Fleischer's "Freedom's Watch" targets Smith with $150K in media buys

This is fascinating, it shows Bush's endgame: (0.00 / 0)

preserve his legacy (US military presence in Iraq through the end of his administration, regardless of what happens there afterwards) at whatever cost, even the collapse of his political party.

Many of those targeted districts are, indeed, targeted because their Representative or Senator is threatened in their reelection campaign by a constituency that disapproves strongly of the course of events in Iraq.

So, reasonably, the Representative/Senator is wavering about continuing to support our presence in Iraq because of the risk that they may not be reelected for that stance.

Bush, however, doesn't give a damn about them, he just wants us in Iraq EVEN IF it comes at the cost of electoral disaster for his party, as he'll be out of office by the time they are sworn in and won't have to deal with the consequences "on his watch."

Who knew that Bush would pose such a threat to the Republican party? It's no wonder that there's talk of him not being invited to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis next fall.

An alternative interpretation is that these ads are intended to shore up support for the war, which would actually benefit the threatened Representative/Senator, but that is improbable because 1)they are scripted to put the pressure on the Representative/Senator, not their opponents (Dems), and 2)many of these Representatives/Senators have already voted against the war (in at least a token way, like Smith), so increasing support for the war doesn't help someone who's spoken (and voted) against it.

A final alternative interpretation is that this will give "moderate" Republicans cover to appear like they aren't Bush lackeys when the (presumably) continue to oppose the war (even in token ways, like Smith), which may help them in states (like Oregon) where the war is overwhelmingly unpopular and they survive only by appearing not to be Bushbots.  This would be a very strange way to spend $15 million, and the emotional appeal of the ads contradicts this as it'll likely energize those 25% who support the war, so for the Representative/Senator to continue to vote against it would isolate them from their base.

Nope, I think Bush is throwing the wavering (even WINO) Republicans under the bus for his own selfish purposes.

---

by: verasoie @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 15:46:49 PM CDT

A final alternative interpretation (0.00 / 0)

This would be a very strange way to spend $15 million, and the emotional appeal of the ads contradicts this as it'll likely energize those 25% who support the war, so for the Representative/Senator to continue to vote against it would isolate them from their base.

I wonder about this too.  There's a kind of Blazing Saddles shoot-the-sheriff quality to the GOP turning the heat on their own like this. 

I think every time Karl Rove talks to Bush, he must pound it into his head that keeping 41 votes in the Senate is the key to everything: hampering meaningful oversight, protecting Rove, Gonzales, and others facing the possibility of indictment or contempt charges, and above all dragging out the Iraq occupation. Nothing else matters, including the long term cost of keeping those 41 in line.

As you say, the Freedom's Watch campaign puts all but the most die-hard Republicans in a no-win situation.  Use 'em up and toss 'em.

As for the $15 million, in the grand scheme of things that's not much money.  For the right-wing cash machines it's not much more than walking-around money.  Still, it would be interesting to know where it came from, wouldn't it?  Here are the ones we know about:

Freedom's Watch was organized as a nonprofit organization under IRS rules and is not required to identify its donors or the amounts they give. The group named some of its financial backers but Blakeman said others wished to remain out of the public eye.

Among those publicly behind the effort are billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a fundraiser for Bush and chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., and conservative philanthropist John M. Templeton Jr. of Bryn Mawr, Pa. Both men have been major contributors to conservative causes. Also backing Freedom's Watch are top Republican donors Anthony Gioia, Mel Sembler and Howard Leach, all former ambassadors in the Bush administration.

I haven't had a chance to see what other projects this collection of "philanthropists" has funded.

bn

---

by: nothstine @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 20:45:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Forgot to mention: (0.00 / 0)

Here's the source for the list of contributors.

bn

---

by: nothstine @ Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 20:49:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]