It seems that the Republican independent expenditure groups aren't entirely staying out of things this year, especially in the "swing state" of Pennsylvania. Why they would bother throwing their money into this has everything to do with who's behind the particular group and very little to do with actually helping McCain, but it shows just how far down the scale they've had to go for any help from outside their own campaign.
I've just seen on broadcast television in Philadelphia an ad from LetFreedomRingUSA that's trying to buck up the free market position on the economy and, by extension, McCain's lack of anything better. But even more wonderful than that bit of silliness is who it features...follow me below the fold for video and mockery.
First, here's the ad in question:
As far as the ad itself is concerned, it's a blatant scare tactic on taxes and jobs, without so much as a hint of substance. It is, of course, designed as a dog-whistle to all the free market ideological cues drummed into conservatives over the last twenty years. The problem is that those old calls ("raising taxes always means on you", "raising taxes costs jobs", etc.) have broken down in the face of the abject failure of free market policies to prevent those very things, plus the overall mismanagement that it now represents to most actual working Americans.
That the thing is so clueless and blind to either the realities of Pennsylvania or the failure of free market economics will not come as a surprise to those of us who know the fool behind LetFreedomRingUSA. That would be none other than our own local Ten Commandments champion and rampant free marketeer Colin Hanna, former Chester County commissioner and right-wing Republican hack. His original money for the group (per SourceWatch) comes from the ever reliable right-wing moneyman Jack Templeton, but where else he's getting funds is a bit of a mystery. At least, until now...
For who should show up as the centerpiece of this latest ad but Grover Norquist, looking as weasel-like as ever and reading his lines like a "not an actor" participant in an infomercial. It seems that Norquist's friends have found another tool to take their cash and dispense supply-side lies on demand.
A quick update:
After a thorough search, it seems that the ad isn't found on either the LetFreedomRing or Americans for Tax Reform websites. No mention of it, though other ads are featured on both sites. Meanwhile, Norquist's own site is busy claiming Obama is lying about taxes, proving that Grover can't even do basic math, despite all these years of trying.
Update II:
It seems that a piece from the NYTs Michael Luo back in July included this intersting piece about LetFreedomRingUSA:
One intriguing detail about Let Freedom Ring is that Tim Goeglein, a former White House political operative who worked closely with Karl Rove as a liaison to social and religious conservatives, is a consultant helping the group. Mr. Goeglein quit his White House post in March after admitting he had repeatedly plagiarized from other writers in occasional guest columns he did for his hometown newspaper.
And the exceptionally poor quality of these ads is further explained. Not only is Grover involved, but so is this plagiaristic little ex-Rove hack who's obviously never had an original idea that didn't drop out of Turdblossom's nether end.
Much clearer now! Hanna's hiring the only disgraced shills that will still work for a Republican 501.