COMMON SENSE ISSUES
Welcome McCain Victory 08 readers.
I am throwing this out as quick as I can so you can have more information on the shadowy organization “Common Sense Issues”. I have yet to track down Patrick Davis who runs it. I haven’t found a web presence, but there is this entangled alliance of “Christian” (if you can call them that) conservatives that is just plain incestuous. I suspect Common Sense Issues is tied to one of them, but I have no proof other than common sense experience with these people. I’ve been trying to run a “source watch” on the group and have come up with zilch. It is a new organization founded in 2007 to support a Huckabee campaign. So far, as expected, Huckabee’s campaign has denied all ties, deplores their actions, does not subscribe to this kind of…yada yada yada. This is also the organization that was investigated for some anti-Mormon push polling etc. against Mitt Romney back in early December. Some of those associated with Common Sense Issues have associated with Giuliani in the past, but he doesn’t have the money to pull this off.
The headline speaks for itself. “Group phones millions to bash Huckabee rivals ahead of votes”
Tommy Oliver posted this on Race for 2008
“…I’m going to wait until after South Carolina I get home this evening before I really comment on this group. However, I was suprised to find out that a large portion of the funding for these calls came from someone that I have met on a couple of occasions. It’s being funded by someone from the same county that I live in and have met him on more than one occasion. This is a huge Thompson area, so I’m sure this isn’t go to go over well with the local GOP. I’ve got more to say about this at a later date, but for now, all I will say is that this is ridiculous. I’m not a McCain supporter, but this goes well beyond the bounds of what I am comfortable with….”
From the Arkansas Online
“…Volunteers making telephone calls for John McCain last weekend noticed something odd: Four people contacted said in remarkably similar language that they opposed McCain for president because of his 1980 divorce from his first wife, Carol, who raised the couple’s three children while McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. This week, a group called Common Sense Issues is making what it says will be 1 million automated calls to households in South Carolina, telling voters, according to one of the calls, that McCain “has voted to use unborn babies in medical research.” Common Sense Issues is a nonprofit group “dedicated to educating and informing our fellow citizens in an in-depth manner about public policy issues,” according to its Web site. Its executive director, Patrick Davis of Colorado Springs, Colo., is a veteran Republican political operative….”
Common Sense Issues is an Iowa based organization
“…The Boston Globe, December 5, 2007
The Delaware-based group Common Sense Issues is using automated phone calls to Iowa voters to talk up Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and spread negative information about his rivals. Mitt Romney's campaign has asked the Iowa attorney general to investigate the push poll calls. Common Sense Issues, which hired the ccAdvertising firm for the calls, also set up a website and "hopes to run TV ads and launch get-out-the-vote efforts on Huckabee's behalf." Huckabee has asked the group to stop the calls. Other possibly illegal push poll calls "made in New Hampshire last month ... conveyed negative remarks about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and flattering remarks about John McCain," reports the New Hampshire Union Leader. The calls "were placed by Western Wats of Orem, Utah," though it's not clear who hired them. Western Wats has "conducted polling for the Tarrance Group, which works for candidate Rudy Giuliani," though "several employees of Western Wats have made donations to the Romney campaign."…”
The Delaware-based group Common Sense Issues is using automated phone calls to Iowa voters to talk up Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and spread negative information about his rivals. Mitt Romney's campaign has asked the Iowa attorney general to investigate the push poll calls. Common Sense Issues, which hired the ccAdvertising firm for the calls, also set up a website and "hopes to run TV ads and launch get-out-the-vote efforts on Huckabee's behalf." Huckabee has asked the group to stop the calls. Other possibly illegal push poll calls "made in New Hampshire last month ... conveyed negative remarks about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and flattering remarks about John McCain," reports the New Hampshire Union Leader. The calls "were placed by Western Wats of Orem, Utah," though it's not clear who hired them. Western Wats has "conducted polling for the Tarrance Group, which works for candidate Rudy Giuliani," though "several employees of Western Wats have made donations to the Romney campaign."…”
It was formed in 2007 specifically to assist the campaign of Mike Huckabee.
“….Common Sense Issues was formed in 2007. They promised to make 1 million phone calls in support of Mike Huckabee. The main problem is that Common Sense Issues is a 501(c) 4. This allows two things. One, a person is not limited by the Federal limits of donations to a campaign. They can give large sums of money. Two, Common Sense Issues does not have to disclose its donors. However, a 501 (c) 4 is not allowed to promote a certain candidate, they can only educate the voters on issues. The IRS says “"direct or indirect participation or intervention in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office." Directing recipients of the calls to the “trusthuckabee.com” website and simultaneously claiming that the calls are not campaigning is not credible. The money paid by Common Sense Issues to c cAdvertising, the firm making the calls, has reportedly been categorized as GOTV. But you don't have to take just my word for it, take a listen to the push poll below. It's obviously campaigning for Huckabee. "Given that Fred hates unborn babies, are you more likely to vote for your friend and pastor, Mike Huckabee?" …”
The WSJ on turning out the religious vote.
The Huckabee Campaign has released the following:
News Release: Huckabee Campaign Denounces Push Polling Calls — Again
January 16, 2008
South Carolina, and any state in the country. “As I’ve said before, our campaign has nothing to do with push polling and I wish they would stop. We don’t want this kind of campaigning because it violates the spirit of our campaign. I want to become President because I am the best candidate, not because I attacked the other candidate,” said Huckabee from the campaign trail in South Carolina….”
NOTE: The Koalin Kronicle thinks TTS is behind much of the anti-McCain material. If so, they are employed by Mitt Romney. I don’t think they are, but the Kronicle is in SC and has the inside track. I’m waiting to see what the Palmetto Scoop and FTS News has to say about it. I just can’t think TTS is that stupid after being exposed the way they were a week or so ago.
I will post updates as I find them as additional posts. If you wish an email update sjreidhead – at – valornetdotcom and I will contact you as needed.
UPDATED
Talking Points Memo has an interview with Huckabee on the subject.
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