wanna know why they want to get rid of PBS?

[ibegurpard]

you won't see programs like this in the "mainstream" media:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2298009584

and read this related story as well:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/big-sky-big-money/a-protest-and-a-break-in-fallout-from-big-sky-big-money/


want to know why Montana is a purple island in a sea of red? it's because of the campaign laws that have been under attack by this group and others like it.

[LeftInTX]

1. Yep, that's exactly why - n/t

[ibegurpard]

2. kick

there are some very interesting developments going on here with this group as well.
Last night, there was a break-in at the Office of Political Practices, where the material supposedly detailing actual campaign coordination by this supposed "issues" group was reportedly stored. It had been moved to a more secure location previous to the airing of this program on Tuesday.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/political-practices-reports-apparent-break-in/article_f38e03e4-8faf-5361-bc3d-210146a72cf5.html

[Bozita]

3. That video is MUST SEE stuff! ... Recommended

[ibegurpard]

4. indeed it is

I really wish more people knew what's been going on here in the wake of Citizens United.
It has affected my state more profoundly than almost anywhere else I think.

[Whovian]

5. Terribly frightening. KnR

[ibegurpard]

6. and this is the group that overturned our 100 year old campaign finance law:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/big-sky-big-money/more-evidence-key-dark-money-group-may-have-misled-irs/

"Although operating at the state level, WTP has won national attention for its attempts to fight campaign-finance restrictions. It successfully sued to overturn Montana’s ban on corporate spending in elections, extending the provisions of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision to all states. It has also sued Montana investigators over the state’s ruling two years ago that the group is a political committee and should have to report its donors.

Documents obtained by FRONTLINE on WTP offer a rare look into the inner workings of dark money groups, tax-exempt organizations that can accept unlimited contributions and do not have to disclose their donors for political ads.

On Monday, we detailed how some of those documents pointed to WTP actively shaping the campaigns of candidates for state office in Montana. The documents, found in a meth house near Denver by a convicted felon in late 2010, indicated possible coordination between candidates and outside groups. Outside groups and candidates are not allowed to coordinate.

Social welfare nonprofits like WTP are allowed to engage in some political activity, but IRS regulations say they must have social welfare as their primary purpose. ProPublica has extensively reported on how some of these nonprofits, known as 501(c)(4)’s after their section of the tax code, appear to exploit gaps in enforcement between the Internal Revenue Service and election authorities so they don’t have to disclose where they get their money."

Now known as American Tradition Partnership...local office at a post office box near you...

[WorseBeforeBetter]

7. Yeah, my blood was boiling while watching that Tuesday night.

I'm not sure how to stop this juggernaut... too many Americans are completely in the dark or just don't seem to care.

[ibegurpard]

8. one for kick for the night

pleasant dreams DU

[WorseBeforeBetter]

9. Kicking because this is important. (n/t)