Americans For Job Security, Shadowy Pro-Business Group, Has 'Misleading' Ad Pulled From Virginia Race

The shadowy pro-business group, Americans for Job Security, got tough front-page treatment in the New York Times on Friday for funding a host of conservative causes behind the cloak of tax-exemption and donor anonymity.

Hinting that the organization is pushing the lines of campaign law while moving hordes of largely special interest money, the paper put a numerical figure on AJS's impact so far this cycle. "Already they [and other outside groups] have spent more than $100 million -- mostly for Republicans and more than twice as much as at this point four years ago."

Not all of that cash has been well spent. Hours before the Times went to print, news broke in Virginia that a local ABC television affiliate was pulling an ad run by AJS against Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) because its claims are false and misleading.

Per CQ:

At issue is an often cited study by the Washington Post which assigns a "party voting" score that represents the percentage of votes on which a lawmaker agrees with the position taken by a majority of his or her party members.

AJS references the study when it claims that "Rick Boucher supports Nancy Pelosi 96 percent of the time" in its ad, which went on the air Sept. 9.

But after Boucher's complaint WSET-TV President Randy Smith reviewed the ad and found that the Washington Post study "does not appear to compare votes by Congressman Boucher with those by Ms. Pelosi nor does it equate Ms. Pelosi with the Democratic Party. Hence the ad appears to be misleading.

In the end, the $416,000 that AJS spent on the spot against Boucher is pocket change compared to the $9 million that the group is reportedly set to spend on television ads through October. Americans for Jobs Security, in short, can take the loss of funds it spent on producing the Boucher ad and the political hits that come with getting it pulled.

"Americans for Jobs Security and other groups like it might sound harmless but their agenda is dictated by their corporate and potentially foreign funded interests and their record of telling the truth has as many holes as Swiss cheese," said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Southern Regional Press Secretary Jesse Ferguson.

But the group's activities, while propelling Republicans in key races (in addition to Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Arkansas Democratic primary), have also engendered some negative press. In addition to the Times, the Roanoke Times recently editorialized against the group under the title: "A shadow descends on the 9th district."

[W]ho is AJS? Beats us. The group keeps its members' identities secret. The name is just a feel-good front. Members could be foreign corporations, wealthy industrialists or even environmentalists. All right, probably not environmentalists, given the group's love of coal.

At least AJS is open about its secrecy. The group's website reports, "Our members are businesses, business leaders and entrepreneurs from around the country. AJS does not disclose or discuss its membership further than this."

In other words, mind your own business.

Comments

[filo]

08:09 AM on 09/27/2010

Americans for Job Security ??

Where? India?

[abbadabba]

06:57 PM on 09/26/2010

Bet those are the jokers claiming that since my Rep has served me as a state rep, a state senator, and US Rep for over twenty years, she's responsible for all the misery we are experiencing or fear we might. Forget that her opponent wasn't even these kind of folks' first choice. Their first Tea Pot cracked up in the primary. These Tea Pots know what to do now they are nominated. What ever those two Kochs and their Dick Armey tell them to. Real Potters should pull those fakers hair out by the roots.

Republican and Tea Party Politics are Plutoidian to the sky!

[freddychef]

10:56 PM on 09/25/2010

to the more ons not concerned with who is acually supplying the cash.

Would you feel the same if a shawdow group started giving hundreds of millions to support the liberal POV?

I recall that conbaggers keep equating liberals with terrorism (false).

[3dtrix]

01:46 PM on 09/26/2010

Everyone knows there is only one uber-wealthy ev!l mastermind bankrolling the entire liberal agenda by himself - "lonesome" George Soros - who so dispises his own wealth that he's giving it away to empower those who would take it away.

Some day we'll get to the bottom of his dastardly plan...

[freddychef]

02:30 PM on 09/26/2010

Oh gawd,
You Nailed IT!!!!


F&F

[Robert Masters]

10:17 PM on 09/25/2010

Those shadowy pro-business groups going after our progressive/democrat anti-business Congressmen. Grrrrr!

[CenaW]

10:22 PM on 09/25/2010

They aren't "American companies any sense of the word" and the money could be from the Saudies, or China or Korea.

Do you approve?

[Robert Masters]

10:44 PM on 09/25/2010

I am unconcerned. I may not approve but I don't approve of most politicians either.

[Ron1951]

02:44 PM on 09/25/2010

A DNC "Public Service Ad" listing the names of these corporate advertisers and who they are representing would be fascinating--and Dick Armey's support of teabaggers would be prominently on that list for the baggers to see for themselves.

[Freesia2]

11:15 AM on 09/25/2010

The Republicans can't do anything without lying. And they have to spin the lies from behind front groups with billionaires money. All geared to keep their low-information voters screaming about how the Republicans are for the little people - but duped into voting for the filthy rich people.

It's really just....sick. Tawdry and disgusting on so many levels.

[minerva117]

01:50 PM on 09/25/2010

They put forth these creepy groups with names that always start with "Americans for" or "Americans against" counting on support from those who wish to paint themselves as "patriots" but are more likely jingoists. The low-info voter only sees that "American" part and throws their support behind the group without ever knowing anything else about it. I'm sure in today's political climate, one need not even be an American to start a group with a name like that. You can be sure that Mr/Ms Low info voter is not going to check.

[Freesia2]

02:23 PM on 09/25/2010

It's true minerva117.

They just hang up a shingle that says "America" somewhere  on it, cover it in stars and stripes and have it play Yankee Doodle Dandy and the Republican base thinks they're "Real Amerikuns" and fork over their money and vote where they tell them.

I was looking at a photo of Sarah Palin the other day. Red jacket, a flag pin you could see from space and wrist bands covered with stars and stripes and I thought "Could you be any more cheezey"? But realized that that works with her base, for the same reason these groups do. The people they appeal to look no further than the word "America" and the star spangled veneer and the job is done. It's pathetic. 

[Ron1951]

02:47 PM on 09/25/2010

That's why we need to identify all of these conservative pseudonyms and advertise them to the public. Low production costs. Bound to be picked up by MSM as news items. If not, one Washington Post or NYT ad will get TV attention.

Funny thing about the Pledge. It was supposed to reflect the top concerns of people who called.wrote.e-mailed in. The number one concern--legalize marijuana. Shows you what good organization can do.

[birddogs]

10:15 AM on 09/25/2010

AJS funded ads in the Senate primary here. After seeing who they backed I knew they had no message I was interested in. Didn't realize it was Koch/Rove but not surprised. Wide brush I'm painting with but, It is what it is. Looked less like Pro-business, more like Pro-fascism.

[CenaW]

10:25 PM on 09/25/2010

The k0ch cartel is going all out on this election more even than in 2008.
This includes some of their long time partners, Coors, VanAndel/DeVoss, Scaife(Mellon)
any DuPonts still worth a few billion, Hunts, Tx, dozens. and they have plenty of money to spend and -0- interest in the Democratic proces, and yes a Fascist America is their goal.

[jazzboy]

08:50 PM on 09/24/2010

In big forest fires, there's only two ways to fight fire: One, put it out with water like the newspapers/media are doing with their fact checks. Or two, fight fire with fire. Where are the millionaire Democrats? Give us the tools, and we will use Karl Rove's tactics to beat back the GOP-TEA.

[CenaW]

10:29 PM on 09/25/2010

Don't expect much help from the news orgs.
They are all owned / controlled by billionaires all interested in
protecting their billions, all looking forward to killing Social Security, Public Education,
Health care for workers, and so on.
The only difference between the Conservatives/ultra-conservatives(K0ch gang)
is that the run of the mill conservative billionaire while not one bit concerned about working/middle class/retired USA citizen is that the ultras don't worry one wit about a massive dissent, they would call out the guard and shoot, al la Mexico,
The normal greedy billionaire conservatives do recognize how destructive massive social unrest is and are willing to allow the working/middle/retired people a few crumbs.

[ChiGuy]

07:02 PM on 09/24/2010

Without outright lies and dirty tricks, what does the right wing have?

Absolutely nothing.

[filo]

08:12 AM on 09/27/2010

They still have fear mongering.

[Don Knowles]

05:40 PM on 09/24/2010

I think ads should be banned all together because they are typically a pack of lies. Or tv stations can give free time and count that as their public service announcements. Let's take the big money out of the process so the little guy has a chance over a mega corporation.

[Ron1951]

02:49 PM on 09/25/2010

our conservative activists running the Supreme Court would find that it takes the voice away from our corporate citizens--here and around the world.

[Marie Russell-Barker]

04:40 PM on 09/24/2010

@Democrat Voters, Did you get all of that. We are being eaten alive and not just by our own but forign companies. The Republican have no shame or loyalty to the American People, maybe we meed to take another look at our elections. Any suggestions? here is a thought each champagne manger should be made to report to someone withing the Government who then will make it public of how much and who where the donations came from. Get ride of secret society off businesses that keep its Members a secret. The States should have to keep up with these non for profit organization that can afford to donate million to a champagne. Start investigating these other people who advertises for a Canadian. Make the News Networks to be about the news and not an invitation for a certain Party to have an open mike. FCC what is your roll in some of this. We the American People are tired of getting that end of the stick.

[cave mann35]

04:16 PM on 09/24/2010

And so it begins . . . I'm going to incorporate myself next week, then I can start raising tons of cash by using a silly name like Americans for Prosperity, or American First, and once good Americans start sending their cash to me, I can then do a Karl Rove and start asking large corporations and billionaires to contribute and fund think tanks like the Koch Brothers that will release study after study with the results I want, all so I can go lobby congress to do or not do a thing and then give some greedy congressman or senator some re-election campaign money or promise to do some commercials against their opponent and voila . . .

[oldpol2]

08:34 PM on 09/24/2010

Maybe you are onto somethingMaybe we should all do that. It would eliminate that $2000. ceiling and we won't have to declare our employer. Heck, maybe we should all become a small business and get some major tax breaks, like Bechtel.

[jazzboy]

08:51 PM on 09/24/2010

Boycott the Koch Brothers' businesses -- they produce a lot of household products.

[CenaW]

10:31 PM on 09/25/2010

Are you willing to givre up your Coors beer?
The Coors family very deep into this cartel.

[takeabigdeepbreath]

04:14 PM on 09/24/2010

Koch heads?

[oldpol2]

08:35 PM on 09/24/2010

Gives whole new meaning to that term, does it not?

[Javalation]

03:26 PM on 09/24/2010

But didn't the Republicans on the Supreme Court decide that it was an infringement of the free speech rights of Big Business to limit their spending come election time? How can they be sure to buy the legislators they need if their spending is curtailed?

[Marie Russell-Barker]

04:45 PM on 09/24/2010

I have to admit it but yes you are right, and they did not hide the fact that they was on party lines, so I will repeat the Republicans have no shame, no morals, no compassion none of that good stuff so what should we do about it. The only thing that we can do Show Up At The Polls Or get what is promised to the Americans by the Republicans and the Big Businesses and all those who would like to see this country go down hill.

[StevieRae]

03:19 PM on 09/24/2010

Hopefully, others than the NYT will be performing this public service considering all the corporate shrouded money going into ads with one intent, to vilify Democrats. We're about to see a new definition of dirty, filthy politics, paid for by corporate "citizens".

[jazzboy]

08:53 PM on 09/24/2010

Use the same tactics against the GOP-TEA and give them a double dose of their own snake oil.