I received a campaign flier on my door today from the American Future Fund. It includes the usual tea party buzzwords to compare US Senate candidates Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias.
The front side pretends to be non-partisan. "As we decide which direction our country should go with thought you should know the key positions of our Senate candidates."
The flip side compares their positions on three issues: "Obamacare," "Deficit Spending" and "Pledged to Never Raise Taxes."
It claims that Kirk opposes deficit spending. That's news to me since Kirk spent years voting for Bush's budgets that increased the deficit to support tax breaks for the super-rich and two foreign wars.
The creators of the flier may want us to know where the candidates stand on a few "key positions" but they don't want us to know who's funding the American Future Fund.
They've already come under fire for potential violations of federal election law that are designed to disclose campaign spending.
Public Citizen, Protect Our Elections and the Center for Media and Democracy today filed a complaint against the American Future Fund, charging that the group’s "major purpose" is electioneering, which would require it to register as a political committee.
Although the Supreme Court and other federal courts have shredded most laws relating to outside groups’ electioneering activities, such a finding would at least require AFF to reveal the sources of its funds.
They're spending millions across the country against Democrats, including Illinois Congressman Phil Hare. Most of their spending favors ultra-conservative tea party style Republicans, so it's interesting to see them support Kirk, who portrays himself as a moderate.
This flier was dropped off at my door in Springfield. But by who? A staffer for the American Future Fund? The Tea Party? A volunteer for the Kirk campaign or the local Republican Party?
I'd like to know how closely Kirk is working with this mysterious group and what they expect from him in return.
Cross-posted from my blog.