A new attack ad popped up last week on several television networks, including MSNBC, criticizing Chuck Hagel's nomination to be Secretary of Defense. What made the spot interesting was not the attacks themselves, which were predictable, but rather the unnamed people behind the attacks: they claimed to be liberal allies of the Obama White House who support gay rights.
On the show on Friday, Rachel declared, "I call bullpucky." She did so alongside a trusted Bullpucky Alert siren.
The problem, of course, is that it's hard to know for sure who, exactly, is behind the ads. Sure, the folks behind the Use Your Mandate campaign claim to be lefty allies of President Obama, but they refuse to identify themselves. And under current campaign-finance law, there's nothing stopping anonymous donors from investing millions in a secretive smear campaign, making claims about their ideology that are nearly impossible to substantiate.
In this case, Rachel isn't buying Use Your Mandate's claims, and Jim Rutenberg, to his credit, uncovered some details that bolster Rachel's suspicions.
[F]ederal records show that Use Your Mandate uses Del Cielo Media, an arm of one of the most prominent Republican ad-buying firms in the country, Smart Media, with clients that have included the presidential campaigns of former Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. of Utah and Senator John McCain of Arizona; the 2010 Senate campaign of Christine O'Donnell, who was known for positions against homosexuality, in Delaware; and, as it happens, the Emergency Committee for Israel.
Andrew Kaczynski added that Use Your Mandate has "close ties to the Republican Party." Kaczynski's report also noted, "FCC paperwork lists the president of Use Your Mandate as a woman named 'Virginie Stujenske.' On other forms she is listed as the group's treasurer. Stujenske is an employee for Tusk Strategies where her name is listed as Virginie Raphael."
"Bullpucky," indeed.
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At this point, they need to elaborate on exactly what their "values" are. Might it be those much demonstrated values of greed and power-hunger Mr Hagel doesn't share?
Nixon would be very proud of the Republicans because these dirty tricks make his look tame.
well now, Bullpuckery and Malarkey go into a bar, and we get
BullSh!t on chip beef!
Dick NIxon's rotting zombie corpse would be immensely proud of these guys.
ETA-Curses! Foiled by Paganucci.
Great minds think alike.
I discussed that with a friend over the weekend..much amusement was had by all! (his Nixon imitation is a laugh!)
Sounds to me like someone is committing journalism.
I wonder what would happen if Hagel were to take a page from the RIAA and file a defamation suit -- including a subpoena to find out who's behind the pseudononymous slander?
Like the word "values" isn't a hint as to the origin...
so true, just like a NV re-reg troll they will always give themselves up.
The further we get beyond the Citizens United decision, the more optimistic I am that big money will have diminishing influence as time rolls on.
Big money ads have tended to become more about the type and veracity of the content of the ads themselves, and have not been seem as having a huge effect on the races/issues. This is in sharp contrast to the "swift-boating" of Kerry. I think there is a saturation point, and we are well beyond it. Now that the media is further polerized by audience, the ads play primarily to the converted, further dulling their effect.
Valid point..... The last election there were almost no undecided or swing voters , so all that money essentially went to preaching to the choir , with turnout being the deciding factor... which leads us to voter suppression .
I really think that people found out, after the fact, the out and out lies that were promoted to defeat Kerry in his "swift-boating" and weren't so easily deceived this time around. I think people are looking into things like that to sort out the truth for themselves now and the teapubs know it so they are now into voter suppression. The people that listen to Limpbrains and Faux can't be educated and will remain so as long as they listen to what they want to hear and not facts or truth.
I refer to them as Reality-challenged...
Perhaps the Supremes were right: Money IS speech. And it's allowing those with the biggest mouths and the shallowest ideas to scream their "values" from the mountaintop for all the world to hear. Loud and clear. As I say whenever I hear Sarah Palin and Ted Nugent: Keep talking. Please.
“I shall yell bullpucky whenever bullpucky is served!“
As always, thank you and GREAT JOB, Rachel!
FWIW, I think this is the same ad/group that has been sending me flyers in the mail. They don't "feel" Progressive, if that makes any sense.:) I looked at who sent it and it was some nondescript name, nothing I had seen in the mail before. Scott Garrett is my rep and when I get mail from him or from my Senators, DNC, etc I can always tell who sent it. I have gotten several mailers so far, I wonder how many more I'll get?
For me the tip-off is that Hagel is "anti-Israel" (whatever that might mean). Being lock-step "pro-Israel" ("my friend, right or -- very -- wrong"?) has never been a "value" (itself a decoder word) of the liberal, progressive movement.
If you want to be taken seriously at least show us who you are.
I know it takes guts and conviction to stand up to be counted but then pulling a Bart Simpson phone prank shows you for a coward.
Conservatives love to claim they are Liberals (or whoever they are against) acting out their concocted stereotypes of what they think Liberals are to fortify their delusions to others… It’s part of their MO..
It’s the ”False Flag” ploy on a smaller scale.
On February 19, 2011, Indiana Deputy Prosecutor Carlos Lam sent a private email to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker suggesting that he run a "'false flag' operation" to counter the protests against Walker's proposed restrictions on public employees' collective bargaining rights.
citation: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20047130-503544.html
Like Rachel said, we can tell. There's a big difference between posing as a lefty commie pinko hippie liberal and actual being one. Only right-wing posers would think of accusing someone of being insufficiently pro-Israel. Seriously, guys? Israel? That's a shibboleth (rimshot) among Republicans only. That for me was a dead giveaway. The "doesn't share our values" tagline is just gravy. That complaint is pure Republican.
dollars to donuts.... the secret group is AIPAC.
I just gotta say, I Love Rachel Maddow! I feel so fortunate to be able to watch her show and have her and her staff report news and issues that few of us have time to investigate ourselves. TRMS fills a one of the most vital roles in a democracy, an educated electorate. For this, I believe Rachel Maddow and her staff are true patriots, patriots that I am proud to call fellow Americans. In fairness, I know this show is "progressive" or "liberal" perspective but that doesn't mean that the show distorts truth. Unfortunately, I know of no comparable shows with a "conservative" perspective. The conservative news media only reports lies, conspiracies, and complaints of media bias. For the moment, that's fine for me because I believe their conservative ideas destroy what it means to be an American. However, in the long term we must eventually have an opposition party with real ideas and policies to balance our democracy.
AIPAC. Chuck was never content to allow the victims of the USS Liberty to be re-victimized. He is ONE WITH US.
I do not like Hagel as Defense Secretary for some reasons (why another Republican in the Defense Secretary position, seriously? Democrats can do defense too, and probably for less money) and for his prior comments that rub me (as a BT American) the wrong way. Anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-choice, pro-gun - get out of my Defense Secretary position! Anti-Israel? Who gives a flip.
Del Cielo Media? You realize that Rancho Del Cielo was Ronald Reagan's ranch, right?
Yep, sounds like a legit liberal ad to me (sarcasm).
I found Virginie - she is on Facebook as "Virginie Raphael Stujenske" because she recently married "Daniel Stujenske" (in France, BTW). He's a lawyer at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in NYC, and attended Columbia, where he and Virginie were members of the Columbia Strategic Simulation Society. There's lots more out there...
It appears that the shadowy group now has a website at useyourmandate.com