Big Money Funding Far-Right Agenda
October 12, 2010
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Forget the Tea Party zealots and their headline-grabbing antics, the real story in this election cycle is the tens of millions of dollars that are flowing from corporate extremists to front groups with progressive sounding names.
Hiding behind innocuous names like, “Americans for Job Security” and “Americans for Prosperity,” these front groups are bent on restoring corporate control to Congress, where they can revive the anti-labor agenda that was sidetracked by elections in 2006 and 2008.
These are the same groups that stonewalled the Employee Free Choice Act, opposed any change to the nation’s broken health care system and fought against raising the minimum wage. Among their top priorities is to preserve the Bush tax cuts that will shift billions to the nation’s wealthiest citizens over the next decade.
A new report by American Rights at Work titled, “Behind the Anti-Worker Agenda, Anti-Union Groups Spending Millions to Push Far-Right Agenda This Election,” provides an in depth look at these groups and the big money extremists who are trying to buy seats in Congress for their far-right allies.
The report includes information about the following groups:
American Crossroads: An organization founded by “Bush’s Brain” Karl Rove, American Crossroads is spending tens of millions of dollars to return us to the Bush economic policies that caused our current economic disaster.
Americans for Job Security: An insurance industry front group, Americans for Job Security was created to counter the influence of organized labor and is known as “one of the nation’s most vicious campaign hit teams.”
Americans for Prosperity: Hailed by Forbes Magazine for its success in shipping American jobs to China, Americans for Prosperity was active in organizing opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act and opposed the extension of unemployment benefits in the middle of our current recession.
The Club for Growth: The Club for Growth supports eliminating Medicare, privatizing Social Security, and calls the Employee Free Choice Act “an abomination.” Known for its nearly unlimited access to the Bush White House, The Club for Growth has been criticized by John McCain as nothing more than the “bagman for the ultra rich.”
FreedomWorks: Headed by former GOP House leader Dick Armey, who supports “phasing out” Social Security and abolishing Medicare, FreedomWorks strongly opposes the Employee Free Choice Act and opposed Wall Street reform.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has moved in an even more extreme direction and plans to spend $50 million to support unfair trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA. The Chamber also opposes the Employee Free Choice Act, opposes strong workplace safety laws, and even opposed paycheck equity.
