Ari Fleischer's Freedom Watch is targeting vulnerable Democrats. How will they react?

[madfloridian]

In 2007 Ari Fleischer was part of the founding of a group called Freedom's Watch. It was meant to keep the Democrats in line on Iraq in case they got any ideas about bringing the troops home.

White House Vet Ari Fleischer, Back to Fight for The Surge in Iraq



Fleischer, the president's former press secretary, is a founding board member of Freedom's Watch. (By Carolyn Kaster -- Associated Press)

The television ads launched this week by a new advocacy group called Freedom's Watch all have different storytellers tapping into the same narrative vein. There's the man who lost both legs in Fallujah last December saying if we pull out now "everything I've given and sacrificed will mean nothing." Another features a woman who says she lost two family members to al-Qaeda -- her uncle on 9/11 and her husband who died fighting in Iraq -- adding that should the United States pull its troops out now "it will mean more attacks in America." Still another shows a wheelchair-using former Marine telling the camera that he believes the United States has made progress in Iraq and would go back if he could.

As the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker in "Return of the Jedi," "Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view." And if these ads seem born from behind the podium of the White House press secretary, they very well should. That's because Freedom's Watch -- which is planning to spend $15 million in television and radio advertising through mid-September -- counts among its board members and donors several longtime friends of the Bush White House. Prominent among them is Ari Fleischer, President Bush's first press secretary, who left Washington and politics four years ago, seemingly never to return.

"The notion we could lose this war in Iraq because Congress pulled out scared me," says Fleischer, a founding board member of Freedom's Watch. "That's why I got back involved. That's the only issue that could draw me back in.

This year they appear to be changing to economic issues. They are starting to attack Democrats in conservative areas, and one of the issues is the offshore drilling. Amazing, ain't it, how that message resonated on the TV today, and with the robocalls from this group.

These are vulnerable Democrats, but I firmly feel they have a responsibility not to cave on issues that are vital to our nation. I know that makes me a minority at DU, but I really do think the Democrats who are being targeted have choices to make.

They can stand with their party on vital issues, or they can cave in to the attacks and robocalls and stand for nothing.

Here are some of the ones being targeted.

Democrats targeted by Freedom's Watch

“We’re absolutely going to be concentrating on economic issues,” said Freedom’s Watch spokesman Ed Patru. In honing in on gas prices, Patru argued, Freedom’s Watch was picking an issue in which the divide between conservatives and liberals was stark.

Carrie James, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, predicted the calls would have little effect on voters.

“People want long-term solutions to sky-rocketing gas prices,” she said. “Democrats in congress have been fighting for ways to become more energy independent and reduce prices at the pump for American families.”

In CA Jerry McNerney is being targeted, plus the ones listed below. Chris Carney, I believe is being targeted by the left blogosphere because of his willingness to go along with FISA immunity. Glenn Greenwald is going after Steny Hoyer, saying he is the driving force behind giving in to Bush on this issue.

The rest of Freedom Watch’s preliminary target list includes: Arizona Rep. Harry Mitchell and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, New York Rep. Kristen Gillibrand, Pennsylvania Reps. Jason Altmire, Chris Carney, and Paul Kanjorski from Pennsylvania, Ohio Rep. Zach Space, Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth , Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney, Georgia Rep. Jim Marshall, Illinois Rep. Melissa Bean, Kansas Reps. Nancy Boyda and Dennis Moore, Texas Reps. Nick Lampson and Ciro Rodriguez, Wisconsin Rep. Steve Kagen, and New Hampshire Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes.

I know from my state Tim Mahoney has been truly running scared...but he is standing up against telecom immunity.

He distanced himself from the party, refused to stand with Obama, and said he owed the party nothing.

''I don't owe the party anything,'' said Mahoney, whose election helped the Democrats take control of Congress. ``If anybody owes anybody anything, it's Nancy Pelosi who owes a debt to me.''

Mahoney partly blames the dispute over Florida's convention delegates for his commitment problem, but it's clear the real reason he's distancing himself from a liberal Democrat is concern for his own survival. The GOP spent roughly $2 million against him in 2006; he faces three Republican challengers in 2008.

In fairness he did speak out at the JJ Dinner last week. He must have gotten some courage. He also heard from many people who were angered by lack of party loyalty.

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney of Palm Beach Gardens, who has refused to endorse the Democratic presumptive nominee, insisted he was "proud to be a Florida Democrat'' and offered praise for Barack Obama at the state party's annual Jefferson Jackson dinner.

"I'm proud that our party has the courage to nominate a man who captures the imagination of our country,'' Mahoney told about 1,500 people gathered at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa. "America needs Barack Obama not because he's a Democrat, but because he's right on the economy, right on the war..."

The FISA vote is coming with hints the Democrats might be caving. I hear that Steny Hoyer is backing down because of 20 Democrats. McJoan covers this at Daily Kos tonight.

The Democrats also appear to be backing off any efforts to get out of Iraq last I heard.

I have many mixed feelings about the Democrats in these areas. I do know this. If they run in fear from the attacks like this, if they fail to stand with Democrats on issues vital to the country's future...then we can really be said not to control Congress at all.

In effect the Republicans would still be in charge. And they would never back off from a fight....right or wrong.

[madfloridian]

1. Rove is getting 6 figures from Freedom's Watch.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/06/8690_natl_journal_ro.html

"And Rove is even more deeply involved with Freedom's Watch, the internally troubled right wing group that seeks to make trouble for Democrats throughout the campaign season.

Weidner stressed that Rove has been "very generous with his time and ideas. He gives up his time for those things he believes in."

Two GOP strategists said they have heard that Rove has worked out a private consulting deal with Adelson; this arrangement, one strategist reported, pays Rove in the mid-six figures for giving speeches and providing assistance to Freedom’s Watch on labor union issues, a top priority of the group."

Rove will always be with us. He will never go away.

[madfloridian]

2. Well, we got the FISA answer.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3483319

Amazing what fear of the right wing still does.

[slipslidingaway]

3. Kick for later n/t

[EFerrari]

4. Freedom's Watch is PNAC posing as grassroots.

And it's unlikely that the DCCC doesn't know that.