Josh Marshall...USA Next, AARP, Gays, United Seniors Assoc., Pharm Compani

[RedEarth]

Interesting read from Josh Marshalls site regarding the right wing smear machine......

GOP front groups like USANext (the folks now working to uncover the AARP-homosexual world conspiracy) usually change their names every couple years or hive off other outfits just to keep everyone guessing. So USANext is actually part of the United Seniors Association, or as they put it: "USA United Generations and USA NEXT are grassroots projects of United Seniors Association (USA) which is celebrating its 13th anniversary as the non-partisan, 1.5 million-plus nationwide grassroots network Uniting the Generations for America’s Future."

They share the same website now. So really it's all the same outfit.

In any case, despite claiming this vast membership, this article from last year in The Washington Monthtly makes clear that United Seniors Association is basically a slush fund through which pharmaceutical companies make huge donations to the Republican party.

Says the article ...

Then there's the benignly-named United Seniors Association (USA), which serves as a soft-money slush fund for a single GOP-friendly industry: pharmaceuticals. USA claims a nationwide network of more than one million activists, but, just like Progress for America, listed zero income from membership dues in its most recent available tax return. USA does, however, have plenty of money on its hands. During the 2002 elections, with an "unrestricted educational grant" from the drug industry burning a hole in its pocket, the group spent roughly $14 million--the lion's share of its budget--on ads defending Republican members of Congress for their votes on a Medicare prescription-drug bill.

more......


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_02_20.php#004863

[No Exit]

1. Why is it that all their fake groups are touted as "grassroots"?

Seems like that's their favorite word. In reality, all these "groups" spring from the same foul poison ivy "roots".

[tom_paine]

2. For the same reason no one called Stalin on his Bush-type front groups

Fear of retribution, plain and simple.

Obviously, Stalin was more violent, Bush less so (but only because the time and place aren't yet right, wait for the Caligulan and Nero Generation of Busheviks to rule us).

But the answers are identical, even if the brutal retributions are not.

[No Exit]

3. Yup! Republicans: Party of Fear. n/t

[elehhhhna]

5. Grassroots= Bush was high when he thought of it.

[RobertSeattle]

4. Astroturf

These people who sell their own gramma down the drain for a buck.