Fact Check: Tim
Pawlenty at AFP
Please
see the below fact check on Tim Pawlenty’s misleading rhetoric about
his fiscal record as Governor of Minnesota at the Americans for
Prosperity forum in Manchester, NH:
PAWLENTY
RHETORIC: “We
have
a government that was fighting recently about whether $3.65
billion or $3.7 billion. The problem was, they were only taking in
$2.20 trillion.”
REALITY: PAWLENTY LEFT MINNESOTA WITH A PROJECTED $6.2 BILLION
DEFICIT
When Pawlenty Left Office, Minnesota
Faced A $6.2 Billion Deficit For The 2012-2013 Biennium. [Minnesota
Public Radio,
12/2/10]
·
“Minnesota's
Projected Budget Deficit Shrank By A Fifth To $5 Billion … State
Economist Tom Stinson Attributed The Improvement To Federal Action That
Helped The Economy, Including A Payroll Tax Cut And Delay In A Capital
Gains Tax Hike.” [Associated Press,
2/28/11]
·
Minnesota’s Budget “Deficit Is Nearly 13 Percent
Of The State's General Fund.” [Associated Press,
2/28/11]
Star Tribune’s
Lori Sturdevant: “No Other Governor In Minnesota's 152-Year History”
Besides Pawlenty “Has Handed His Successor A $6.2 Billion Deficit
Forecast.” [Lori Sturdevant op-ed
, Star Tribune,
12/4/10]
PAWLENTY
RHETORIC: “We
cut spending and brought it below zero for the first budget cycle in
our 150 year history.
REALITY:
PAWLENTY’S CLAIM THAT HE CUT SPENDING IN REAL TERMS FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN 150 YEARS IS “BARELY TRUE”
Politifact: Pawlenty’s Claim That He “Cut Spending In Real Terms
For The First Time In 150 Years” Is “Barely True.” [Politifact,
4/12/11]
·
Politifact:
“The 2010 General Fund Budget Year (Which Starts July 1, 2009), Was Not
The First Year Spending Dropped. Spending Also Dropped In 2009, 2004,
1986 And 1983, Although It Was Up For The Two-Year Cycles That Included
Those Years.” [Politifact,
4/12/11]
·
Politifact:
“We Should Note That The 2010-2011 Budget Biennium Was Helped By A Few
Factors” Including $2.3 Billion In Stimulus Money And More Than $3
Million In K-12 Funding Shifts. [Politifact,
4/12/11]
PAWLENTY
RHETORIC: “We cut taxes over my eight years as
Governor.”
REALITY: UNDER PAWLENTY, MINNESOTA SAW MILLIONS IN STATE AND
LOCAL TAX INCREASES
“During
Pawlenty’s
Tenure… State And Local Tax Rates Have Increased For 90
Percent Of Minnesotans, While Tax Rates For The State’s Wealthiest,
Those Earning More Than $130,000, Have Decreased.” [MinnPost.com, 2/15/10]
Cato
Institute:
Despite Pawlenty’s Campaign Pledge Not To Raise Taxes,
Pawlenty “Backed A $200 Million Tax Increase On Cigarette Consumers In
2005 And A $109 Million Corporate Tax Increase In 2008.” [Fiscal Policy
Report Card on America’s Governors, The Cato Institute, 10/20/08]
… ESPECIALLY PROPERTY TAXES
“During
Pawlenty’s Tenure, Property Taxes Have Increased By $3 Billion, Or 65
Percent.” [MinnPost.com, 2/15/10]
August
2002,
Pawlenty: “You Can’t Run Around The State And Say I’m Not Going
To Increase Taxes And Then Cut LGA In A Way That Drives Up Local
Property Taxes.” [Associated Press, 9/29/06]
2002:
Pawlenty
Said, “You Know, You Can’t Run Around The State And Say ‘I’m
Not Going To Increase Taxes’ And Then Cut LGA In A Way That Drives Up
Local Property Taxes. I Know That.” [Mankato Free Press, 8/8/09]
·
2002
– 2009: Property Taxes Were Up By Nearly $2.7 Billion. Under Pawlenty,
total statewide property taxes have increased by nearly $2.7 billion
from 2003 to 2009 or 53.8 percent. [Minnesota House Research
Department, Property Tax Simulations – 9A6, 1/7/10; 8A4, 1/8/10; 7A5, 9/27/07; 6A5, 8/18/06; 5A4, 9/19/05; 4C6, 12/29/04; 3G1, 8/26/03]
·
2002
- 2008: Property Taxes “Have Increased Rapidly” Due To
“Reductions In
State Aid To Local Governments” Which “Declined By $2.4 Billion In 2008
Dollars.” [“Minnesota Property Taxes by the Numbers: 2009 Edition,”
Minnesota 2020, 4/09]
·
2002
to 2008: “The Average Minnesota Homestead Property Tax Has Increased By
Over 25 Percent.” [“Minnesota Property Taxes by the Numbers: 2009
Edition,” Minnesota 2020, 4/09]
… AND FEES WENT UP BY OVER $1 BILLION
“During
Pawlenty’s Tenure… Fees Have Doubled, Reaching A Total Of $1.25
Billion.” [MinnPost.com, 2/15/10]
WCCO’s
Reality Check: “You Are Paying Billions Of Dollars More In Fees On A
Long List Of Items, Including Cigarettes, Parking Tickets, Marriage
Licenses, Building Permits, Court Cases, College Tuition And Hundreds
Of Other Higher Fees On Pawlenty’s Watch.” [WCCO,
5/18/10]
###
Fact Check: Rick
Santorum at AFP
Please
see the below fact check on Rick Santorum’s remarks at the Americans
for Prosperity forum in Manchester, NH:
SANTORUM RHETORIC: I
would cut taxes and cut taxes on people who create jobs in America and
incentivize corporations to keep their employment here in this country
by cutting corporate taxes. Those are the kinds of things we have to do.
REALITY: OBAMA HAS SIGNED 17 SMALL BUSINESS TAX CUTS INTO LAW
President Obama Has Signed 17 Small
Business Tax Cuts Into Law. [WhiteHouse.gov, 2/25/11]
SANTORUM
RHETORIC: “What would I do to
get this economy going? First and foremost I would repeal Obamacare.
Out of the box.”
REALITY:
REPEALING HEALTH REFORM WILL EXPLODE THE DEFICIT
CBO:
Health Care Reform Will Decrease The Deficit By $230 Billion Over The
Next Ten Years. [CBO blog, 1/6/11]
CBO: Health Care Reform Will Decrease The Deficit By Over $1 Trillion
In The Next Twenty Years.
[Marc Ambinder, The Atlantic
3/18/10]
REALITY: THE HEALTH CARE BILL WILL LOWER COSTS IN THE LONG RUN
WHILE COVERING MORE THAN 30 MILLION PEOPLE AND LOWER DEFICITS
Ezra
Klein: The Center For Medicare And Medicaid Services Report Found That
Spending Would Go Up In 2014 Because We’re Covering 30 Million New
People But Will Go Down After That Because We’re Controlling Costs In
The System. [Ezra Klein, Washington Post,
9/10/10]
CBO:
Health Care Reform Will Decrease The Deficit By $230B Over The Next Ten
Years. [CBO blog, 1/6/11]
REALITY:
AMERICANS DISAGREE WITH REPUBLICAN ATTEMPTS TO REPEAL THE HEALTH CARE
BILL
Kaiser Family Foundation Poll: Only 39% Said They’d Like To See Health
Care Reform Repealed. [Kaiser Family Foundation Poll,
3/21/11]
CBS Poll: 55% Of Americans Disapprove Of The Plan To Cut Off Funding To
The New Health Care Reforms. [CBS Poll,
2/15/11]
Kaiser
Family Foundation Poll: 64% Disapprove Of Cutting Off Funding To
Implement The Health Care Law. [Kaiser Family Foundation Poll,
3/21/11]
###
Fact Check: Mitt Romney
at AFP Part 1
Please
see the below fact check of Mitt Romney’s remarks at the Americans for
Prosperity forum in Manchester, NH:
ROMNEY
RHETORIC: “We
have people who don't know how they can make ends meet because of the
cost of gasoline.”
REALITY:
ROMNEY RAISED THE GAS TAX 500% IN MASSACHUSETTS
Romney
Attacked President Obama On Energy Prices But As Governor Romney Raised
The Fee On Gas Wholesalers By Two-Cents Per Gallon Which “Effectively
Raised Gas Taxes On Every Single Motorist In Massachusetts.” [Politico, 4/28/11]
Romney’s 500% Gas Tax Increase “Was Clearly Excessive.” [
Boston Globe, 6/29/07]
In
2003, Romney Effectively Hiked The Gas Tax On Motorists By Two Cents
Per Gallon. [Cosmo Macero, "Pump It Up! Goosing The Gas Tax With Mitt,"
Boston Herald, 4/11/03]
In
2003, Romney "Surprised Several People ... By Saying He Is Open To A
Federal Increase In Gas Taxes." [The Boston Globe, 4/11/03]
ROMNEY
RHETORIC: .
“When prices are set, they look not only at the supply and demand today
but their expectation of future supply and demand. And if we start
drilling, and use our natural gas, which is suddenly become massive
abundance, and use our oil, and our coal, as well as our renewable
resources, we can change the equation in supply and demand long term
and finally begin to bring that balance into a point where prices can
be affected.”
REALITY:
DOMESTIC OIL PRODUCTION HAS GONE UP DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
FactCheck.org:
Oil Production Has Gone Up In 2009 And 2010. [FactCheck.org, 3/24/11]
Politifact:
“Obama Is Right That American Oil Production Is At Its Highest Level
Since 2003.” [Politifact, 3/15/11]
Washington
Post: “Yes, It Is Correct That Domestic Production Has Increased In
Recent Years.” [Washington Post, 3/15/11]
U.S.
Energy
Information Administration: Domestic Crude Oil Production
Increased In 2010. [U.S. Energy Information Administration, 3/8/11]
U.S.
Energy
Information Administration: Productions Declines In Alaska And
The Gulf Of Mexico Are Projected To Be Offset By Projected Increases In
Lower-48 Production In 2011 And 2012. [U.S. Energy Information
Administration, 3/8/11]
REALITY:
THERE ARE UNUSED OIL LEASES OPEN ON MILLIONS OF ACRES OF LAND
CBS
News: “Oil Companies Are Only Exploring One-Third Of U.S. Land They
Have Rights To.” [CBS News, 4/13/09]
Oil
Industry
Sources: Of The 90 Million Offshores Acres The Oil Industry
Has Leases To, It Is Estimated That Upward Of 70 Million Are Not
Producing Oil. [CNN, 6/29/08]
###
Fact Check: Mitt Romney
at AFP Part 2
Please
see the below fact check of Mitt Romney’s remarks at the Americans for
Prosperity forum in Manchester, NH:
ROMNEY
RHETORIC:
“And as a result of the business I started or helped to start, I was
involved with some startup businesses and some very large businesses,
some in trouble, sometimes successful, sometimes not. But one thing I
learned was how jobs grow in this country and how they go elsewhere.
And how you compete with other countries and I learned how you can try
and make America more competitive place with more jobs to grow.”
REALITY: ROMNEY’S PRIVATE SECTOR CAREER
CONSISTED OF PROFITING OFF OF LAYING OFF THOUSANDS OF WORKERS
Romney’s
Fortune “Was Made On The Backs Of Companies That Ultimately Collapsed,
Putting Thousands of Ordinary Americans Out On The Street.”
[
New York Post, 2/19/11]
Romney-Led
Bain Capital Closed US Factories, Caused Hundreds Of Layoffs And
“Pocketed Huge Fees Shortly Before The Companies Collapsed.” [Los Angeles Times,
12/6/07]
Romney’s Tenure at Bain “Resulted in the Loss of Thousands of Jobs
Through Layoffs And Bankruptcies.”
[
CNN.com, 1/30/08]
Former Bain Partners: Romney Had Chances To Fight To Save Jobs
But Didn’t. [Boston Globe, 1/27/08]
REALITY: ROMNEY’S JOB CREATION RECORD IN
MASSACHUSETTS WAS ONE OF THE WORST IN THE COUNTRY
During
Romney’s Tenure as Governor, Massachusetts’ Economic Performance Was
“One Of The Worst In The Country” On “All Key Labor Market Measures.”
[
Boston Globe, 7/29/07]
Factcheck.org: “Romney’s Jobs Record Provides Little To Boast About.” [
Factcheck.org, 1/11/08]
In Romney’s Four Years As Governor Massachusetts Ranked 47
th Out
Of 50 In Jobs Growth. [
Marketwatch, 2/23/10]
###
Fact Check: Herman Cain
at AFP
Please see the below fact check on Herman Cain’s remarks
at the Americans for Prosperity forum in Manchester, NH:
CAIN RHETORIC: “The American dream is under
attack because of too much legislation. Too much regulation. And too
much taxation.”
REALITY: MANY TAXPAYERS ARE SEEING THEIR TAX BILLS DROP
THANKS TO OBAMA’S TAX CUTS
AP: “Many Taxpayers
Are Seeing Their Bills Drop Under Obama” Thanks To More Generous Tax
Credits, The Extension Of The Bush Tax Cuts, The Making Work Pay Tax
Credit And The Cut In Payroll Taxes. [AP,
2/7/11]
AP: “Income Tax
Payments Will Be Nearly 13% Lower Than They Were In 2008, The Last Full
Year Of The Bush Presidency.”
[AP,
2/7/11]
REALITY: OBAMA HAS NOT RAISED TAXES AND SIGNED NUMEROUS TAX
CUTS INTO LAW
Politifact: Obama Gave A Tax Cut To 95% Of Working Families.
[Politifact,
1/28/10]
REALITY: THE
2010 TAX COMPROMISE WILL BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH
The Obama Tax
Compromise On Tax Cuts Will Likely Boost Economic Growth In 2011. [Wall
Street Journal,
12/8/10]
Economists Mark
Zandi: The Tax Cut Compromise “Will Ensure The Economic Recovery
Evolves Into A Self-Sustaining Economic Expansion.” [AP,
12/7/10]
###
Fact Check: Michele
Bachmann at AFP
Please see the below fact check on Michele Bachmann’s remarks at the
Americans for Prosperity forum in Manchester, NH:
BACHMANN
RHETORIC: “Just
like the Democrats say their big spending, big government pet projects,
so too should pro-growth Republicans passed a massive repeal bill that
does away with government rules and regulations that kill American job
growth. In my opinion, that should take committed constitutional
conservatives a long weekend to get it done.”
REALITY:
OBAMA’S
POLICIES CREATED MILLIONS OF JOBS AND PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS HAVE
ADDED 1.8 MILLION JOBS IN THE LAST 13 MONTHS
March
2011:
Private Employers Added 230,000 Jobs, Marking 13 Consecutive
Months Of Private Employment Growth. [White House Council Of Economic
Advisers Blog, 4/1/11]
Private
Sector
Employers Added 1.8 Million Jobs In The Last 13 Months,
Including More Than 500,000 In The Last 3 Months. [White House Council Of Economic Advisers, 4/1/11]
Private
Employers
Added 1.5 Million Jobs In The Last 12 Months And The
Unemployment Rate Dropped .9% Points Over The Last Three Months, The
Largest Such Decline Since 1983. [White House Council Of Economic Advisers Blog, 3/4/11]
CBO
Said The Recovery Act Increased The Number Of People Employed By Up To
3.6 Million. [ABC News,
11/24/10]
###
PRESS
RELEASE from NHDP
For immediate release:
April 29, 2011
Contact: Holly Shulman
New Hampshire Democratic Party Statement on AFP
Forum
Republicans'
First New Hampshire Forum Says All You Need to Know About GOP
Priorities: Standing Up for Insurance Companies, Oil Companies, the
Wealthy and Big Polluters Against Middle Class Americans
Concord,
NH – Please
see a statement below from New Hampshire Democratic Party
Communications Director Holly Shulman on the Republican Presidential
primary forum being sponsored in the Granite State today by Americans
for Prosperity (AFP) - a shadowy right-wing special interest group,
partly funded by extreme right-wing billionaires, that works against
the interests of middle class Americans.
“The fact that the
very first forum Republican Presidential hopefuls are attending in New
Hampshire is one sponsored by Americans for Prosperity tells you all
you need to know about the priorities of the Republican party and its
candidates: stand up for insurance companies, oil companies, the
wealthy and big polluters against seniors, young people and middle and
working class Americans.
“Americans
for Prosperity, founded and partly funded by the billionaire Koch
brothers, is a special interest front group which is only interested in
the ‘prosperity’ of the fabulously wealthy and the corporate special
interests. AFP and the Koch brothers, who have stood with
insurance
companies against health reform and with energy companies and big oil
against efforts to curb climate change, are mounting an assault across
the country against workers and their collective bargaining rights, and
are now backing a Republican plan to end Medicare and slash Medicaid to
fund tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil.
“The
Republicans in attendance tonight are simply selling their souls to the
special interests and corporate greed. Not only are they kissing
the
ring of the group that is advocating for these warped policies, but
also of the Koch brothers who have committed to spend over $80 million
of their own money to defeat President Obama next year – literally
trying to buy the presidential election so that they can keep taxes low
for the rich while eliminating programs which support seniors and
working class Americans.
“There’s
an old saying that you can tell a lot about someone by the company they
keep – and Republicans standing shoulder to shoulder with AFP and the
Koch brothers proves that they care more about the special interests
than the interests of Granite Staters."
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY FOUNDATION,
CREATION OF DAVID H. KOCH
AFPF Founded In 2003 By David H. Koch. The
New York Times wrote about David H. Koch, noting that “in 2003 he
helped establish the nonprofit Americans for Prosperity Foundation,
which supports free-market policies and promotes government spending
limits. It split off from an earlier Koch-backed enterprise, now called
FreedomWorks, which promotes similar goals.” [New York Times,
7/10/08]
The
Kochs Believe In “Drastically Lower Personal And Corporate Taxes,
Minimal Social Services For The Needy, And Much Less Oversight Of
Industry—Especially Environmental Regulation. “The
Kochs are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower
personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy,
and much less oversight of industry—especially environmental
regulation.” [New Yorker,
8/30/10]
The
Kochs Views Dovetail With Their Corporate Interests As Their Business
Koch Industries Is “One Of The Top Ten Air Polluters In The United
States.” “These views
dovetail with the brothers’ corporate interests. In a study released
this spring, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Political
Economy Research Institute named Koch Industries one of the top ten air
polluters in the United States. And Greenpeace issued a report
identifying the company as a ‘kingpin of climate science denial.’” [New Yorker,
8/30/10]
The Kochs “Outdid Exxon Mobil In
Giving To Organizations Fighting Legislation Related To Climate Change.” “The
report showed that, from 2005 to 2008, the Kochs vastly outdid
ExxonMobil in giving money to organizations fighting legislation
related to climate change, underwriting a huge network of foundations,
think tanks, and political front groups.”[New Yorker,
8/30/10]
Koch
Family Foundations Have Given Nearly $132 Million In Funds Since 1986
To Various Organizations, Including Numerous Right-Wing Groups. Media
Transparency aggregated the grants disbursed from the Koch Family
Foundations, totaling nearly $132 million since 1986. The receiving
institutions include the Cato Institute, Citizens for a Sound Economy,
the Institute for Humane Studies, the Institute for Justice, The
Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, the Reason Foundation,
the Federalist Society, the Manhattan Institute, the Competitive
Enterprise Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute. The Cato
Institute alone has received over $13 million since 1986. [Media Transparency, accessed
5/27/09]
David
H. Koch: “By Supporting All These Different Organizations, I Am Trying
To Support Different Approaches To Achieve” Libertarian
Objectives. In
an interview with David H. Koch, the National Journal wrote that
he “described himself as an ‘opportunist’ willing to put his money
where his political philosophy is. ‘My over-all concept is to minimize
the role of government and to maximize the role of the private economy
and to maximize personal freedoms…By supporting all these different
organizations, I am trying to support different approaches to achieve
those objectives. It's almost like an investor investing in a whole
variety of companies. He achieves diversity and balance. And he hedges
his bets.’” [National Journal, 5/16/92]
AFP IS FUNDED BY BILLIONAIRES BUT
CASTS ITSELF AS POPULIST
Americans
For Prosperity Hosted A Tea Party Training Session Casting Itself As An
Uprising Against Corporate Power But Its Funded By Billionaires. “Five
hundred people attended the summit, which served, in part, as a
training session for Tea Party activists in Texas. An advertisement
cast the event as a populist uprising against vested corporate power.
“Today, the voices of average Americans are being drowned out by
lobbyists and special interests,” it said. “But you can do something
about it.” The pitch made no mention of its corporate funders. The
White House has expressed frustration that such sponsors have largely
eluded public notice. David Axelrod, Obama’s senior adviser, said,
‘What they don’t say is that, in part, this is a grassroots citizens’
movement brought to you by a bunch of oil billionaires.’”[New Yorker,
8/30/10]
AFP GAVE BLOGGER OF THE YEAR AWARD TO
WOMAN WHO CALLED OBAMA “COKEHEAD IN CHIEF” AND SUGGESTED HE WAS DEMONIC
American’s
For United Texas Branch Gave Its Blogger Of The Year Award To A Woman
Who Claimed Obama Was “Cokehead In Chief” And Said He Was Exhibiting
Symptoms Of “Demonic Possession.” “Venable
honored several Tea Party “citizen leaders” at the summit. The Texas
branch of Americans for Prosperity gave its Blogger of the Year Award
to a young woman named Sibyl West. On June 14th, West, writing on her
site, described Obama as the “cokehead in chief.” In an online thread,
West speculated that the President was exhibiting symptoms of “demonic
possession (aka schizophrenia, etc.).” [New Yorker,
8/30/10]
AFP TO BE BIG PLAYERS IN 2012 ELECTIONS
Politico:
“The Billionaire Koch Brothers Plan To Contribute And Steer A Total Of
$88 Million To Conservative Causes During The 2012 Election
Cycle.” “In
an expansion of their political footprint, the billionaire Koch
brothers plan to contribute and steer a total of $88 million to
conservative causes during the 2012 election cycle, according to
sources, funding a new voter micro-targeting initiative, grass-roots
organizing efforts and television advertising campaigns… The aggressive
embrace of political activism by the Koch brothers, Charles and David,
has cheered fiscal conservatives, who hope they will reorient the
conservative political apparatus around free-market, small government
principles and candidates, and away from the
electability-over-principles approach they see Rove and
Gillespie as embodying.” [Politico, 2/11/11]
AFP TARGETED HEALTH CARE
Patients United Now Is a Project of
AFPF. “Patients
United Now is a project of Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which
is a nonprofit organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code.” [About Patients
United Now]
Patients
United Now Held More Than 300 Rallies Against Health Care Reform And At
One Rally An Effigy Of A Democratic Congressman Was Hung, At
Another A
Banner Was Unfurled Depicting Corpses From Dachau. “Americans
for Prosperity also created an offshoot, Patients United Now, which
organized what Phillips has estimated to be more than three hundred
rallies against health-care reform. At one rally, an effigy of a
Democratic congressman was hung; at another, protesters unfurled a
banner depicting corpses from Dachau. The group also helped organize
the “Kill the Bill” protests outside the Capitol, in March, where
Democratic supporters of health-care reform alleged that they were spat
on and cursed at. Phillips was a featured speaker.” [New Yorker,
8/30/10]
AFPF Ran $1.7 Million Eight-State
Anti-Health Reform Ad Campaign. The
Wall Street Journal reported that, “Americans for Prosperity
Foundation, a conservative advocacy organization, on Wednesday plans to
launch a $1.7 million television-advertising campaign that negatively
likens the U.S. health-care system envisioned by lawmakers to Canada's
publicly administered system…The conservative groups' campaigns seek to
liken the Democrats' proposed system to those in countries where the
government has more involvement in the health system. Many experts
don't believe such systems offer worse care than the current U.S.
system …Americans for Prosperity's ad is slated to run in eight states
that have lawmakers seen as influential in the health-care debate:
Montana, Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, Indiana, Alaska
and Nebraska. The group is scheduling rallies in Virginia and elsewhere
starting this weekend to muster opposition to proposed changes.” [Wall Street
Journal, 5/27/09]
AFP TARGETED CAP AND
TRADE
Americans
For Prosperity Has Held Over 80 Events Targeting Cap And Trade And
Speakers Made False Claims That BBQ’s And Kitchen Stoves Would Be Taxed.“Americans
for Prosperity has held at least eighty events targeting cap-and-trade
legislation, which is aimed at making industries pay for the air
pollution that they create. Speakers for the group claimed, with
exaggeration, that even back-yard barbecues and kitchen stoves would be
taxed. The group was also involved in the attacks on Obama’s “green
jobs” czar, Van Jones, and waged a crusade against international
climate talks. Casting his group as a champion of ordinary workers who
would be hurt by environmentalists, Phillips went to Copenhagen last
year and staged a protest outside the United Nations conference on
climate change, declaring, ‘We’re a grassroots organization. . . . I
think it’s unfortunate when wealthy children of wealthy families . . .
want to send unemployment rates in the United States up to twenty per
cent.’”[New Yorker,
8/30/10]
AFP IS GUIDING THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT
American’s
For Prosperity Said Its Role Was To “Educate” Tea Party Activists On
Policy Details And Give Them “Next Step Training” After
Their Rallies. “She explained that the role of Americans for Prosperity
was to help “educate” Tea Party activists on policy details, and to
give them “next-step training” after their rallies, so that their
political energy could be channeled ‘more effectively.’ And she noted
that Americans for Prosperity had provided Tea Party activists with
lists of elected officials to target. She said of the Kochs, ‘They’re
certainly our people. David’s the chairman of our board. I’ve certainly
met with them, and I’m very appreciative of what they do.’” [New Yorker,
8/30/10]
Americans for Prosperity Is One Of The Groups
“Guiding” The Tea Party Movement.“Here
is the organizational landscape of the April 15 tea party movement, in
a nutshell: three national-level conservative groups, all with slightly
different agendas, are guiding it. All are quick to tell you that the
movement is a bottom-up affair and that its grassroots cred is real.
They are: FreedomWorks, the conservative action group led by Dick
Armey; dontGO, a tech savvy free-market action group that sprung out of
last August's oil-drilling debate in the House of Representatives; and
Americans for Prosperity, an issue advocacy/activist group based on
free market principles. Conservative bloggers, talk show hosts, and
other media figures have attached themselves to the movement in
peripheral capacities. Armey will appear at a major rally in Atlanta,
FreedomWorks said.” [Atlantic, 4/13/09]
“Americans For Prosperity Has Worked
Closely With The Tea Party Since The Movement’s Inception.” “Americans
for
Prosperity has worked closely with the Tea Party since the
movement’s inception. In the weeks before the first Tax Day protests,
in April, 2009, Americans for Prosperity hosted a Web site offering
supporters “Tea Party Talking Points.” The Arizona branch urged people
to send tea bags to Obama; the Missouri branch urged members to sign up
for ‘Taxpayer Tea Party Registration’ and provided directions to nine
protests. The group continues to stoke the rebellion. The North
Carolina branch recently launched a ‘Tea Party Finder’ Web site,
advertised as “a hub for all the Tea Parties in North Carolina.’ The
anti-government fervor infusing the 2010 elections represents a
political triumph for the Kochs. By giving money to ‘educate,’ fund,
and organize Tea Party protesters, they have helped turn their private
agenda into a mass movement.” [New Yorker,
8/30/10]
AFP SUPPORTED SCOTT WALKER’S ATTEMPT
TO STRIP COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FROM WORKERS
American’s For Prosperity In
Wisconsin Sponsored “A Bus Tour Around The State Of Those Supporting
Gov. Scott Walker.” “A
bus tour around the state of those supporting Gov. Scott Walker ended
Sunday with several hundred coming to the Alliant Energy Center holding
signs that said ‘Collective Bargaining is Not a Right’ and ‘Remember
November? Wisconsin Majority Stands with Gov. Scott Walker.’ The tour,
sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, stopped in several communities
including Milwaukee, Rhinelander and La Crosse over four days. Among
the speakers encouraging support of Walker's budget-repair bill was Joe
the Plumber, who rose to national fame during the 2008 presidential
election.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/6/11]
Americans
For Prosperity “Has Been Active In Supporting Gov. Scott Walker And His
Budget-Repair Bill” And “Spent $400,000 On TV And Radio Ads In The
State In Support Of The Governor.” “Americans
for Prosperity, a political action group financed by the billionaire
Koch brothers, has been active in supporting Gov. Scott Walker and his
budget-repair bill. AFP director Tim Phillips said Monday that his
group already had spent $400,000 on TV and radio ads in the state in
support of the governor. ‘Yes, we will continue to be very active,’
Phillips said… The Koch brothers also have donated to Walker's
gubernatorial campaign and the Republican Governors Association, among
others. Organized labor and Democrats have accused the brothers and
groups they support of leading the organizational efforts in Wisconsin
to get Walker's bill signed into law.” [Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, 2/28/11]