Edwards "discourages" 527 spending on his behalf - former Edwards campaign mgr runs pro-Edwards 527

[Adelante]

An independent group linked to Senator John Edwards is planning a burst of more than $750,000 in planned television spending, according to details from a rival campaign.

-snip

The “Alliance for a New America” is said to be funded by the Service Employees International Union and is run by a longtime close aide to John Edwards, Nick Baldick.

It’s one of several 527s playing in Iowa this cycle, and while the groups can compromise a candidate’s reformer status, the money is basically too good to turn down.

That’s certainly the case with Edwards, who has based his campaign on a kind of fierce purity, particularly with relationship to his own campaign’s finances: He refuses to take money from lobbyists or PACs.

He also disapproves, officially, of the outside spending on his behalf.

”The way the law exists today is you have no control,” Edwards said Thursday. ”You’re not allowed by law to have contact or to coordinate with 527s. So can you discourage it? Yes, and I do.”

He hasn’t discouraged it so energetically to keep Baldick, whose firm, S&B Public Solutions was on campaign payroll as recently as the second quarter of this year, from running one.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1207/A_527_twofer.html

[Snotcicles]

1. according to details from a rival campaign. That about sums it up. nt

[asdjrocky]

2. Funny, he's damed if he doesn't have enough money-

And he's damned if he does. We just can't win with some of these people

[K Gardner]

3. My thoughts exactly, as I LOL at this... :-)

[lisainmilo]

4. Looks like there is a DK link ( kinda of a whats really happening here)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/21/11513/443/921/42521

Earth to Obama - Unions MADE this Party
by campskunk
Fri Dec 21, 2007 at 09:28:12 AM PST
Senator Barack Obama’s advisors had a major brainfart and apparently forgot what party they're supposedly members of with their latest stunt. Not only are they highlighting his failure to gain the support of the labor unions (the backbone and workhorses of our party), but now he’s using that failure in his latest funding appeal to his supporters.

The "if you don't support Obama you're the enemy" meme started when Paul Krugman for daring to criticize his half-assed health care reform plan has expanded and metastasized. Opposition research, twisted and misquoted words... it's starting to look CREEPy in the Obama campaign (joke for you old-timers and Watergate aficionados).

And now this? Obama's campaign is attacking labor unions, teachers and EMILY’S LIST. They back the "wrong candidate" and are working to help get their chosen Democrat elected, and he goes on the attack with a backhanded slur against the core of the Democratic Party.

What is wrong with Obama? There's a serious disconnect between his view of the party and our longstanding "big tent" approach to a coalition.

Follow me...
The diary continues: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/21/11513/443/921/42521

Edwards legally has no control over 527's as stated in the article.

[Adelante]

5. Well, if you find it believable

That Edwards' former campaign manager is running this 527 with ads on Edwards' opponents by accident; or that an Edwards' endorser is running Democratic Courage and also running attack ads on Edwards' opponents by accident -- well, okay, then.

[Occam Bandage]

6. "He also disapproves, officially, of the outside spending on his behalf."

How does he plan on competing in the general election?

[Adelante]

7. I don't have a problem with 527s in the GE

I think they should be curtailed to issues in the primaries. They're not permitted to campaign for a candidate, they shouldn't be allowed to campaign against a candidate's opponents.

Since he has no trouble disapproving, yet enabling, outside spending on his behalf in the primaries, I doubt it would trouble his conscience in the GE, and I don't think it should.

[cali]

9. I agree, but I find the responses of some Edwards supporters

a complete riot. He's playing the game, but they're so invested in his "purity" that they will fiercly deny what's in front of their eyes. And if it's an attack ad on Obama- whoa, that'll make it interesting around here.

[Adelante]

12. Thank you

I thought it was just me :crazy:

[Quixote1818]

14. Prove he is playing the game

You don't know that as fact. All he can do is tell them to stop but it's perfectly legal and they are not swift boating him but bringing up legitimate things. At least the ads are not suggesting Obama was a drug dealer or a Muslim. The best thing Hillary and Obama can do is find someone to run 527's against Edwards.

[cali]

18. I can't prove it.

but let me ask you this, when Shaheen made his comments about Obama and drug use, did you believe it was totally unconnected to the Clinton campaign. I mean they apologized and he stepped down almost immediately, right? It's the same thing. I don't mean it's on the same level, but it's all about plausible deniability. And we haven't seen the ads yet, have we? And neither Obama or Clinton need to use 527s. I give JE, the benefit of the doubt here because he doesn't have the money they have. If 527's start going negative on his behalf and do to Obama what they did to Dean in 2004, I'll withdraw that.

[frogmarch]

8. I read the linked article and wonder wtf the problem is supposed to be with

the ad. Edwards said he continues to discourage association with 527s. He has no control of what Baldick does.

The article is clearly anti-Edwards. It criticizes him for not discouraging the ad energetically enough. LOL, what a worthless, pos article.

[asdjrocky]

10. The video is great! I saw it yesterday.

There, I think I fixed the link.

Here's a link if no one has seen it:

http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/12/21/21329/830

[frogmarch]

11. Thanks, rocky, but the link doesn't work.

Not for me, anyway. I got "this page is no longer available." :shrug:

[asdjrocky]

16. I fixed it, take a look now. n/t

[frogmarch]

17. Thanks, rocky. It works fine now. I thought it was

great! Seems to me the only reason some here are griping is because it's not THEIR candidates' ad. Sour grapes big time! lol

[asdjrocky]

20. One of the best, and most effective ads all season. n/t

[hedda_foil]

22. That does not seem to be the right video -- different 527

It's from "Friends of the Earth Action."

[Quixote1818]

13. What do you want Edwards to do?

He can't make them stop and why should he? It's all 100% legal not to mention the ad makes legitimate points.

[Cameron27]

15. As his "longtime close aide,"

I suspect Nick Baldick would stop if Edwards spoke privately to him.

[cali]

19. Sure he could make them stop if he wanted to. It's not even hard to do

I haven't seen the ad, but if it's going negative on Obama, I don't think that'll neccessarily help him. It was kind of easy to get away with it with bristly old Howard, but it's a lot harder with Mr. Nice. Obama has good teflon qualities.

[Quixote1818]

21. It just points out votes Obama made supporting Bush's agenda

nt

[Quixote1818]

23. The 527 group is called Political Courage

Their goal is to hold politicians accountable for caving into Republicans and support those who do stand up to them. For instance they are highlighting Chris Dodd right now for his courage on Wiretapping.

I seriously doubt they would care what the hell Edwards tells them because their goal is to go after anyone who caves to the Republicans. It's a group I think Dems desperately need to keep them in check.

[cali]

24. I know about the group. It's an Edwards surrogate

And sure they'd shut down the negative ads if he told them to. It's run by someone close to him, an ex-campaign manager who quit to start this up. And have they run ads againts anyone but Clinton and Obama? Even if they have, it's purpose it pretty clear.