Group Plans Campaign Against G.O.P. Donors

[BoogyMan]

:madlaugh:I so wish the witless, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, troglodytes at Accountable America would send me one of these letters. :madlaugh:


Source: Link (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/us/politics/08donate.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1218391228-vRqll2/AAvhtxlZVYitwaA)

Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding “warning” letter in the mail next week.

The letter is an opening shot across the bow from an unusual new outside political group on the left that is poised to engage in hardball tactics to prevent similar groups on the right from getting off the ground this fall.


Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years, the newly formed nonprofit group, Accountable America, is planning to confront donors to conservative groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions.


...Read More... (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/us/politics/08donate.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1218391228-vRqll2/AAvhtxlZVYitwaA)

[Elrathin]

Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't this below be considered a form of extortion?

The warning letter is intended as a first step, alerting donors who might be considering giving to right-wing groups to a variety of potential dangers, including legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives.

[xLIBREx]

Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't this below be considered a form of extortion?

Legally it would not fit that definition. There is nothing being "extorted." It's simply a matter of people exercising their first amendment rights.

Funny though, when you look at the top ten McCain donors and the top ten Obama donors, most of them are the same. So I'm not quite sure what their point really is? Plus, they are stepping on moveon's toes so let's watch how that internal power struggle plays out.

[Elrathin]

Legally it would not fit that definition. There is nothing being "extorted." It's simply a matter of people exercising their first amendment rights.

Sorry you are right, I'm thinking of blackmail. Wouldn't blackmailing these organizations be illegal? I.E. "don't give to these conservatives groups or we will tell the world your dirty secrets"?

[NIOSA]

:madlaugh:I so wish the witless, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, troglodytes at Accountable America would send me one of these letters. :madlaugh:

:lmao:
What a bunch of witless neanderthals.

[BoogyMan]

This has caught the eye of Judicial Watch.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2008/aug/judicial-watch-launches-investigation-effort-intimidate-conservatives

[xLIBREx]

This has caught the eye of Judicial Watch.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2008/aug/judicial-watch-launches-investigation-effort-intimidate-conservatives

The Judicial watch is going to run into a 1st Amendment problem here. They are basically interpreting the KKK Act to include speech with no threat of physical harm. That does not meet the standard for illegal coercion which is not protected by the 1st Amendment.

They have every right to exercise their 1st Amendment rights to free speech.

A key federal civil rights law (42 U.S.C. § 1985(3)), popularly known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, may be applicable if “two or more persons conspire to prevent by force, intimidation, or threat, any citizen who is lawfully entitled to vote, from giving his support or advocacy in a legal manner, toward or in favor of the election of any lawfully qualified person as an elector for President or Vice President, or as a Member of Congress of the United States; or to injure any citizen in person or property on account of such support or advocacy.”

[Conservationist]

Ah, so the Stalinist heritage comes out... good work!

[BoogyMan]

It will certainly be interesting to watch and see how this thing unfolds. I still wish they would send me one of their letters.

[Leslie]

Damn, politics is really gettin' dirtier 'n dirtier 'n with the availability of personal info, it 's gonna be more invasive than ever. I think we all have a right to know which orgs 'n corporations give to which candidates 'n causes (most give to both parties), but I think what an individual does is their own damn business.

I get a slew of emails from various orgs I belong to 'n a lot of what I call 'gimmie emails' (askin' for more money) 'n damn near fell outta my recliner when I saw one was from John McCain. I thought WTF?!? Yep folks, he got the local listin' from the Patriot Guard Riders, I guess the bikers are payin' off for him. ;)

It did allow me to unsubscribe 'n I did. :lmao:

[xLIBREx]

While I find this a despicable practice, I certainly hope it doesn't land in the wrong activist judge's lap so we can have one more intrusion upon our 1st Amendment rights.