The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which writes ready-made conservative legislation for Republican state legislators, has traditionally been anonymous, working behind the scenes to advance a far-right agenda. Shadowy obscurity allowed ALEC to be more effective.
But as ALEC finds itself where it didn't want to be -- in the spotlight -- the group is losing corporate sponsors and finding its political allies on edge.
Take Virginia, for example, where ProgressVA released a report on ALEC's influence on policymaking in the Commonwealth. Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell (R) wasn't pleased with the report, so today, ProgressVA Executive Director Anna Scholl asked Howell directly about his concerns. The Washington Post posted a video excerpt of the exchange.
The point of contention seemed to be over the taxpayer money Virginia spent to send lawmakers to ALEC events. ProgressVA's report claimed that the trips cost the state roughly $230,000 over the last decade, while in reality, the trips cost the state ... roughly $230,000 over the last decade.
Howell pointed to this as an inaccuracy, even though it's true, because Virginia also sent state lawmakers to a different conference that cost even more.
Puzzled as to why this makes ProgressVA's report untrue, Scholl pressed further. The Republican leader, agitated, said, "I guess I'm not speaking in little enough words for you to understand."
The ProgressVA chief responded, "I'm a smart girl, actually. I went to the University of Virginia; I benefited from public education; I think words with multiple syllables would be just fine for me."
That questions about ALEC are making its allies this uncomfortable suggests a shifting landscape for the organization.
Leave a Comment:
Ad hominems, the refuge of those without an actual rhetorical leg to stand on.
If playing poker were the equivalent of practicing democracy in the world's greatest democratic nation, ALEC and its elected allies have just been put on notice we've finally noticed them dealing from the bottom of the deck while using marked cards! -Kevo
Tell me this isn't the same nimrod who told Terry Gross that people other than corporations don't have to be invited to ALEC meetings because he's at the table representing them.
No, this is a different nimrod. Terry Gross interviewed Louisiana Rep. Noble E. Ellington, the Chairman of ALEC (http://www.npr.org/2011/07/21/138575665/national-chairman-of-alec-responds-to-report) who made the astonishing claim:
"I work for the taxpaying public, so don't assume that they're not [at the table] because they are. And we represent the public and we are the ones who decide. So the taxpaying public is represented there at the table because I'm there."
Virgian GOP 2012 Slogan: Nimrods R Us
Here's a look at what this VA nimrod has been up to:
http://www.progressva.org/alec/legislators/william_howell.html
Doesn't appear he does much but work for ALEC!
Nimrod is not an insult, unless you're using the Urban Dictionary.. I certainly hope that we are not that retarded. Nimrod, King of Babylon. Nimrod (root definition, irreverent of gawd), also a spiffy little tune by Elgar, not insult material. Try AssFecking D-bag certainly but Nimrod is a complete misnomer.
I love it when bad actors get on each other's ''crap list''.
it's not just republicans but conservative Democrats as well; Joe Manchin is the only Democrat in the US Senate associated with ALEC and other Democrats on the local level in WV have been associated with them in the past
I loved her comeback
I can't hear it in any other way than sexist. What; a woman can't understand "big" words?
Yeah, she was getting uppity, so he put her in her place. What was she doing outside the kitchen, anyway? Is dinner ready, that she's asking him all these questions? Disgustingly sexist.
He's such a condescending old fart.
And he was rhetorically kicked in the bollocks. Afterwards, he had to flip aside his comb-over to take a leak.
He didn't understand the word "inaccurate" so he must have assumed it was too many syllables for a little lady to understand.
ALEC is beginning to become a liability for corporations. Whether it will be the same for voters needs to be tested on politicians. It could be a major liability for some politicians who are not in safe states and districts. But that is up to the Dems to make it an issue. If ALEC can be significantly reduced in size and influence, it could be a temporary respite from the radical agenda. No doubt another similar organization will be reconstituted because the Koch Bros. and other radicals are not going to stop what they have been doing.
They will just use the States Policy Network of groups in every state that already handle much of the day to day lobby work. Look at spn.org to see just how widespread the tangled web is.
Small Taters
ProgressVA Executive Director Anna Scholl, what can I say ? She certainly does not enjoy having the wool pulled over her eyes, does she ?
My little-words translation for Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell sounds like: Relations between the ALEC and Virginia Government does look a bit corrupt, but it is small-potatoes compared to other bigger possible corrupt going on ?? That can’t be right. ….
If ALEC gets too antsy about being forced into the spotlight, they will just reform as something just as shady, but more careful to be hidden in the shadows.
ALEC is the latest 'pink slime. They will find another way to try to feed us the same product, only new and improved.
Anna Scholl, as a Virginian - finally someone I can be proud of - keep giving them hell!!
Look, every Republican politicians/governor is a member of ALEC. Most people I talk to don't even know what ALEC is. We NEED to publicize ALEC - who's who and what they do. I've heard....Dem's have NSCL - Not TRUE. That is like apples/oranges and republicans are in that, too. We NEED the average republican to take the blindfolds off and realize their leaders are ALEC - so, where is their GOP?I hate to say this...but, it now seems so easy to understand how Hitler took over his country....ignorance, prejudice, hate are the tools of ALEC!! Please keep up the great work, Rachel, push ALEC to the TOP while we continue to make calls, em's to corporations that are members of ALEC.
These people take courses in "How to Change the Subject" What was the other organization he was talking about where Va spent 2 million? I can't imagine it would be a left-wing organization. But why would he bring it up? Did they also spend money to send legislators to the Koch family picnic?
...If states were companies, wouldn't they, and ALEC, be in violation of Anti-Trust laws?
They're all conspiring together, to immediately affect the consumer, yes?
We need Anti Trust action against the Communications/Media cabal and the Oil Companies. Instead we get Apple and the publishers.
Looking for ALEC on Google, I found articles from July of last year. I am amazed it has stayed in the shadows for so long. I had wondered how so many similar bills could be legislated in so many states. Duh, another reminder to keep educating myself.
The sponsor of the transvaginal legislation that was changed to jellybelly legislation in Virginia received a reward from the American Federation for Life for her work on antichoice legislation and she has used a VA money to go to ALEC conferences. Additionally, she proudly proclaims her affiliation with them. http://www.kathybyron.com/about-kathy/
There's your sign. Virginia is only for lovers who DO NOT get pregnant.
And my state senator, George Barker, is the good Democrat who brought it to the world's attention that transvaginal sonograms would constitute a form or rape.
It is rape and women are expected to pay for it, in addition to paying for the abortion that they're trying to obtain. It's even more disgusting that this bill was sponsored by a woman. Hope the voters oust her!
Speaker Howell is a dimwitt
The Farm Team has called on Howell to apologize
http://www.bluevirginia.us/diary/6435/virginia-farm-team-demands-apology-from-speaker-howell-for-beyond-offensive-remarks
I see, so in order for an article to be "accurate," they have to print false equivalencies. This shows Howell as subscribing to the Fox "balance machine" of fact analysis.
I'm sorry, but some things are objectively wrong, no matter what the "other side" does or says, and sometimes there is no other side to a story. You can't justify wasting $230k of taxpayer's money by saying, "we wasted over $100k on sending the senators to "Trust Camp" (or some other thing) as well so this was okay."
I love how she didn't get angry at his insult and gave a perfectly concise and clever response. I can't say I would've done the same. That was great!
My mom was talking about ALEC a year ago at the kitchen table. Glad to see them finally exposed for the sneaky underhanded crap they are doing. More to be found out...keep digging.
Since ALEC is writing the laws, why do we even need these "legislators"?
He didn't like the question, so he tried to belittle her. She came back and poked his eye out. Just one of the good ole boys from VA.
There's something I wish someone on Rachel's staff would investigate. On one show, it was noted that the Gates Foundation had indicated that it was going to stop donating to ALEC.
The Gates Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Such organizations are supposed to be apolitical. Contributions for partisan political purposes are expressly outlawed. There's little doubt that ALEC's entire reason for being is partisan and political. They shouldn't be stopping their contributions, because they should never have started contributing to it in the first place.
The penalty for partisan political activity by a nonprofit is supposed to be the loss of that group's nonprofit standing, meaning that people can't contribute to it and receive a tax deduction. It might be a good idea for someone to examine whether or not the Foundation's was laundering donations from other sources that were passed on to ALEC. Again, this would be very much against IRS regulations.
I am seconding mpguy's request. WHY would the Gates Foundation support ALEC?
"Nonprofits" in the country have become completely out-of-hand. They are no longer in the business of helping people, but many, many of them are furthering political agendas. Add to that the fact that many of them are paying huge salaries to the people on the top...