Democrats from President Barack Obama on down have generally been highly critical of Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, but at least one group has decided there is no percentage in playing by the rules Democrats may prefer when Republicans are using the SCOTUS ruling to their advantage.
The group is Priorities USA. Actually, it is two groups – there is also a Priorities USA Action. It aims to mirror the Crossroads GPS group formed by Karl Rove and others, which accepts unlimited donations that would not be allowed if they went to a candidate’s own political operation.
Democrats Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney are behind the operation. Burton said, “While we agree that fundamental campaign finance reforms are needed, Karl Rove and the Koch brothers cannot live by one set of rules as our values and our candidates are overrun with their hundreds of millions of dollars. We will follow the rules as the Supreme Court has laid them out, but the days of the double standard are over.”
The Priority USA Action website is a minimalist offering at the moment. It shows a one-and-a-half minute video of Republicans on the attack, featuring Rove, the Koch’s, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachman and Glenn Beck, and offers the following mission statement: “Priorities USA Action is an Independent Expenditure PAC that supports candidates who will advance policies that provide the strongest and most sound outcomes for middle class families.”
According to reports, the group seeks to build a $100M warchest to defend Democratic candidates, including Obama, during the 2012 elections, and it hopes to counter efforts from Crossroads and other groups.
RBR-TVBR observation: The McCain-Feingold legislation, intended to limit the amount of cash flowing into the political process, was passed during the last decade, spent much of its time being eviscerated in the courts and being subjected to wishy-washy interpretation from the politically-hamstrung Federal Election Commission. Meanwhile, political spending behaved as if it was exiting a Cape Canaveral launching pad. It looks like more skyrocketing is in store.
