#nc-03: Mystery national group ponies up $$$$ for Cairns ad-buy
And NO it is not named The Club For Growth. Our sources tell us that an independent expenditure (an “IE” in political weenie talk) called “Awake Carolina” has purchased $60,000 in broadcast advertising time to benefit GOP candidate Celeste Cairns.
It looks like they’ve ponied up a lot more than that behind the scenes.
Cairns has recently been thrust into the spotlight in the Third Congressional District GOP field thanks to an endorsement by the DC-based Club For Growth.
According to documents filed with the FEC, Cairns appears to be working with Massachusetts-based RedCurve, headed by Bradley Crate — best known as the CFO of “Romney for President” in 2012, the Trump campaign treasurer in 2016, and the coordinator of Trump-RNC fundraising efforts for 2020.
Election day in The Third is on April 30. Early voting is already underway.
She does not impress me. And this stuff pushes me further away.
So this is what happens when the anti-establishment is split. I’m not seeing any Nix/Speciale/Moore Ads. Joan Perry, Rouse, Murphy are getting the most airtime. Let’s face it, big money buys elections — in a low turnout election the TV Ads make a big difference.
We have proven conservatives who have paid their dues in this race. We do NOT need a Massachusetts based consultant trying to monkey around in our primary to buy the race for a total unknown. If this is Romney money, it is real bad news.
I saw Celeste speak at the Coastal Carolina Taxpayers forum and she impressed me very much there. Well spoken and principled. And charming! She even knocked on my door herself last week!!! I’m impressed for one and she’s got my whole family’s vote!
The FEC reports for the Third Congressional District are online for some candidates as they were due yesterday. It was noted on Monday Speciale had not formed his FEC committee but has done so now. He must read the Haymaker and figured he better do it quick. Yet there is no quarterly report filed for Speciale. And sitting legislator Phil Shepard can be found no where on the FEC website. No committee or report and there is no question at all Shepard has spent over $5000 in signage, radio, direct mail and TV.
Are Speciale and Shepard playing the old Dean Smith four corners and trying to run out the clock without getting their reports in? And these are not rookie candidates so they know all about campaign finance laws. Do Speciale and Shepard think not getting their reports in and hiding this public information is kosher? My gut tells me Shepard might have had a decent quarter but we just dont know. As far as Speciale his track record in fundraising is abysmal and he most certainly has laid one huge embarrassing egg in his fundraising for this race. I might be wrong but the quarterly FEC reports will tell the story if they are ever posted.
I wasn’t familiar with the Club for Growth so I checked them out..
Looks like they are an anti-establishment Conservative org that opposed the stimulus bill, cap and trade, the Wall Street bailout, Obamacare, and supported keeping the debt ceiling and term limits.
As far as other candidates they support, they have helped Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Ben Sasse, Sen. Ton Cotton, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, and President Trump 2020–I’d say that’s a pretty good “club” to be in if you ask me..
The Club for Growth is a bunch of rich people who are pro-business. If their objectives happen to align with conservative principles, they accept the label. However, they are not primarily a conservative group. They will readily back an establishment candidate if he or she meets their pro-business test and agrees to follow their marching orders. Normally they do their homework. There must be a family connection somewhere with Celeste. There’s a reason that’s not being stated as to why they backed her. Plus, it’s sad to watch these groups and consultants jump into races at the last minute when they think they can get behind the winner. It’s nothing but cowardice and crony capitalism.