Republicans Ratchet Up Anonymous Attacks

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Pro-G.O.P. Groups Prepare Big Push at End of Races,” shows how much the Republican Party has benefited from the Citizen United ruling by the Supreme Court and the new capability for anonymous corporate donors to influence the outcome of elections.

The Tea Party, which claims to be so pro-Constitution, should question whether the Founding Fathers intended these actions, where a small few have such an effect on the overall result. While masterminds like Karl Rove coordinate a phalanx of shady Republican organizations, the real winners are the conglomerates who hide their donations while affecting the result in as many as 80 races.

According to the article, the conservative groups are coordinated from an office suite just across from the White House with color-coded master sheets to ensure there is no duplication of effort. One wonders if this kind of coordination is legal even though the anonymous donations might be.

The groups include American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS, American Action Network, American Future Fund, the 60 Plus Association and many more. Thanks to their contributions, many key Democrats are being outspent by as much as six or seven-to-one.

Their methods are the usual political dirty tricks, and one hopes they are limited to that. The role these unaccountable groups can play represents a threat to our democracy.