Swift Boat Veterans, Money and Freedom

CNN often calls the the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVFT) "well funded." Yeah, right. See this quick comparison of SBVFT to a few liberal groups: http://www.truthlaidbear.com/archives/2004/08/22/527s_in_perspective.php

Note that while the only major non-campaign advertising on the right which I am aware of is by SBVFT who spent around $500,000 on a few ads in a few states. The ads were so powerful that the media has broadened their reach significantly making it seem like they have spent millions. On the other hand, MoveOn.org and Media Fund actually have spent millions upon millions.

Fox News reported on the Big Story today that the breakdown of 527 money looks like this: $145 million democrat to $9 million to republican.

Further explaining this 527 imbalance is this: http://www.publicintegrity.org/527/report.aspx?aid=365&sid=200. Wherein you will find that the liberal 527s are mostly overwhelmingly by the super rich.

The August 20th New York Times article is often cited now to prove that SWVFT are republican controlled. Read it http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html and you will see that their case is entirely "by association." They find no direct link and thus must characterize it as a "web of connections to the Bush family." First, so what. Does this prove that SBVFT are lying? No. If they could prove that they would not have made this gossamer argument. Second, Of course there is a web of connections. These people and the "Bush family" want the same thing. What is wrong with that? Anyone who wanted to defeat Kerry would end up making the same connections. This is the worst kind of pandering. The real question is why does it work? What kind of stupid, gullible person buys into this? Oh, right, liberals.

Finally, Bush is wrong to say that 527's are bad. 527s are just citizens pooling money to exercise their First Amendment right to free speech. Surely this is the heart of the First Amendment since it is political speech. Indeed, the Supreme Court made a frightening mistake in restricting this political speech as the election approaches. Bush should extoll the virtues of the freedoms which America cherishes. They are the freedoms we hope to extend to the Muslim world. They are the freedoms which protect us from tyranny. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, MoveOn.org et alia are perfect exemplars of American values.