Tea Party groups have been flocking to help state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-MS) since the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Mississippi went to a runoff. One of those groups has been the Tea Party Express which has sent out multiple emails since the race went into a runoff.
Tea Party Express has also made a stop on its “Fighting for Liberty” tour in Mississippi in support of McDaniel. But there actually isn’t much evidence that the organization has actually helped McDaniel in his campaign to replace Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS).
A closely maintained database of spending of outside groups by the Center for Responsive Politics does not show any spending by the Tea Party Express political action committee for McDaniel. The database would show the Tea Party Express if it had spent over $1,000 for McDaniel in the last 20 days prior to the election. But there’s no report which means there hasn’t been much spending, according to The Washington Post.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” The Tea Party Express’s Sal Russo told the Post on Thursday.
Russo did, however, tell the post over email that his organization did plan to be “active on behalf of McDaniel” in Mississippi but their “focus will more likely be grassroots-oriented with some TV and radio support.”
A May Filing with the FEC reported that Tea Party Express had raised $2.5 million in the 2014 election cycle and according to the Center for Responsive Politics, in the 2013-2014 election cycle the group raised $8.5 million, mostly through small donations.
'Course not. This is just another grift to shake down the rube True Believers. It’ll work, too.
As Charlie Pierce usually chortles…“And the grift continues…”
From Pat Robertson to Jim DeMint to the Tea Party to Ted Cruz and The Club for Growth…the ability to milk the rubes is truly fascinating.
Richard Vigurie started with direct mail and today the industry hauls in millions that go to the fund raisers a LOT and the causes not so much. There are some among the slick who promise GOP candidates to raise funds for their campaigns.
They raise funds, but the campaigns are often lucky to get 10 cents on the dollar.
Reverend Ike and the magic prayer cloth, and all the radio and TV evangalists…even one pastor who told his flock they needed to contribute a million or so in order to replace the blades on his helicopter.
God loves you but you can really prove it by giving ME your money.
And the idiots do!!!
Don’t forget the greatest grifter of all: Karl Rove.
Forget the rubes, there like stealing candy from a baby. Rove convinced a dozen billionaires? to give him more than $300M last cycle and didn’t have a single win to show for it! Not one.
But Rove pocketed how many millions in ad buy commissions? $30M? $60M? No one knows the answer which is the most amazing thing of all.
When it comes to the grift, Karl Rove is the all time champ.
“Tea Party Express Is Raising Money For McDaniel — But Are They Spending It On Him?”
Certainly you aren’t suggesting they abide by a code of ethics?
Not at all,
“focus will more likely be grassroots-oriented with some TV and radio support.”
They have people from the TP Express in Mississippi. Listening to the radio. Watching some TV. So they are doing what their part.
Tea Party Express is in dire straights financially. They desperately need to pick up money this midterm, or they will be closing their doors early in 2015. So the support the give is going to be extremely “grass rootsy”…like, the type that they don’t have to pay for.