Not Only Has Mr. Swift-Boat Contributed Mightily to Republicans In the Recent Political Season, He Has Also Been Financing Joe "More Troops Are Needed" Lieberman.
Soros Bumped as Top Political Giver by Swift-Boat Group's Perry
By Michael Forsythe and Jonathan D. Salant
Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Bob Perry, the Houston homebuilder who led the drive to discredit Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's war record in 2004, has replaced George Soros as the biggest donor in U.S. politics.
Perry, 74, has given at least $9.2 million to groups backing Republican House and Senate candidates, Federal Election Commission records show. In 2004, Soros, 76, was the top contributor, giving at least $27 million in an effort to defeat President George W. Bush.
Perry is targeting congressional races in states such as Georgia, Oregon, Iowa and West Virginia that may have slipped off the radar of national party leaders. ‘‘You're dealing with a much more rifle-shot operation'' than in 2004, said Kent Cooper, co- founder of Washington-based PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks campaign spending. ‘‘Play the long shot and your payoff is much bigger.''
In 2004, Perry gave at least $4.5 million to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that aired commercials assailing Kerry's Vietnam war record. This year, his contributions to such so-called 527 groups -- named for the section of the tax code under which they operate -- are focusing on Democratic lawmakers the groups regard as vulnerable, paying for attack ads independent of the Republican candidates and official party apparatus.
Outspending the Parties
One group, the Sacramento-based Economic Freedom Fund, received $5 million from Perry -- almost its entire budget -- and spent at least $829,811 since Sept. 1 on TV commercials attacking Georgia Democratic representatives Jim Marshall and John Barrow. That's more than either party has spent on those races.
‘‘In Washington, liberal Marshall votes repeatedly against limiting lawsuits that drive up health-care costs,'' says one ad.
‘‘It put us on the defensive for a while,'' Marshall spokesman Doug Moore said. ‘‘Any time you have those groups coming after you, it is going to have an impact.''
The group is also airing ads against Democratic representatives Leonard Boswell in Iowa, Darlene Hooley in Oregon and Alan Mollohan in West Virginia. Only Boswell is among the most endangered Democratic incumbents, according to non-partisan groups monitoring the campaign.
Perry's money is also helping Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who lost the Democratic primary and is running as an independent. The Perry-backed Free Enterprise Fund, based in Washington, has run ads attacking Lieberman's opponent, Democratic nominee Ned Lamont.
Full Story With Details of Donation Amounts
Soros Bumped as Top Political Giver by Swift-Boat Group's Perry
By Michael Forsythe and Jonathan D. Salant
Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Bob Perry, the Houston homebuilder who led the drive to discredit Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's war record in 2004, has replaced George Soros as the biggest donor in U.S. politics.
Perry, 74, has given at least $9.2 million to groups backing Republican House and Senate candidates, Federal Election Commission records show. In 2004, Soros, 76, was the top contributor, giving at least $27 million in an effort to defeat President George W. Bush.
Perry is targeting congressional races in states such as Georgia, Oregon, Iowa and West Virginia that may have slipped off the radar of national party leaders. ‘‘You're dealing with a much more rifle-shot operation'' than in 2004, said Kent Cooper, co- founder of Washington-based PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks campaign spending. ‘‘Play the long shot and your payoff is much bigger.''
In 2004, Perry gave at least $4.5 million to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that aired commercials assailing Kerry's Vietnam war record. This year, his contributions to such so-called 527 groups -- named for the section of the tax code under which they operate -- are focusing on Democratic lawmakers the groups regard as vulnerable, paying for attack ads independent of the Republican candidates and official party apparatus.
Outspending the Parties
One group, the Sacramento-based Economic Freedom Fund, received $5 million from Perry -- almost its entire budget -- and spent at least $829,811 since Sept. 1 on TV commercials attacking Georgia Democratic representatives Jim Marshall and John Barrow. That's more than either party has spent on those races.
‘‘In Washington, liberal Marshall votes repeatedly against limiting lawsuits that drive up health-care costs,'' says one ad.
‘‘It put us on the defensive for a while,'' Marshall spokesman Doug Moore said. ‘‘Any time you have those groups coming after you, it is going to have an impact.''
The group is also airing ads against Democratic representatives Leonard Boswell in Iowa, Darlene Hooley in Oregon and Alan Mollohan in West Virginia. Only Boswell is among the most endangered Democratic incumbents, according to non-partisan groups monitoring the campaign.
Perry's money is also helping Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who lost the Democratic primary and is running as an independent. The Perry-backed Free Enterprise Fund, based in Washington, has run ads attacking Lieberman's opponent, Democratic nominee Ned Lamont.
Full Story With Details of Donation Amounts