| Unions target Tea Party |
| 2010-02-10 |
| A new Web site targeting the tea parties is a part of a complex network of money flowing from the mountainous coffers of the country's biggest labor unions and trickling slowly into political slush funds for Democratic activists. A seemingly grassroots organization that's mounted an online campaign to counter the tea party movement is actually the front end of an elaborate scheme that funnels funds -- including sizable labor union contributions -- through the offices of a prominent Democratic party lawyer. A Web site popped up in January dedicated to preventing the tea party's "radical" and "dangerous" ideas from "gaining legislative traction," targeting GOP candidates in Illinois for the firing squad. "This movement is a fad," proclaims TheTeaPartyIsOver.org, which was established by the American Public Policy Center (APPC), a D.C.-based campaign shop that few people have ever heard of. But a close look reveals the APPC's place in a complex network of money flowing from the mountainous coffers of the country's biggest labor unions into political slush funds for Democratic activists. Here's how it works: What appears like a local groundswell is in fact the creation of two men -- Craig Varoga and George Rakis, Democratic Party strategists who have set up a number of so-called 527 groups, the non-profit election organizations that hammer on contentious issues (think Swift Boats, for example). Varoga and Rakis keep a central mailing address in Washington, pulling in soft money contributions from unions and other well-padded sources to engage in what amounts to a legal laundering system. The money -- tens of millions of dollars -- gets circulated around to different states by the 527s, which pay for TV ads, Internet campaigns and lobbyist salaries, all while keeping the hands of the unions clean -- for the most part. The system helps hide the true sources of funding, giving the appearance of locally bred opposition in states from Oklahoma to New Jersey, or in the case of the Tea Party Web site, in Illinois. And this whitewash is entirely legal, say election law experts, who told FoxNews.com that this arrangement more or less the norm in Washington. "It's not illegal but it is, I think, dishonest on the part of the organizations," said Paul Ryan, a legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center. "And there's a reason they do it: they know voters don't like outsiders coming in to sway the vote." Calls and e-mails to the Maryland-based consultant firm Independent Strategies, run by Varoga and Rakis, were not returned. Outside of that firm, the center of their activity appears to be a single office in Southeast D.C. -- 300 M Street, Suite 1102 -- which plays host to a sprawling political shell game they have established. Public records show at least seven political shops listed in Suite 1102, most of which are essentially clones of one another, but all of which have offered money -- from measly thousands to game-changing millions -- in state-level elections across the country: |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #15 The military is one of only a very few government agencies that is FORBIDDEN from forming a union. The military is also the most independent-thinking government agency that exists. I know that sounds contradictory, but ideas in the military that come from within OR without are given a fair evaluation (unless it's something to do with the Pentagon, and there the "Secretaries" get into the act, and spoil everything). It should be JUST as unlawful to be a member of a union at any government agency. What's even worse is that the US Government mandates that some jobs be unionized, regardless of the wishes of the employees or the leadership (Roosevelt forced unionization of the railroads in 1942, and they've been dictated to remain unionized ever since. Other examples exist). Unfortunately the current government structure is going to have to be totally broken and torn down before any improvement can be made. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2010-02-10 16:51 |
| #14 Very true AH, military folks definitely deserve more than we do for them. I was definitely thinking of the millions of present and past unionized "civil servants". |
| Posted by: AzCat 2010-02-10 15:59 |
| #13 Late bulletin - Military retirees must be enrolled in Medicare Part B to use Tricare for Life starting at age 65. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-02-10 15:41 |
| #12 |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-02-10 14:49 |
| #11 A plan to prohibit any defined-benefit pensions or non-Medicare health retirement benefits for retired military will not fly in this county. They of all people deserve that. Otherwise it certainly should apply to most other retired government workers. Defined-benefit pensions are not feasible for the vast majority of employees due simply to unsustainable financial projections. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-02-10 14:48 |
| #10 Fixing the problem in six easy steps: 1. Repeal the Wagner Act and all other similar federal laws, rules & regulations that followed it. 2. Dissolve the Department of Labor and other similar federal governmental units. 3. Decertify and outlaw public employee unions due to the inherent and unavoidable conflicts of interest they present. 4. Implement a strong federal right-to-work law. 5. Liquidate the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. 6. Convert all public employee retirement benefits, cash & health care, to the present cash value of the investments that back them today and prohibit any defined-benefit pensions or non-Medicare health retirement benefits for government employees. Of course that would fix lots of other problems as well. ;) |
| Posted by: AzCat 2010-02-10 13:26 |
| #9 That's right, charger. We pay them, they pay their union dues and the union uses the money to complain about "radical" and "dangerous" ideas like not squandering the taxpayers' money. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2010-02-10 13:04 |
| #8 The largest of these is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME,) IOW, our taxes are paying for this scam. |
| Posted by: charger 2010-02-10 12:29 |
| #7 I want them all gainfully employed at-will. Just think of replacing so many unmotivated and lesser skilled minions and clerks with people who have degrees and papers and had experienced the real hunger [without welfare] of unemployment. It's not like being a clerk in the patent office stops you from formulating something like, say, relativity. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-02-10 11:59 |
| #6 Via InstaPundit: Fox Uncovers Anti-Tea-Party Slush-Fund Scam Fox has the list of donors, which comprises a set of interlocking slush-type funds that pay for the anti–Tea Party campaign. The largest of these is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME,) which has kicked in a total of $9.9M in a single year to two funds that provide the cash for the non-grassroots movement. Yes — government workers’ money is being used to fend off Tea Party protesters. But Fox is not a real news organization. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-02-10 11:10 |
| #5 their problem isn't that they'll be unemployed. It much worse, they'll have to actually work. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2010-02-10 10:39 |
| #4 I don't want them unemployed. I want them all gainfully employed at-will. Win-win. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2010-02-10 10:27 |
| #3 The Democrats and unions are protecting their iron rice bowls. Lots of them will be unemployed if the Tea Party movement gets their way. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-02-10 09:29 |
| #2 And how much of that Union money is extolled from their membership in the form of mandatory union-dues under threat of their livelihood. (As in 'you must join the union to work at your profession'). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-02-10 09:20 |
| #1 Unions and Democrats will only do what they do best and that is waist other peoples money. |
| Posted by: Dale 2010-02-10 08:46 |