There’s just something about the campaign finance stuff that draws in groups of all political stripes. Being one who thinks in a conservative frame of mind, I’d prefer to see those who are for government being smaller and returning to its proper Constitutional role. So I’m pleased to help announce a couple new political action committees are gearing up for the 2008 campaign, although one of them comes from someone returning to the fray after an absence of several months.
The pro-troop organization Move America Forward has already picked a number of candidates to support with their PAC, with the MAF Freedom PAC website coming online this weekend. As the newly-minted PAC notes on its blog:
Until now, we had no political action committee, or PAC. Now we do. We will now comment on specific campaigns. We will call out candidates who are hurting our country. We will nail them in no uncertain terms, and nobody is safe. Republicans, Democrats, Independents – whatever. We are watching and the gloves are off.
(I’d like to make a suggestion to MAF Freedom PAC’s “chief blogger”, Catherine Moy. In the interest of making life easier for the rest of us – set up the site so individual posts can be linked. It’s likely not your fault, but the webmaster needs a refresher course in Blogging 101. A friendly word from one who knows a little about this stuff.)
Be that as it may, their aim is pretty simple. This is from the presser announcing the effort:
MAF Freedom PAC will draw on the expertise and experience of Move America Forward and apply them to the political field in this election. Their media savvy and good relationships with many in the conservative community are expected to enable them to play a major role in this pivotal election year.
The PAC will focus on very competitive congressional races, but will also address the presidential race, in which Vietnam veteran John McCain is touting his support for the surge strategy and Barack Obama is promoting his plan to withdraw troops from Iraq upon entering office. Targeted candidates will be announced soon, but the PAC’s website already features many races which they judge to be important and competitive.
While Move America Forward is justifiably excited about this new venture of theirs, I don’t think their PAC is going to have nearly the impact or donations that will go to Fred PAC. (h/t to Ted Pibil.) As Fred Thompson writes in introducing the new political action committee:
I formed Fred PAC to help identify and support candidates on every level who support a platform of conservative, principles-based leadership and policies. I’m working for Fred PAC with one overriding mission; to secure the future of our country and preserve the freedoms you and I and millions of our fellow citizens hold so dear.
We conservatives need to elect men and women at every level of government who will develop and promote the kind of innovative, free market and principles-based policies that led our great nation to the pinnacle of western civilization. We conservatives need to shake-off the few recent past defeats and remember that when we go directly to the American people with solid facts and honest solutions founded on the principles of the Constitution, we win.
Fred is definitely correct in that assumption, and it will be interesting to see who he throws his support behind as the election draws closer. Thompson is the third former GOP presidential candidate to enter the PAC field, with Mike Huckabee’s HuckPAC and Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC the subject of previous posts of mine.
