Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the DNC, has been decrying groups like Crossroads GPS for spending undisclosed money in elections. But two years ago, he ran such a group, Americans United for Change, which ran exactly the same kinds of ads against several Republicans.
Bring it up to Woodhouse — like The New York Times did — and he’ll cry foul:
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Oh, really? Didn’t mention or attack specific candidates? Well, what about this ad?
This is exactly like the Crossroads GPS ads. There is no difference.
AUFC spent $360,000 on such ads in 2008, according to its tax filings. (It spent nearly twice as much on a bus tour to highlight “the destructive results of the conservative policies and ideologies implemented under the Bush administration.”) That’s not nearly as much as GPS is spending, but it’s exactly the same kind of spending. (Where did the money come from? FOREIGNERS! If not, why don’t you disclose your donors? What, do you have something to hide?) Woodhouse made a modest $136,000 running the group that year.
Unfortunately, the Times didn’t take the story that far, but I hope they do an update and point out that he lied to them.
