Yet even though everybody knew candidate Mitt Romney was our best chance at beating the monster of an oppressive law Obamacare, some groups like FreedomWorks invested ZIP, ZERO, NADA, ZILCH into his election campaign. What did they focus on instead? A fair number of Senate and House races to defeat Democrats, as you'd expect. Plus $1.4 MILLION on defeating GOP candidates they simply didn't like. As the infographic below illustrates, these candidates weren't RINO's. They were considered conservative by any credible rating system. Still, FreedomWorks chose to put money--in some cases lots of it--into defeating their chances at the polls.
Now, don't get me wrong. I can appreciate the things FreedomWorks and I agree on. It speaks out on things that matter to me, like Common Core and Obamacare, but it's not enough to make up for the damage they do to their own party by investing in GOP defeats. Think how much stronger we'd be with their help rather than their attacks.
For a group that is officially aligned with Reagan-quoting Tea Party peeps (for whom I shall always have a soft spot in my heart), FreedomWorks has completely dissolved Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.
Most notably, they spent over $900,000 to put out attack ads against incumbent GOP Senator Orrin Hatch, rated very conservative (over 80%) by the American Conservative Union. Fortunately, the good Senator still won his race. What a waste of that money you may have sent FreedomWorks believing they were fighting FOR conservatives!
Most notably, they spent over $900,000 to put out attack ads against incumbent GOP Senator Orrin Hatch, rated very conservative (over 80%) by the American Conservative Union. Fortunately, the good Senator still won his race. What a waste of that money you may have sent FreedomWorks believing they were fighting FOR conservatives!
While they say they're Tea Party aligned, other Tea Party groups embraced and endorsed Mitt, and in 2010 Mitt Romney appeared on stage and at fundraisers to help several Tea Party sweethearts, including Marco Rubio. They had NO GOOD REASON not to support Mitt Romney for president post-nomination.
So how can a group of bench-sitters-when-it-counted claim to speak for the entire conservative movement post-election as they bash the GOP's efforts to undo Obamacare once again?
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Jennifer Rubin has a couple of pretty good ideas why:
"There are two views as to why characters like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and groups like Heritage Action insist the party follow them out on a right limb time and time again.
One is that this is a cynical system of people fattening their coffers and seeking air time. That’s how the instant Cruz took to the Senate floor on Tuesday the avalanche of fundraising letters from FreedomWorks and other right-wing groups revved up. It’s a well-oiled machine fueled by resentment and constant disappointment."
'Why do Cruz and Heritage Action do what they do?' by Jennifer Rubin
One is that this is a cynical system of people fattening their coffers and seeking air time. That’s how the instant Cruz took to the Senate floor on Tuesday the avalanche of fundraising letters from FreedomWorks and other right-wing groups revved up. It’s a well-oiled machine fueled by resentment and constant disappointment."
'Why do Cruz and Heritage Action do what they do?' by Jennifer Rubin
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25 comments:
Yes!!!! You should see the picture of John Cornyn they put on a milk carton and sent all over the State of Texas telling their supporters to go after him like he was a criminal! Pathetic and uncalled for!!!
Ellie doesn't call them freedumbworks for nothing.
-Martha
The disdain they had for Romney really made me mad! They are part of the group of so-called conservatives who just plain lie about people. It really seems clear that their only concern is to keep drumming up passion in order to fill the coffers.
-Martha
I also am frustrated by the constant infighting as some people who define themselves as conservatives persecute others by calling them rinos or the establishment. I recognize that there are some repubs who have gone too Washington and need to be prodded now and again. An example being that they need to be living under the new healthcare law just like everyone else. Still, I keep thinking that I am being called these names because I'm not as excited about some of these people as some others are. Politics is a pretty dirty business and often makes for some strange bedfellows. Purity cannot be achieved; we need to try for the best we can get. I didn't know that Freedom Works never donated to Romney, but I think I heard that anyone defending Mitt was banned and the anti-Mormon comments were frequent and acceptable. Maybe I'm thinking of a different website, but if not, it is infighting to our loss and destruction.
AZ
Guess how many candidates Freedomworks contributed to in 2012?
This PAC didn't make any contributions to federal candidates in the 2012 election cycle.
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00499020
I don't like FreedonWorks either, for other reasons, but you're creating a false narrative here.
They did spend a considerable amount of money on ads in certain districts, but one would expect the Republican nominee for POTUS to benefit from that. No?
As for Orrin Hatch....he really did need to go. I strongly disagree with Palin on that one. I suspect she did that to stick her finger in the eye of Dick Armey.
As if money would have made the difference. FreedomWorks does not work at that level anyway; districts only.
Hello, Earth to Katrina, First of all, one of the reasons, Mer. Romney won my county was because Freedom Works and many other similar group campaigned for him, Mr. Romney and the GOP actually put few resouces into winning my county.
Further, what is Mr. Romney's plan to defund ObamaCare???? Silence.
"Ellie doesn't call them freedumbworks for nothing." And what has Ellie done to help Mr. Romney let alone any other Republican??? She was probably one of the 5 million White people who stayed home again.
Martha,
YOu need to help me on this one.
The other week you were plugging Mike Lee.
Nothing wrong with that.
Next, you rip up on Cruz- 8 months, no right to be doing what he is, all of self etc.
Again, nothing wrong with that if that's your opinion.
However, why nothing similar about your hero Lee? I mean, he's virtually doing exactly the same thing as Cruz.
The word 'Mormon@ the difference e perhaps?
Nothing is being misrepresented. This article is about the ways FreedomWorks fought against Republicans. My source is here if you'd like to see the ways they fought FOR the Republicans of their own choice. http://projects.wsj.com/super-pacs/#/2012/committees/C00499020
I think both columns are significant, but my concern is with the large amount of money they spent to defeat incumbent GOP Senator Orrin Hatch and others who were just running for the first time. Every cent spent on beating our own is one cent too many, let alone $1.4 million.
RM, get over your problem with Mormons. You sound paranoid.
" This article is about the ways FreedomWorks fought against Republicans." Correction, they fought against RINOs, not Republicans.
Wrong, Katrina. The title and lead of your article is about Freedomworks not donating to Romney's campaign. That's obviously why you wrote the piece. Furthermore, we have a competitve primary system. Deal with it.
"Furthermore, we have a competitve primary system. Deal with it." Shhhhhh, now that the have gotten rid of free market health care, they are going after the competitive primary system next.
Haha, OJ. Apparently, the first amendment is in her crosshairs as well.
The thickness is unbelievable. How excited we get when Democrats face primary battles for political goof-ups. And yet we don't seem to realize the same weaknesses on our side. Working WITH an incumbent politician you disagree with to change his mind is ALWAYS better than spending millions to fight him at the polls. And, this just in: politicians change their minds all the time. Constant primary battles against incumbents is a sign of our failure to work together as a party. I'm not suggesting we do away with the system, chicken littles. I'm suggesting we stop abusing it.
But if Mitt Romney were to wage a primary battle against an incumbant Republican, you be the first in line to support him.
No, I would not. And your hypothetical creation just proves you know nothing about the man. He runs when asked to run, nothing more. This is also the man who gracefully conceded the 2008 nomination to John McCain though it broke his many supporters' hearts. Funny Santorum couldn't do the same thing when it was clearly time to rally around our nominee in 2012. Some people have class; some don't. Sometimes it seems things really are that simple.
Kat,
lol, no one's 'paronoid', just seeking simple answers to simple questions.
1) Why would one be so aggainst Sen Cruz's actions: 8 months man, no rright to acto how he is, wrong, all about himself etc etc,,when
2) Sen Mike Lee is shoulder to shoulder with Cruz, almomst one in the same on the issue, yet he gets a ppass? same Mike Lee whom was also plugged by Martha the other week.
Now, let me thinky a little why that may be? lol
You must think we're stupid.
To my knowledge I haven't said a word about Mike Lee here or anywhere.
I did say something positive about Chaffetz, in the House.
(I realize some people get Mormons confused with each other since that is pretty much the only thing they know about them. lol)
-Martha
Katrina is exactly right.
Freedumbworks did everything they could to diss Romney for many many months. It got ridiculous.
-Martha
I have read every word of this article and looked at the chart. If a person has a brain and is not to biased how can they argue with this? What a well written and easy to comprehend article.
Great work young lady!
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