The Left Discovers "Accountability"

Michelle Malkin covers the Stalinesque attempt to chill free speech.  Her most poignant bit:

What do PFAW, the NAACP, the ACLU, and the rest of the purported champions of political free speech and intimidation-free elections have to say about the anti-GOP donor warning letters? How about you, Barry O, self-appointed crusader against the politics of fear?

These guys have been holding their breath waiting for a Dem denunciation.  Or an aggrieved NY Times editorial.  As if.

One of the targeted groups is undaunted, per the Times:

Calls to Mr. Sembler and Mr. Adelson were not returned, but Ed Patru, a spokesman for Freedom’s Watch, scoffed at Mr. Matzzie’s plan.

“This idea sounds even more sloppily thought out than his last venture, which, of course, went belly-up for lack of financial support,” Mr. Patru said.

“I doubt anyone will be intimidated by him,” he said, “but if it gives anyone pause, they are always welcome to give to Freedom’s Watch — all of our donors are entitled to complete anonymity by law.”

Indeed, anonymity is a potential obstacle to the group’s efforts. Outside political groups organized as 501(c)4 entities, including Accountable America, do not have to disclose the names of their donors.

Chris LaCivita, a Republican strategist who helped organize the Swift Boat effort, said Mr. Matzzie’s group was likely to have the opposite effect on potential donors, firing them up instead of discouraging them.

“They’re not going to be intimidated by some pipsqueak on the kooky left,” Mr. LaCivita said.

The WSJ notes that turnabout would not be fair play:

It’s also worth noting that Accountable America operates under the same tax structure as Freedom’s Watch, a group on their watch list. As a non-profit “social welfare” group formed under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, the group is not required to disclose the names and addresses of people who give money, unlike political groups that directly support or oppose federal candidates. Asked who was giving to his effort, Matzzie said, “We don’t have very many large donors because we haven’t raised large amounts of money.” The group will release the names of donors who agree to be identified, he said. “We expect most of the money to come over the Internet.”

Well, they can chill in private.  And let's do remember to thank John McCain, whose McCain-Feingold reform elevated the importance of the 501(c) groups.

MORE:  Yes, this is being taken pretty seriously.

Comments

[Americaneocon]

There's also BushCo accountability (i.e., revenge) coming down the pipe, with the increasing push for war crimes tribunals for all the top "neocon" administration officials.

Obama's losing badly, so it's mosty a curiousity to see the lefties get all hot in the shorts with their Jacobins plans.

[bgates]

Americaneocon, doesn't "revenge" have to involve a wronged party, which the Robespierre wannabes aren't?

[Annoying Old Guy]

bgates;

They're not in power, therefore they have been wronged. Not to mention how many of their friends and family have been shipped off to indefinite detention in Bush's gulag, or simply shot down in the street by Dick Cheney disguised as a Black Water operative working for Haliburton.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Rank hath its privileges. John Edwards, eat your heart out.

[kim]

All the money spent on the Olympics and our finest athletes, like Walsh, have to get by with skimpy ill-fitting uniforms. Must be Bush's fault.
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[narciso]

Sembler has been targeted in part for his involvement in that "Scared Straight" Drug
Treatment program, plus the fact that he was
Bush's Ambassador to Australia. Adelson, has been given the 'evil eye' by Connie Bruck in the "New Yorker" and appears in the afterword of Craig Unger "Why Doesn't this Police State Die" sorry the "Fall of the House of Bush" as the opponent of
"peace, justice, and unicorns" in the region, since Hamas, AQ, and Hezbollah are just'misunderstood'

[roro44]

You really wonderful Thank you http://www.roro44.com

[roro44]

You really wonderful Thank you
http://www.roro44.com

[Paul]

I visited the Accountable America web site, assuming that, since they're all about accountability, they'd have a list of donors posted.

Somehow I couldn't find it.

[acarponzo]

NEWS FLASH!

BOTH CANIDATES BOP PAST 40K. PAINT IT PINK PARIS!!!!!

Date line Cyberspace 8/09/08 9:06pm EST
http://www.bop-o-rama.com

It is too close to call. Both candidates are surging past 40,000 bops.

Rumor has it that the Obama camp vacationing in Hawaii is planning an all night Bop Fest. McCain supporters are searching cyberspace for all night support to fend of the Bops!!!

Meanwhile, PINK continues to Be the NEW PINK!.......

A local printer has confirmed that they are busy preparing Paris '08 and Paris for President bumper stickers. Paris has yet to announce her official campaign website but the other candidates have decided it is inevitable.

"We realize that she will cut into the youth vote, particularly among young males. Well actually, young females too. She is HOT and so ready to lead!" --unnamed Obama campaign worker.

From the McCain camp.

"We are a bit concerned that we may see some defection from the "Dirty Old Man" vote that we currently dominate. This group is usually a no brainer for us. But then, they won't be using their brains when they vote for Paris."

40k and counting@

McCain's http://www.BOP-O-METER.com
Obama's http://www.BOP-O-METER.com

Diddy Widdy will not confirm or deny that one of the official slogans of the Paris campaign is "THINK PINK! '08 and Beyond"

Your Bops Count!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Goooo PINK!!!!!!!!!!

"Bop early and Bop often." --Alphonso Carponzo
http://www.bop-o-rama.com

Google bop-o-rama to see what is in the news!

[Mescalero]

So now the neo-Stalinists, that is those creeps controlled by
George Soros, are going on the offensive.

My advice to the ethics-challenged renegade financier George Soros, come clean about your relations with the Nazi-SS in Budapest, come clean about your slimy transactions that brought down the British economy in the late 1970's and the Malaysian economy shortly thereafter. Then tell us about your conviction for insider trading in France. We also know, Georgie, that you have actively short-circuited the scientific per-review process in supposedly scientific publications.

Tell me Mr. Soros, what is the shortest path to the gallows?

[kim]

I suspect death will cheat the gallows.
========================

[anduril]

Accountability, eh? Sounds like just the thread for these two links:

Here, read this story and think about what the Wizards of Wall Street apparently thought they could get away with almost indefinitely:

UBS to Pay $19 Billion
As Auction Mess
Hits Wall Street

As I've said, I'm agnostic on the anthrax case, although I tend to believe the FBI got the right guy this time. However, the FBI has come in for its share of criticism for its tactics:

Anthrax Case Had Costs for Suspects

It may or may not be reassuring to read Director Mueller's summation:

The F.B.I. director, Robert S. Mueller III, in his first public comments since the presentation of the evidence against Dr. Ivins on Wednesday, said Friday that he was proud of the inquiry.

“I do not apologize for any aspect of the investigation,” he told reporters. It is erroneous, he added, “to say there were mistakes.”

[kim]

To err is human; to refuse to admit them is sub-human.
===================================

[kim]

Do you suppose the intention was to drive him to suicide, such that he couldn't show that the FBI made mistakes?

Mueller, I'm shocked. How can you possibly say there were no mistakes in this investigation? It is patently untrue. It is a huge mistake to say there were no mistakes. C'mon, now, you sound like an Obamaton.
===========================

[kim]

As you might have guessed, Anduril, that statement is unsettling. I've not bothered to engage this controversy, but just how sure is everyone that it was suicide?
=========================================

[anduril]

How hard would it have been to say: "We regularly review our investigations to determine what we could have done differently or better. We will be reviewing this investigation as part of that ongoing process because we're always looking for ways to improve our methods, procedures and capabilities." Bear in mind, of course, that quite a bit of the stuff mentioned in the article was done using search warrants. That means that either DoJ or the local US Attorney signed off on it. It's not like the FBI was off on its own.

[kim]

I just love the way the FBI in the person of Eckenrode made sure they were not off on their own and away from Fitzgerald.
==================================

[Neo]

I suggest that Accountable American and their financial backers examine 42 U.S. Code § 1985 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act) before proceeding.