Report: PAC for Mitt Romney lands dubious $1M
by Hillary Chabot -- Aug 5, 2011
Yesterday, a Romney spokeswoman said the campaign has no connection to the so-called SuperPAC, Restore Our Future, created by Charles Spies, Romney’s former general counsel in 2008, his former political director Carl Forti and former spokesman Larry McCarthy.
The PAC raised $12.2 million during the first six months of 2011 and has publicly said it’s backing Romney, but it is not officially connected to Romney’s campaign and can receive unlimited funds from individuals and corporations because of a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that removed a ban on corporate political donations.
W Spann LLC was incorporated in Delaware in March and made a $1 million contribution to Restore Our Future on April 28, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. The company folded on July 12, two weeks before the PAC made its first disclosure of its donors this year.
[...]
“Just because the general public doesn’t know where money comes from doesn’t mean that Mitt Romney doesn’t know or that Mitt Romney’s SuperPAC doesn’t know,” Ryan said [an attorney at the Campaign Legal Center]. “These sorts of practices deprive the voting public of valuable information as to who is trying to influence a candidate with million-dollar checks.”
Well isn't that special? LLC created, Money deposited, LLC dissolved.
Good day at the Fund Raising Office, eh Mitt? Someone call the Ad Team ...
Well there is a humorous side to the shadowy story of SuperPAC formation.
Who says Patriotism, can't be cool?
There's Nothing Funny About Colbert's SuperPAC
by Peter Overby, NPR -- Aug 5, 2011
[...]
Colbert: Knock knock.
Crowd: Who's there?
Colbert: Unlimited union and corporate campaign contributions.
Crowd: Unlimited union and corporate campaign contributions, who?
Colbert: That's the thing -- I don't think I should have to tell you.
But there's actual substance behind the punch line: Colbert is setting up a superPAC to run campaign ads. The FEC got involved when he asked for an opinion on how to finance the superPAC. His query suggested the possibility of a new loophole -- a way for media companies to underwrite commentators with political ambitions.
[...]
[Colbert:] "We don't know what we're going to do with the ads, where we would place them, because we don't have the PAC yet. You're right in surmising that. That's why I hope to get the PAC, so we can find out."
Confused?
The big question was whether Viacom, the company that owns Colbert's show, could financially support everything the superPAC does. Colbert wanted Viacom to be treated as a press entity -- that is, exempt from the campaign finance laws.
Republican Commissioner Don McGahn was sympathetic. "The question as I see it is, where does commentary end, and where does normal campaign finance law begin?" he asked.
Good Questions.
It seems even FEC Commissioner are grappling with the weighty questions of Where Free Speech ends, and the piles of Corporate Money Begin?
Aren't we all?
Here are a few ball-park Answers, to those tough Questions, Commissioner ...
Political Action Committee
From Wikipedia
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation.[1] Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a matter of state and federal law.
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Use of PACs (before 2010) [pre- Citizens United]
When an interest group, union, or corporation wants to contribute to federal candidates or parties, it must do so through a PAC.
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Contributions by individuals to federal PACs are limited to $5,000 per year.
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Corporations and unions may not contribute directly to federal PACs, though they may pay for the administrative costs of a PAC affiliated with the specific corporation or union.
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Federal multi-candidate PACs are limited in the amount of money they can contribute to candidate campaigns or other organizations:
-- at most $5,000 per candidate per election. Elections such as primaries, general elections and special elections are counted separately.
-- at most $15,000 per political party per year.
-- at most $5,000 per PAC per year.
Under federal law, PACs are not limited in their ability to spend money independently of a candidate campaign. This may include expenditures on activities in support of (or against) a candidate, as long as they are not coordinated with the candidate.
[...]
Citizens United ruling
In 2010, the landmark case filed by Citizens United changed the rules regarding corporate campaign expenditures. This ruling made it legal for corporations and unions to spend from their general treasuries to finance independent expenditures. Direct contributions are still prohibited.
[...]
Super PACs
The 2010 election marks the rise of a new political committee, dubbed "super PACs," and officially known as "independent-expenditure only committees," which can raise unlimited sums from corporations, unions and other groups, as well as individuals. [...] The groups can also mount the kind of direct attacks on candidates that were not allowed in the past. Super PACs are not allowed to coordinate directly with candidates or political parties and are not required to disclose their donors.
Nice work, if you can get the right backers, Right Romney? LLC Who?
Hmmmm?
If a Romney-friendly Millionaire can "cash and dash" a cool $Million, into a Romney-friendly SuperPAC ...
If Stephen Colbert can make a mockery of Citizen United loopholes, big enough to drive a Media Corporate Giant though ...
Well why not creative, motivated, frustrated "bloggers" ... ?
No reason stopping us, no reason at all, except maybe a "singular focus",
and some yet to be corralled Cash; corralled Creativity.
Afterall the 'Extreme Court' has ruled "Money is Speech", have they not?
How to Create a Political Action Committee
eHow Culture & Society Editor
[...]
Instructions
1. Come up with a political purpose. You can create a Political Action Committee for a candidate, a party or an issue. It only needs to be something that you can promote to others that have the same political goal who will be willing to contribute money.
2. Name your Political Action Committee. The name can be an abbreviation or acronym that connects the name to the goal of the Political Action Committee. [...]
3. Register your Political Action Committee with the Federal Election Commission. [...] very Political Action Committee requires a treasurer so when you create your Political Action Committee you will have to name someone was the treasurer.
4. Keep accurate records. A Political Action Committee must provide complete reports to the FEC regarding all spending on federal elections. [...]
5. Raise and contribute money. The whole reason for creating a Political Action Committee is to be able to contribute money to candidates or parties who will work to push for issues that are important to that Political Action Committee.
[...]
Eazy Peas-zy ... PAC-a-Derm Squeezy
Question: Why should Republican Mascots have all the SuperPAC fun?
Answer: They shouldn't.
OK, here's a few ideas for sorely needed PAC, some issues, that some Millionaire {or Union} out there may want back:
The Anti-Rove PAC
The Fox News Fact-Check PAC
The No More Tea PAC
The 99-ers Have Families PAC
The Bring Our Jobs Home PAC
The Homeless are still Citizens PAC
The Tax the Top Two Percent PAC
The Stop Wall Street Welfare PAC
The Re-establish Science PAC
The There IS Climate Change PAC
The Grow Food, Not Wars PAC
The Progressive People Coalition PAC
The Just Say NO to Benefit Cuts PAC
The Netroots Nation PAC ... ?
The Possibilities are endless ...
And as long as Citizens United ... has opened that Door
someone on the Left, really should dare to go through it.
Fight Fire, with Fire, as they all clever political operatives say.
Anyone out good with a Video Camera, and with excellent video editing skills? How about Copy writing skills, or good with Stagecraft?
OR {more realistically} Does anyone know of some good Dem PACs already well-established, and fighting the "Good Fight"? with the resources and tools already in place -- in need of Volunteers, or Cash?
Instead of shouting into the Ether-nets ... shouldn't we really start shouting into the PSA Echo-nets, instead?
Viral Videos, do have a way of catching on, as we all know ...
1 Million Views, and Counting ...
Our Money-Speech should be swaying the low-info masses too, ... should it not?
Where is that Stop-the-Madness PSA Channel again?
inquiring minds, want to know.