WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Democratic TV ad all but accuses the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of using foreign funds to secretly back Republican congressional candidates, igniting a furious round of denials and counter-accusations from Republicans.
Democrats presented no evidence to substantiate the charge. The use of foreign funds for U.S. campaign activities is prohibited.
The Democratic National Committee ad issued barely three weeks from elections in which their hold on House and Senate majorities appears shaky, calls the chamber “shills for big business” and says it is spending millions from anonymous donors to help GOP candidates.
“It appears they’re even taking secret foreign money to influence our elections,” the ad says. “It’s incredible, Republicans benefiting from secret foreign money.”
The commercial’s allegations echo remarks that President Barack Obama made in a speech last week. Without mentioning the chamber by name, he said the group takes money from overseas companies and added, “So groups that receive foreign money are spending huge sums to influence American elections, and they won’t tell you where the money for their ads come from.”
Asked to back up the allegation, White House adviser David Axelrod offered no proof but said, “Why not simply disclose where this money is coming from and the all of these questions would be answered.”
Axelrod said corporate interests are spending huge sums to help Republicans in the elections, calling those expenditures “a threat to our democracy.”
Appearing on Sunday talk shows, a pair of leading Republican strategists accused Obama and Democrats of lying.
“They have not one shred of evidence to back up that baseless lie,” said Karl Rove, who was a top adviser to President George W. Bush.
“Have these people no shame?” Rove said. “Does the president of the United States have such little regard for the office that he holds that he goes out there and makes these kind of baseless charges against his political enemies? This is just beyond the pale. How dare the president do this.”
The chamber, one of the nation’s most powerful business lobbies, spent more than $10 million in ads last week for candidates in House and Senate races around the country, mostly to help Republicans. That is the biggest one-week expenditure of the campaign so far by anyone but the national political parties. The chamber has not revealed where the money came from and is not required to.
Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the national Republican Party, said Axelrod “is either woefully uninformed or willfully deceptive and dishonest.” He said Republicans are following the same rules of disclosure that permitted presidential candidate Obama to not specify where all his contributions came from in 2008, and accused the White House of trying to intimidate its political opponents.
“These ads are not a threat to democracy,” Gillespie said of the chamber’s efforts. “They may be a threat to their power, but their power and democracy are not the same thing, and it’s very revealing that they see it that way.”
Chamber officials say that out of the chamber’s $200 million annual budget, it receives $100,000 from American business interests abroad. They say that money is used to help finance the chamber‘s international programs and doesn’t use any of it for U.S. political activities.
In a written statement, Tom Collamore, a senior chamber vice president, said the Democratic charges show the party trying to change the subject and said the ad is “ridiculous and false.”
“The U.S. Chamber will continue to support candidates from both political parties who support a pro-jobs, pro-growth agenda,” Collamore said.
Rove appeared on “Fox News Sunday,” while Axelrod and Gillespie spoke on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
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Comments (169)
intothelight
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:10pmThe pot calls the kettle black
Report Post »dirtytricksjusttowin
Posted on October 11, 2010 at 4:54amBe careful, he might cry racism…oh that doesn’t work anymore.
Report Post »Ephraim064
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:10pmWaaaahhhhhh boooohoooooo!
What about Obama’s campaign being funded by palestinian and other arab monies. Waaaahhhhhh!!!
Report Post »JeffW65
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:10pmHmmm… accuse a group of criminal acts with the intent to discredit the group and offer no proof to support your claims.
What were the definitions of slander, libel and defamation? Oh yeah pretty much what’s mentioned above. Can you say IMPEACHMENT Mr. President?
Report Post »RightWingKookTank
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:08pmOh! I forgot to add: THIS IS A REPUBLIC ***NOT*** A “DEMOCRACY”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The numbskulls on the left, INCLUDING the “president”, can’t seem to get this most simple of statements CORRECT!!!
Report Post »Daniel4
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:08pmA prof I had once said, “When confronted with an allegation of fact that does not seem accurate or probable, just say “Text Please” and demand substantiation.”
I’m all for freedom of speech but sometimes wish that we had redress in the courts to force the speakers to produce compelling evidence or pay dearly for their “misstatement of the facts”. There are times when I find the UK’s laws on liable and slander refreshing.
Report Post »megaman
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:07pmwheres the proof I doubt the democrats have any but if they do lets see it dont make clams they cant back up
Report Post »American Pride
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:07pmWhy would foreign interests align with the Repubs?? It is the Dems who are pushing global redistribution of American wealth through international climate control conglomerates and other like initiatives.
The Tea Party Repubs are circling American wagons as they should be. Things such as leveling the import/export playing field are now on the table.
No. Foreign interests lie heavily with the Dems.
Report Post »American Pride
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:12pmAnd taking money from the Chinese? LOL Obama has the trademark on that. I suspect that more Chinese money has flowed into the US under his watch than under any previous administration.
Report Post »Eagle07
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:39pmHeck China should be able to donate because thanks to Barack Osama they practically own us.
Report Post »RightWingKookTank
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:06pmI would think that the LAST people that want to shine a light on the origin (soros) of campaign contributions (soros) would be the democrats. It would be nice if they’d try to shine a BIG, BRIGHT light on the origin (soros) of all of the laws that they have passed (soros).
This is just another dirty democrat trick to besmirch a long-standing, reputable company (The Chamber) in the USA. This only means that The Chamber has been effective. The ONLY ones the dems attack are those with the power (Rush, Glenn, Fox…now, The Chamber) to defeat them. The more effective the opponent, the more vile the attack.
I wonder when the morons on the left are going to figure out that Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and GWB are NO LONGER IN OFFICE or in a position to effect change over ANY of our lives??? The more the left brings them up the more defensive, harpy, desperate and sad they look.
Report Post »phlogiston
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:06pmThe Russians were selling Chinese secrets to North Korea, while Woodrow Wilson was selling Cuba rocket technology to Nazi Germany to finance his own election campaign!
C. Schwehr
Posted on October 11, 2010 at 12:24amTime for your meds!
Report Post »Eagle07
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:04pmThe Dimwits said “why not just disclose where the money is coming from?” This from the same morons that refuse to produce a birth certificate or a thesis. Just like the dimwits do as we say not as we do.
Report Post »Sunnyr
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:03pmAnother crock of crap from the Obummer Regime. How soon they forget………………….
——————————————————————————————————————————————
NEW YORK TIMES: Obama’s “foreign money” claims are bogus. They’re also pretty rich, considering how his 2008 campaign handled foreign credit cards. From that National Journal story: “The lack of a computerized address-verification system would allow the Obama campaign’s computers to accept online donations from U.S. citizens above legal limits, and to accept donations from foreigners who are barred by law from contributing at all.” Perhaps its time to remind people of that issue again. Oh, wait, I just did!
Here’s more on that from 2008: “A breakdown of controls has enabled foreign and other unaccountable funds to pour into the Obama campaign — and it’s not an accident.”
Plus, from the Washington Post: Obama Accepting Untraceable Donations. “Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is allowing donors to use largely untraceable prepaid credit cards that could potentially be used to evade limits on how much an individual is legally allowed to give or to mask a contributor’s identity, campaign officials confirmed. Faced with a huge influx of donations over the Internet, the campaign has also chosen not to use basic security measures to prevent potentially illegal or anonymous contributions from flowing into its accounts, aides acknowledged.”
————————————————————————————————————————————
Have you EVER seen a bigger hypocrite than this President and his Useful Idiots?
Report Post »FromMicahsPointofView
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:03pmLet‘s just hope to Hell that they don’t tell the children this BS.
Report Post »Soquel by the Creek
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:02pmYou want to documented evidence of funny-money campaign financing? Look no further than California’s Proposition 27. There‘s good ol’ George Soros and a host of other well-connected, big-money donors. At least four billionaires are among the list. At least one of those billionaires has connections to a foreign government.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FeeW8ePvBFtVAkfEuEKXTQ
Proposition 27 hopes to maintain Gerrymandered political districts in California to ensure that California’s radical Left maintains their Congressional, Assembly, and State Senate Seats. A variety of special interests also hopes to protect their multi-million dollar investment in California’s politicians-for-hire.
Learn more at …
Proposition 27 Revealed!
Report Post »http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2010/09/proposition-27-revealed.html
computerdweller
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 7:54pmHow about next election in each state that allows amendments, we propose an amendment to redistrict by zip code starting in from the northwest corner of a state and going southward just like reading a newspaper. when a group of zips has the right number of citizens that’s a congressional district. Call it the “End Political Gerrymandering Amendment”. In some states a new state senator could propose it as a bill.
Report Post »timej31
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:01pmWhy even run this?
Report Post »swigs
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 11:25pmI reckon it’s to remind folks of the Saul Alinsky tactic the Dems are fond of.
“Accuse your opponents of the very thing you are trying to do”.
Report Post »Rules for Radicals
kuhl
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:58pmI seem to recall a whole wad of Chinese cash in Hillary’s campaign funds.
Report Post »I Love Freedom
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:56pmLets not forget about the Chinese military in the Clinton Whitehouse getting rocket technology. How about Sorros dumping money into opposition groups, these guys are no more to sit and judge anybody else. This administration IS the most corrupt there ever was…I wonder why they are not looking at Nancy Poliski’s husband, it seems like he had a sweetheart deal with the Chinese goverment.
Report Post »Waiting4George
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:55pmI know believe the new “D” stands for disingenuous.
Report Post »butler180
Posted on October 11, 2010 at 12:12amRight on, Right on
Report Post »butler180
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:55pmHow about all the foreign money the Dems received for Pres Obama?
Report Post »I think the Dems claim is bogus, but if true look in the mirror first.
Lesterp
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:01pmShhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, We can’t talk about that.
Report Post »caitlynsdad
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:54pmHave these people no shame? Rove said. Does the president of the United States have such little regard for the office that he holds that he goes out there and makes these kind of baseless charges against his political enemies? This is just beyond the pale. How dare the president do this?
Karl, where have you been the past two years?
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:20pmAttacking the GOP Senatorial nomineee from DE.
Report Post »mintyfresh
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:38pmkarl rove talking about shame. pot, meet kettle.
Report Post »BoilitDown
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 5:36pmOf all people, Karl Rove should know exactly how shameless they are. All the things they conjured up to discredit him that was ultimately debunked demonstrated their lack of conscience. They have even renewed their assault on him. They need an enemy to attack in the media. A real enemy is not required, just someone unpopular with the lefties.
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 8:18pmRove is the master of DIRTY TRICKS. What goes around, comes around. He is NO fried of the Tea Party movement. He is a big govt, NeoCon.
Report Post »OTFLOL
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:53pmThey have to blame something other than their own failed policies.
Report Post »tobywil2
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:52pmFirst things, first. Investigate the source of large donations to the 2008 Obama campaign from poor familys. lots of rumors during the campaign. http://commonsense21c.com/
Report Post »gharclerode
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:46pmAmen !!!
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 5:34pmIf there‘s anyone familiar about the practice of using foreign funds for campaigns it’s Obama and his cronies.
Report Post »Freelancer
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:48pmI grow very tired almost too old to fight
As enemies of liberty transform wrong to right
Our children are taught lessons from past
But those lessons are revised from first to last
People have allowed their freedoms restrained
By out of control government that keeps rewriting the game
When the people speak up and say NO MORE
Politicians stand up and show them the door
As the anger grows and enough is enough
The elected respond by legislating more stuff
I am saddened to think that our progeny may know
Just how large and oppressive our government will grow
Laws get passed in the guise of health
But the true intent is to redistribute the wealth
They take money away from the rich that earn
And claim as they do that they have money to burn
There are those that refuse to work even one day
But demand that more welfare should be coming their way
As has been proven time and time again
The gravy train will end let the riots begin
Our forefathers wrote when this Republic began
The governments will grow the people be damned
A revolution was fought over this in the past
It is coming again and some will not last
America will survive in what form is unknown
But one thing is certain seeds of liberty have been sewn
God bless this country as we’ve made mistakes in the past
Her Patriots are committed to fight to the last
One day we will wake and this nightmare will end
The sleeping giant has been stirred no need to pretend
Our Constitution will endure let the battle ignite
For the shadows that control will be brought into the light
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
Report Post »charliego
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:03pmEXCELLENT, freelancer. I had another comment, but this says it all. thank you
Report Post »Freelancer
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:09pmThank you…. Except for the obvious references to the Founding Document, I wrote that in about five minutes after watching the depressing news this morning. It literally made me cry.
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:17pmVery nice job, FreeLancer! Thanks
Report Post »FreeToGovern
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:02pmKeep up the good fight, Freelancer. November is fast approaching, let’s begin with the voting.
Report Post »Freelancer
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 5:16pmLOL…. I put this on my Facebook account and someone attacked it claiming that all I do is bitch about the democrats. I intentionally left this party neutral and still got nailed for it. I guess that they are feeling guilty and needed to vent. Oh well….
Report Post »Ilovetea
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 5:43pmHope is alive. Glenn Beck would be proud.
Report Post »Mary M. Tebbe
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 6:53pmfreelancer: Beautifully said!!!!! Great poetry! :) Couldn’t have said it better myself…that should be published somewhere!
Report Post »chazman
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 7:11pmThanks, FREELANCER, yer a great American.
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 11:19pmSemper Fi Freelancer.
Report Post »C. Schwehr
Posted on October 11, 2010 at 12:22amWell done, sir. Well done!
Report Post »nanahanna
Posted on October 11, 2010 at 7:23pmExcellent!! You’ve said it all in these verses. I think you’re a very talented individual. Keep up the good work!
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:45pmdesperation reeks.
Report Post »ILFarmer
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:56pmAccusations without proof? That doesn’t sound like the Democrats at all. =P
Report Post »The more they talk the better they discredit themselves.
RealityCheck
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:44pmI would like to point out video evidence of one Nancy (Dem) who passes bills she has not read. To me I am more concerned with that CRIME than I am foreign money spent on campaigns.
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 2:38pmOf course they don’t talk about their voting record. Anything to change the subject…
Report Post »Miami
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:49pmThis from the George Soros puppets, Last I check he was not American…
Report Post »Robert W
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 3:54pmDesperation.
Report Post »V-Forge
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:04pmdidn’t mention the union funds that only the dems seem to get even if the member ever did support an republican.
Report Post »BoiseBaked
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:17pmNothing new here – the ye old progressive, democrat playbook. Any means to an end. Pure evil.
Report Post »MiketheTrucker
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:21pmThat’s laughable. The demorats usually accuse the republicans of everything the demorats are guilty of, it’s blatantly obvious in EVERYTHING they say. Perhaps we should be looking into their contributions.
Report Post »FrankSpeak
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:55pmIt’s a weak “October Surprise” if you ask me!
Report Post »angrymob
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 5:03pmI think in this case, it’s the lesser of two evils. I‘d rather be accused of doing something to defend democracy than bringing it down like Obama’s doing.
Report Post »ironcowboy
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 8:58pmHay President Odie… why not disclose your college transcripts and your original birth certificate and prove those accusations false…
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 10:38pmDon’t the unions represent first other countries (you know workers of the world unite) like BP to mention just 1 and do the unions also represent ILLEGALS which are NOT American citizens.. I don’t beleive that there is much the DEMS can do at this point to sway those who are FED up with the lies OBAMA has been telling as well as his cohorts.. and the Kool Aid drinkers will follow like sheep anyway.. BTW tonight I had a call from some Poll about Energy.. the questions they asked were to get you to say you wanted only solar and wind energy.. I figured out why some people answer they don’t know..on Polling questions.. the answers are misleading and worded to support the agenda for those that pay for the poll.. after telling them I did not support only those 2 options for energy they asked the last question in such a way that no matter what I answered it would look like I did.. the ONLY available answer NOT to totally support wind and solar only was I DON’T KNOW.. Next time you see that answer realize the people most likely KNOW but weren’t given a option that supports their view
Report Post »CrystalClear
Posted on October 11, 2010 at 12:02pmWhat a lame talking point for the Dems. As if they are squeeky clean. Yeah right, only to the useful idiots. Check the Dems contribution record, not to mention their fraudulent vote collections.
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