Vets For Freedom
| Formation | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA |
Key people | |
| Website | https:// usfca.edu/arts-sciences/programs/graduate/public-leadership |
Vets for Freedomis an American political advocacy organization founded in 2006 by veterans of theIraqandAfghanwars, with connections toRepublican Partyleaders.[1]The group was initially founded as a527 group.[1][2]
During the 2006 election, the group supported SenatorJoseph Lieberman,who ran for reelection as an independent after losing theDemocraticnomination.[1]The group spent about $4.1 million on campaign ads in the 2008 election,[3]mostly on ads promoting the "surge"of U.S. troops in the Iraq War in 2007.[4]
Activities[edit]
2006 campaign[edit]
Vets for Freedom sponsored a full-page political ad in the Hartford Courant[clarification needed]on August 14, 2006[5]endorsing Democratic US Senator Joe Lieberman and embarked on a television advertising campaign inConnecticutsupportive of his reelection.[6][7][8]Additionally, they financed an ad campaign in Georgia to support embattled Democratic CongressmanJim Marshallin 2006. He won by the smallest margin of any Democratic congressman that year.[9]
2008 campaign[edit]
In October 2008, Vets for Freedom paid for a multimillion-dollar ad campaign criticizing the presidential candidacy of SenatorBarack Obama.The group accuses the Democratic presidential nominee of caring more about his campaign than about troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.[10]Previously, Vets for Freedom aired other advertisements criticizing Senator Obama's position on theIraq War.[11]
On October 10, 2008, Vets for Freedom released a Senate Analysis scorecard.[12]In the VFF scorecard, every single Democratic senator was given the lowest possible grade of F. Three Republican senators were graded F, and 38 Republican senators received the grade of A+. VFF gave Sen Obama the score of 0.5%, or second lowest, and gave his running mate SenJoe Bidenthe score of 0.0%, tying him for last place with SenatorTed Kennedyof Massachusetts.John McCainreceived a score of 93.5% and the grade of A−.
2010 campaign[edit]
In a campaign called "Operation 10-in-10," Vets for Freedom backed 10 Republican congressional candidates in the 2010 congressional elections. (Italicizeddenotes successful run.) The Iraq and Afghanistan veterans running for office includedAllen West(FL-22),Steve Stivers(OH-15),Jonathan Paton(AZ-8),Ilario Pantano(NC-7),Adam Kinzinger(IL-11),Joe Heck(NV-3),Chris Gibson(NY-20),Brian Rooney(MI-7),Kevin Calvey(OK-5), andTim Griffin(AR-2).[13]
Founders[edit]
The group was founded by, among others,Wade Zirkle,[14]David Bellavia,[citation needed]andOwen West.
Political connections[edit]
- In 2006 Vets for Freedom supported three candidates for office; Sen.Joe Lieberman(I-CT), Rep.Jim Marshall(D-GA), and Sen.Jim Talent(R-MO.)
- As of May 2008, Vets for Freedom was supporting five candidates for the House of Representatives, all of them Republicans who have served in the armed forces.[15]
- Zirkle was a regional field director for RepublicanJerry Kilgore's unsuccessful 2005 campaign for governor of Virginia.[16]
- A "key Vets for Freedom adviser is Bill Andresen, a Democrat and former chief of staff to embattled Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut."[17]
- Among the Vets for Freedom advisors areWeekly StandardEditorBill Kristoland former Iraqi Coalition Provisional SpokesmanDan Senor.[18]
Funding[edit]
VFF applied for status as a tax-exemptNonprofit organization,but as of June 2006 the application was not approved. Zirkle said that "Initial funding came from family members and friends."[16]It is now a501(c)4 nonprofit organization.[19]
TheNational Journalhas reported that casino magnateSheldon Adelson,the third richest man in America, has made a significant donation to Vets For Freedom.[20]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^abcJennifer Medina,War Veterans Lend Support to Lieberman in TV Ads,The New York Times(September 2, 2006).
- ^Evans, Will (4 August 2008)."Profile: Vets For Freedom".
- ^Advertiser: Vets for Freedom,The New York Times,Election Guide 2008.
- ^Michael Falcone,Conservative Group Takes on Obama in Ad and Film,The New York Times(July 22, 2008).
- ^"Vets for Freedom".Archived fromthe originalon October 2, 2006.RetrievedSeptember 25,2006.
- ^Vets for FreedomArchivedOctober 5, 2006, at theWayback Machine
- ^Vets for FreedomArchivedOctober 2, 2006, at theWayback Machine
- ^Medina, Jennifer (September 2, 2006)."War Veterans Lend Support To Lieberman In TV Ads".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 27,2010.
- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 2, 2006.RetrievedOctober 6,2006.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^Preston, Mark (2008-10-07)."Independent groups are new power in political ads".CNN.Retrieved2008-10-08.
- ^Vets for Freedom media centerArchivedSeptember 12, 2008, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 12, 2008.RetrievedOctober 11,2008.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^http:// weeklystandard /blogs/vets-freedom-backs-10-iraqafghanistan-veterans-running-2010Weekly Standard: Vets for Freedom Backs 10 Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans Running in 2010
- ^"CNN".CNN.RetrievedMay 27,2010.
- ^Vets For Freedom PACArchivedMay 25, 2008, at theWayback Machine
- ^abJerry Zremski,"Former vets with GOP ties boost war effort in blogs",Buffalo News,June 25, 2006
- ^"The Buffalo News(TM) - News Library: Simple Search".Newsbank.
- ^"FOXNews - Veterans Group Backing Lieberman - Politics – Republican Party – Democratic Party – Political Spectrum".Fox News.May 4, 2012.
- ^Vets for Freedom donation page
- ^"From the K Street Corridor".National Journal Magazine. 12 July 2008.Retrieved2008-08-01.