Steve Israel: GOP super PAC fundraising ‘keeps me up at night’
The top House Democratic campaign strategist said Friday that the Republican edge in super PAC fundraising is “what keeps me up at night.”
New York Rep. Steve Israel, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, made the remark during an interview on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” that will air Sunday.
Continue Reading“I’ll be honest with you. This is what keeps me up at night,” Israel said when asked by a POLITICO reporter about the GOP’s advantage in collecting cash for a new style of campaign committee that can raise and spend unlimited sums so long as it doesn’t coordinate with candidates.
“We had an inadequate response to those super PACs in 2010. Now we have allies that are standing up and developing a response in 2012 . Will they go dollar for dollar with the Republicans? No. But there will be a robust response that we lacked in 2010 and it will make it more competitive.”
There’s good reason for Israel and other Democratic strategists to be concerned. As of the end of December, two Republican-aligned outside groups, American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, had raised $51 million for the 2012 election cycle, compared with $19 million for four similar Democratic groups. American Crossroads is a super PAC, while Crossroads GPS is a 501(c)4 social welfare organization.
Israel contends that Democrats lost the House in 2010 because they were outgunned in the campaign spending department by outside groups.
“Our allies know that one of the things that went wrong in 2010 was the lack of a robust response to [Republican strategist] Karl Rove and the Republican super PAC machine,” he said.







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Read all 34 comments in our forumThe 1% is going to buy this election just like they bought the Supreme Court decision. Let's hope the 99% comes to their senses and realizes "citizens united" put our democracy at risk and only by throwing out the extremists in Congress can we save the Union.
And where's the concern about Soros and his multi-millions that have been funding various political causes? Democrats set up the game and then get angry when others play by democrats' rules.
The Dems lost in 2010 because their policies where totally out of touch with the American voter!
Message not strong enough to garner the bucks to put to forward?
Too bad.
Now the opposition has enough money to put the union mouthpieces to shame?
Tough toenails.
Hey look! The first poster is using the talking points he was just given. OK loser, please inform us how anyone "bought" the Supreme Court decision? Better yet, please inform us exactly what part of the Constitution was argued? All we hear are crickets chirping. BTW, it's not 99%, it's 53% that's how many people pay federal taxes. The rest of you are freeloaders.
Mr. Israel the Democrats lost the house because some said things are "under control", "its okay" but the result were shellacking. It doesn't mean it can't happen again!!! it can if we still approach issues like last November. Otherwise I hope people have learned from their mistakes and rectified what went wrong. Back to your point, the real problem is not with the super pacs' its having activist judges running the show in the supreme court. Time has come to amend the constitution instead of appointing or anointing them whatever the case may be! they should run for the bench and "we the people" should vote and decide who sits in the bench. The work of the judges should only be interpreting the law without taking sides with their political affiliations
Mr. Israel and the democrats really have no clue to what happened in the 2010 elections, if this is what they believe. Voters were not pleased with the agenda and the way they were passing bills like Obamacare, bail-outs etc. The bribes to other democrats to pass obamacare in the middle of the night. 63 democrats lost their jobs because of what they were doing behind closed doors from 2008-2010.
2011-2012 they are doing it again they have over 14 jobs bills sent to the senate from the house Mr.Reid tabled them there still on his desk. Many democrats and republicans were for the pipeline Mr Obama was not. The voters didn't see any compromise between 2007 and 2010, but now you hear from the leaders of the democratic party that they want compromise, but in fact have not compromised.
Mr Obama may win the white house again ( from what I see of the Republican party), but the House and Senate may not be Obama friendly. Executive orders only go so far and I believe Mr Obama over reached his bounds on these actions. The democrats believe in the concept of pass it( Mr Clinton said as much), make them over turn it in court. That's what's now about to happen with Obamacare at the Supreme Court. If they remove the mandate the rest of the bill falls to the ground like space junk. The mandate is the center piece.
Mr Obama believes if you say it enough every one will fall in line and believe his words. Many voters that went for Mr Obama in 2008 learned a lesson from Mr Obama his words are not matching his actions.
Get ready for a wild election, voter fraud is already happening S.C. had 900 dead people vote. Voter ID laws would prevented this from happening and we already know dead people always vote for the democrats. Voter ID laws go into effect and the democrats lose a 1/8 th of their base, that's why they are so against voter identification at the voters booth.
It's ironic that Obama bragged he would have a billion dollars to spend on his re-election campaign and now his party is complaining about the amount of money the other side is raising to oppose him.
My second point is that his statement that the Democrats were beaten like dogs in 2010 because they were outgunned is simply wrong. The Democratic party has embraced socialism, a political philosophy that has never worked anywhere it's ever been tried, it is responsible for the economic collapse in Europe, and it is responsible for the current economic collapse in America.
We now have a federal government based on a failed political philosophy that has been responsible for economic collapse around the world, and one that is built on lies, bribes, trickle-up payoffs, waste of taxpayer money, and crony capitalism. It's time to retrieve the Constitution from Obama's trash can and restore it to its proper place in American politics.
You'll be honest?
Please. You aren't worried one bit. You're just trying to paint the picture that Republicans have these "super" pacs that are unfair.
Geeze, look at spending in 2010, and in 2008.
Should AFSCME, or SEIU, or all the other union and liberal/progressive groups be considered "SuperPacs"?
Rep. Israel is completely disingenuous on this issue.
What the heck do you think $1 billion for a 6 month campain is going to do for the President?
Oh, you morons haven't seen anything yet. And you lost in 2010 because you're a bunch of statist traitors to the Constitution.
What keeps me up at night; is the fact that union workers are MANDATED to pay dues to their unions; thus most of the money they get from the union workers goes to the Democrats.
The union workers are being denied their free speech; because they can not tell the union boss who to contribute to.
That is what keeps me up at night......................
For all you union haters:
I hope your kids and grandkids get non union jobs, which have no benefits, minimal safety rules, part time, and can get denied promotions like their handwriting is bad. Happened to a friend of mine at Wal Mart. He is a greeter and he was denied an annual raise because of his handwriting.
And I hope my kids and grandkids get a union job with full benefits, safety rules, a grievance committee, and paid vacations.
Let's put your money where you mouth is. Also after a natural disaster hits your neighborhood, do not go and collect that evil socialist government FEMA money. Instead DEMAND a tax cut. And see if that precious tax cut will fix your house or neighborhood.
What a crock, while it's true that the Republican super PACS raise more money before the 2010 midterms after the election was over the NY Times ran a piece that said that the Democrats actually outspent the Republicans in total money spent.
It would be nice if Politico actually reported these facts instead of the Democratic talking points.
Hey Fox Fan... You should really go brush up on world economic theory and history before you go blabbing your ill-informed mouth. Socialism is NOT what caused the current crisis across Europe, or the one here. In Europe, it was caused by the devaluation of the Euro following that little thing we like to call "The Worst Recession Since The Great Depression". We live in an interconnected, global economy, and anyone (other than a bleach-blonde Faux News anchor) will tell you that Europe's banks and assets were deeply connected to the mortgage and housing crisis that occurred here -- Yes, the REAL CAUSE of our collapse. Not Socialism. It was only a matter of time before Europe felt the effects.
Now beyond that, if you honestly still believe this inane b.s. about Obama and the Democrats being Socialists, then you really need to get your head examined. Yes, this country has "Socialist-type" programs. Has from its very inception. Even our founding fathers understood that. But no, we do not have a Socialist President or a Socialist Party. Your hysteria only illuminates your lack of intelligence and willful distortion of the facts. But the real facts are now coming to light, and the American people will no longer stand idly by while the wealthiest in this country profit on the backs of the middle class and the poor. Wealthy people like good ol' Mitt Romney. Who, for the record, doesn't have an authentic bone in his body. And who, I'm sorry to say, will be on the absolute wrong side of these facts come Fall. So prepare yourself now, because your "Socialist President" Barack Obama will CRUSH Mitt the Robot in 2012.
The reason we lost the House was that we were outspent Mr. Israel said......what about the fact that that the American people are tired of the Demacrat's policies. As for me I'll take the latter.
Pleas tell us who bought Obama in 2008 or have you forgotten that Wall Street gave
more money to the Obama Campaign in the history of the US election cycle--
Obama's allies have gone even further than anyone --setting up non-profit group that do
not disclose their donors at all !!!
IN fact -top Dem's are so adamant about the need to raise unlimited and & sometimes
secret cash this year that some operatives aren't pleased about the recent attacks by
Obama and his administration on them--
P/S --- Mr. Isreal -- please inform the brain dead Mr. Shummer the one that came out the other day weeping and wetting
himself -- accusing Karl Rove of not disclosing where he got his donation--
Does the most criminal and violent political party really think that only their public school drip heads are the
current electorat -- Everyone knows that the Democrat Senate and Congress --Reid -Pelosi and the president
are consummate lairs and untrustworthy --- even your Flea baggers the in their tie dyed shirts and underwear they have
defacated in -- your philosophical standard of your party is against you !!!
KEMAH
If someone came in the night and kidnapped the Union all of them -- our children will not lose anything but
gain --- I have worked in a very poor state but a right to work state -- and earned more per hour than our local police and
fire department union workers --- put that in your cap --- and start surfing the channels -- watching Chris Matthew wet his
pants and spew spittal on his guest has not taught you one thing has it ---
While Liberal Dems have all crawled into caves learn to discern the truth from the lies or take a look around you --
do you notice that there are many people that live better than you and do not work via a union ---Americans who don't
need anyone to think for them or make decisions for them -- and guess what they aren't even Dems -- how does that grab you??
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LOL Obama's SuperPAC is called Mainstream Media and it is the largest private sector SuperPAC he has. The largest Public SuperPAC Obama has is called Treasury, so take your croc tears somewhere else!
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I have great benefits and don't belong to a union. Please shuddup and sit down. You had your fun in 2008 and we are a worse off nation because of your ignorance.
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