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Health

During Battle With Planned Parenthood, Even Karl Rove Advised Komen To Rethink Decision To Defund

By Adam Peck on Sep 11, 2012 at 4:01 pm

A new tell-all book by Karen Handel, the former Senior Vice President for Public Policy at Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, alleges that during the organization’s weeks-long confrontation with progressives outraged at their decision to pull funding from Planned Parenthood, Republican strategist Karl Rove was advising that Komen reverse course.

In her book Planned Bullyhood, Handel recounts one conversation towards the end of the scandal with Komen Founder and CEO Nancy Binker:

“…If we blink now, it’s over and no one will know what Komen stands for,” I implored.

Nancy’s reply stunned me. “Karen, I’ve talked to a lot of people. And even Karl says we have to backtrack. There’s just no other way.”

“Karl? Who’s Karl?”

She looked at me strangely as if I should know exactly who she was talking about. She said, “Karl Rove!”

If true, it would be an odd juxtaposition with Rove’s tireless work to elect conservatives who have vowed to defund Planned Parenthood to federal office. “Planned Parenthood, we’re going to get rid of that,” Mitt Romney told a Kirkwood, Missouri interviewer in March. Karl Rove, who advises the Romney campaign, has yet to comment on the allegations made in the book or whether he disagrees with the Republican presidential candidate that Planned Parenthood should be defunded.

Earlier this year, Komen found itself in the middle of a self-inflicted imbroglio when they abruptly announced a new policy that immediately disqualified Planned Parenthood — and only Planned Parenthood — from receiving one of the organization’s sizable grants. The backlash against Komen was immediate and unrelenting, ultimately resulting in the firing Handel, a chief architect of the plan to defund Planned Parenthood. Even months after Komen backtracked, the organization was still suffering the consequences of their initial decision.

Update

In a conversation with the Daily Caller, Karl Rove disputes Karen Handel’s version of events, and denied that he advised Komen to restore their funding to Planned Parenthood:

Reached by phone, the prominent Republican strategist said the charge made by former Komen senior vice president Karen Handel in “Planned Bullyhood” is “not accurate.” He declined to elaborate.

NEWS FLASH

Karl Rove Jokes That He Wants To Kill Todd Akin | At a fundraiser Thursday, Karl Rove told top Republican donors of his plans to use his “outside” groups — Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads — to win House and Senate seats for the party. During his remarks, Bloomberg Businessweek reports, he made the off-color joke: “We should sink Todd Akin. If he’s found mysteriously murdered, don’t look for my whereabouts!” Crossroads GPS pulled its pro-Akin ads after the Missouri Congressman and Republican Senate nominee said victims of “legitimate rape” are unlikely to become pregnant.

Election

A Tale Of Two Ads: How Karl Rove’s Latest Attacks On Tim Kaine Totally Contradict Each Other

By Josh Israel on Aug 22, 2012 at 6:05 pm

Crossroads GPS attack ad

Crossroads GPS attack ad

As part of its latest round of secret-money attack ads, Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS is running a highly misleading and hypocritical attack spot hitting Democratic Senate nominee and former Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA). The ad, entitled “Cost,” slams Kaine for a comment he made last month that the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011 “was the right thing to do.” The compromise saved the country from a potentially disastrous default on its national debt.

Republicans insisted that the debt-ceiling adjustment be paired with massive spending cuts. In the ad Crossroads GPS notes that because the spending cuts in the bill include cuts to the Defense budget, Virginia may see significant job losses, claiming:

Kaine called a plan that puts Defense spending at risk “the right thing,” but newspapers report that that plan could cost Virginia 200,000 jobs — second highest in the country — hitting [the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads] regions hardest. That’s Tim Kaine not putting Virginia first. Tell him: support a plan that protects Virginia jobs.

Watch the video:

The ad cites a July Richmond Times-Dispatch article for the Kaine quote in support of the compromise. Unlike the article, the ad does not note that prominent Virginia Republicans also supported the deal, including Gov. Bob McDonnell House Republican Leader Eric Cantor. In fact, six of Virginia’s eight Republican Congressmen voted for the bill containing those budget cuts.

The premise of the ad — that spending cuts cost jobs — flatly contradicts another ad the same group is running against Kaine. Their “Holes” ad attacks criticizes Kaine for being too big a spender and concludes with the tagline: “Tell Tim Kaine taxes & spending don’t create jobs. Push to cut the debt.”

Watch the video:

Either governments spending cuts cost jobs or they don’t. Taken in tandem, these ads almost suggest Crossroads GPS is more concerned with attacking Kaine than with presenting a consistent public policy argument.

Justice

Better Know A Right-Wing Attack Group: American Crossroads

By Josh Israel and Scott Keyes on Aug 7, 2012 at 4:10 pm

American Crossroads logoPart two of ThinkProgress’ profiles of right-wing groups that are taking advantage of the Citizens United ruling to flood the airways with independent attack ads. See Part 1 here.

American Crossroads is an independent expenditure-only Super PAC.

Created in 2010, American Crossroads claims a “deep love for all that America represents – and a deep concern about the direction we are headed in” and says its vision its vision is that “our country is always at its best when its citizens—not self-serving politicians in Washington—are in control of its future.” It has raised more than $40 million already this cycle and spent at least $11.5 million on independent expenditures.

American Crossroads was co-founded by former George W. Bush campaign architect Karl Rove and Mitt Romney campaign adviser and former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. The group’s president, Stephen Law, is a former chief legal officer and general counsel for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Mike Duncan, chairman of American Crossroads, is a former Republican National Committee Chairman.

One of the group’s top donors, Crow Holdings, is led by Harlan Crow, who made ethically questionable payments to the wife Justice Clarence Thomas and provided gifts to Thomas himself

Watch a sample American Crossroads ad:

Affiliates:

Justice

Better Know A Right-Wing Attack Group: Crossroads GPS

By Josh Israel and Scott Keyes on Aug 6, 2012 at 4:10 pm

It can be hard to keep track of the myriad outside spending groups with similar names that flood the airwaves with negative ads. To help keep them separate, ThinkProgress will be posting regular profiles of right-wing groups that are taking advantage of the Citizens United ruling to flood the airways with independent attack ads. Here is Part 1.

Crossroads GPS logoCreated in 2010, Crossroads GPS is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) organization co-founded by former George W. Bush campaign architect Karl Rove and Mitt Romney campaign adviser and former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. Ironically, Gillespie in 2007 blasted the growing role of similar outside political groups, telling the Center for Public Integrity that independent spenders now “run wild, unfettered, unregulated, not subject to the same rules and regulations as the national parties. And I think that’s been incredibly unhealthy.”

As a 501(c)(4), the group is not legally required to identify its donors — unlike its affiliated Super PAC, American Crossroads. Crossroads GPS notes on its website that its policy is “to not provide the names of its donors to the general public.” It has spent millions of dollars running attack ads against Democrats, including a $25 million blitz against President Obama announced last month.

Sample Crossroads GPS ad:

Affiliates:

Justice

Karl Rove Group May Take Advantage Of FEC Typo To Avoid Donor Disclosure

By Josh Israel on Aug 1, 2012 at 1:59 pm

Crossroads GPS ad on websiteLast week, the Federal Election Commission announced retroactively that effective March 30, 2002 all outside groups running “electioneering communications” — independent ads run within 30 days of federal primaries or nominating conventions or within 60 days of federal general elections that mention candidates but do not expressly advocate for or against them — must identify all donors contributing over $1,000 bankrolling their efforts. But Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS is taking advantage of a mistake on the FEC’s website to avoid disclosure of its donors.

The Los Angeles Times reported today that the secret-money 501(c)(4) group will be running $25 million worth of attack ads against President Obama through August 6, but still does not plan to identify who is bankrolling its ads:

According to the FEC, the electioneering communications window before the Democratic National Convention begins According to the FEC, the electioneering communications window before the Democratic National Convention begins Aug. 4. However, the commission has offered confusing guidance on the topic: Last week, its website identified the start the period as Aug. 7, which the FEC then said was a mistake, noting the correct date was Aug. 4.

“The commission regrets the error,” the FEC said in a statement posted on its website Friday. “The commission will exercise its prosecutorial discretion and will not take enforcement action with respect to communications disbursements made in reasonable reliance on the erroneous information on the website in connection with EC reporting.”

Crossroads GPS spokesman Jonathan Collegio told the paper that the group has no plans to disclose donors as it does not plan to “air ads that will trigger reporting in the [electioneering communications] window.” It is hard to imagine that Rove — who regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a political analyst — and the other operatives at Crossroads GPS were really unaware of when the Democratic National Convention begins.

Still, while the FEC might be willing to let Crossroads GPS avoid disclosure, they might want to consider pulling their August 4 through 7 advertisements. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says he may file a lawsuit to force the group to comply, noting “I think they would have a really difficult time claiming that because of a technical FEC error, they get to violate the law.”

Update

Campaign finance reform advocate Fred Wertheimer called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate any non-disclosed electioneering communications in this period as “knowing and willful” violations of campaign finance law.

Justice

Rove ‘Makes A Mockery’ Of Law: Super PAC Co-Founder To Attend Romney Strategy Session This Weekend

By Josh Israel on Jun 21, 2012 at 12:05 pm

Karl Rove

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

This weekend, Mitt Romney and his campaign will host a retreat for top $100,000-and-up campaign bundlers and donors at a Park City, Utah resort. The event, dubbed the “First National Romney Victory Leadership Retreat,” will reportedly be an opportunity for “strategizing and fraternizing” between those bankrolling the campaign and those running it.

But one name has raised flags for campaign finance watchdogs. A Saturday panel on “media insight” will feature American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS co-founder Karl Rove. The Crossroads reportedly plan to spend a stunning $300 million to help Romney defeat President Barack Obama this November, but they are legally prohibited from coordinating this effort with Romney’s campaign.

Back in December, Romney decried the rise of Super PACs like Rove’s American Crossroads, saying they have been a “disaster” for the political system. He said at the time:

Super PACs have to be entirely separate from a campaign and a candidate. I’m not allowed to communicate with a super PAC in any way, shape or form… If we coordinate in any way whatsoever, we go to the big house.

Mary Boyle, vice president for communications at Common Cause, told ThinkProgress that having one of the leaders of an allied Super PAC at at campaign event with major donors “seems to make a mockery of the rule that bans coordination between a super PAC and a candidate.”

Tara Malloy, senior counsel at the Campaign Legal Center agreed that this presents appearance issues, but would probably not violate any coordination rules. She told ThinkProgress that “the coordination rule is a pretty slim reed between candidates and the SuperPACs that support those candidates. It’s not by any means and airtight barrier between those two.” In order to violate the rules, a candidate would have to have a “substantial discussion” about the Super PAC’s advertising strategies — something Romney and Rove are unlikely to do at this retreat.

“The scandal in Washington,” Malloy observed, “is what is legal, not what’s illegal.” As such, while Romney’s inclusion of Rove at the event open him up to questions of judgment and hypocrisy, is unlikely either will end up in the “big house.”

NEWS FLASH

Karl Rove Says Extending Key Wind Tax Credit ‘Should Be A Priority’ |  

GOP political strategist Karl Rove has added his voice to the list of prominent conservatives who support tax credits for the wind industry. Speaking at a conference sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association today, Rove called on Congress to extend the expiring production tax credit, according to Businessweek:

“We’ve got a growing economy that’s increasing energy consumption and wind energy should be part of the solution,” Rove said today on a panel at a wind conference in Atlanta. Extending the so-called production tax credit “should be a priority.”

Rove’s public support for wind is surprising considering his connection to two super PACs — Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads — that have spent millions of dollars this campaign season on anti-clean energy ads.

At today’s event, Rove reportedly said that “you have to take the politics out of” energy issues “to get something done.”

Despite the glaring disparity between Rove’s comments and actions this campaign season, his call for an extension of the production tax credit is a major boost for the wind industry, which has struggled to convince Congressional leaders to act. According to a recent study from Navigant Consulting, a failure to extend the tax credit could result in the loss of up to 37,000 manufacturing, installation, and maintenance jobs across the country.

By Stephen Lacey on Jun 5, 2012 at 4:05 pm

Election

Karl Rove’s Secret Money Crossroads GPS Attacks Bob Kerrey For Supporting Bush’s Bank Bailout

By Josh Israel on May 18, 2012 at 2:30 pm

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE)

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE)

In late 2008, as the nation’s entire financial system stood on the verge of collapse, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. President George W. Bush signed the bill, bailing out Wall Street banks who were up to their metaphorical noses in toxic assets. Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE), then a private citizen and college president, told Politico at the time that, contrary to 2008 presidential GOP nominee Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) earlier fears, the government intervention had been initially successful.

Now a secret-money outside spending group tied to Karl Rove, the man perhaps most responsible for the Bush presidency, is running a new attack suggesting that Kerrey had somehow acted inappropriately because he expressed his opinion.

War hero Bob Kerrey, after retiring from the Senate in 2001, is running to reclaim his old seat this November. The “issue advocacy” ad, titled “Disturbing,” says:

Bob Kerrey supported the Wall Street bailout while serving on the board of a company that tried to exploit it. Kerrey’s company tried a bureaucratic ploy to get bailout funds, but the ploy failed. These schemes were called a “disturbing trend” by an independent watchdog, violating the spirit fo the law to jump on the gravy train. For Bailout Bob Kerrey, it’s Wall Street ways, not Nebraska values. Tell him, support balanced budgets, not bailouts.

Watch the spot:

Nearly everything in this ad is disingenuous. The ad strongly implies that Kerrey had had something to do with the enactment of TARP. He was not a senator at the time, nor a lobbyist. The ad’s only citation for the argument is the 2008 Politico article in which Kerrey spoke positively about the bailout after the fact.

The insurance company mentioned in the ad — Genworth — was one that Kerrey advised, but did not control. It allegedly tried to buy a struggling bank to qualify for bailout funds — a move that even the watchdog concedes was totally legal. The group cited in the ad — the Project On Government Oversight — wrote to Congress: “We do not accuse these companies of wrongdoing in acquiring other financial institutions.”

If the secret funders behind Crossroads GPS bothered to look at the record, when Kerrey left the Senate in 2000, the budget was indeed balanced. Kerrey was the deciding vote in the Senate in 1993 for President Clinton’s budget reconciliation act, which set the nation on the path of deficit reduction (his yes vote, combined with the vice president’s, allowed Democrats to pass the bill without a single Republican supporter). In fact, he left a roughly $236 billion dollar surplus.

It was “Bailout Bush” and “Bailout Rove” who turned that the budget surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit. What is “disturbing” is that Crossroads GPS is using money from undisclosed donors to run ads aimed at misleading voters.

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