Secret Donors Finance Fight Against Hagel

New York Times ^ | January 26, 2012 | By JIM RUTENBERG

[Brad from Tennessee]

A brand new conservative group calling itself Americans for a Strong Defense and financed by anonymous donors is running advertisements urging Democratic senators in five states to vote against Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s nominee to be secretary of defense, saying he would make the United States “a weaker country.”

Another freshly minted and anonymously backed organization, Use Your Mandate, which presents itself as a liberal gay rights group but purchases its television time through a prominent Republican firm, is attacking Mr. Hagel as “anti-Gay,” “anti-woman” and “anti-Israel” in ads and mailers.

Those groups are joining at least five others that are organizing to stop Mr. Hagel’s confirmation, a goal even they acknowledge appears to be increasingly challenging. But the effort comes with a built-in consolation prize should it fail: depleting some of Mr. Obama’s political capital as he embarks on a new term with fresh momentum. . .

[Brad from Tennessee]

Rutenberg says, "The media campaign to scuttle Mr. Hagel’s appointment, unmatched in the annals of modern presidential cabinet appointments reflects the continuing effects of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision . . ."

The "media campaign" is composed of paid advertising because that is too often the only medium conservatives have. Obama and the Democrats can run a 24/7 "media campaign" through the mainstream media without spending a dime.

[Brad from Tennessee]

I don't know but China is building the military means to rapidly deploy its army all over Asia. If no one opposes them they'll create a sphere of economic dictatorship similar to Japan's 1940 Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

[Verginius Rufus]

There was someone on Fox today talking about the best and worst people in Congress to work for. Hagel was one of the worst two Senators—very high turnover of staff. If he can’t run a staff of 50 or whatever, how is he going to do a good job running a huge bureaucracy?