There has been a lot of hand wringing around here in conflicting diaries the past couple of days as to what we should do. Contact our Senators. No, what a stupid idea, they won't listen. Contact Obama. No he can't do anything until Congress acts. How about a grass roots effort? (My favorite, but who's going to organize it? Who is our MLK?) Things have been looking pretty depressing.
Well, David Brock may be coming with the cavalry. Finally a ray of hope.
Greg Sergeant reported on the 10th that Media Matters' David Brock is forming a 527 group to raise funds to counterbalance Republican outside groups. He confirmed and corrected Greg's report in an appearance on Olbermann's Countdown yesterday. Video below the fold.
A partial transcript:
>> "The Post" was accurate in all respects except for one, "The Post" said that I was forming a 527 with partial donor disclosure.
>> It was an easy mistake. I don't know who Greg Sergeant talked to. He talked to people who talked to me and to most people this is a lot of gobbledygook and frankly you know I'm not a lawyer and it can seem that way to me too so let me just clear that up. what I am forming is an independent expenditure committee that can accept unlimited donations from individuals, from corporations, from unions, can raise money online in small dollars. these kinds of federal committees are required by law to fully disclose their donors and to release every expenditure and report to the F.E.C. any expenditure over $200 so we're going to follow that law.
A little background from Plum Line
During the 2008 campaign, Obama famously directed outside liberal groups to close down and let his enormously successful fundraising operation dominate...
Brock tried to form a similar group against John McCain in 2008 but it was one of the groups Obama shut down. Things will be different this time around.
Here's hoping David is successful. He won't have to match the US Chamber of Commerce, Koch and Rove's groups dollar for dollar. We have logic on our side. They have corporatist ideas and people.