Club for Growth

From dKosopedia

Category: PAC

Hardcore anti-tax group which specializes in nuking centrist Republicans and favoring conservative Republicans in primary elections. Vicious and merciless in their use of attack ads.

Club for Growth ran attack ads against Ohio and Maine senators George Voinovich and Olympia Snowe due to their then-opposition to the 2003 Bush round of tax cuts (ironically, the "Franco-Republican" ads backfired in Maine, where nearly 25% of the population are descended from the French). They were instrumental in nearly dislodging longtime so-called moderate Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter in his April 2004 primary fight against Pat Toomey.

Club for Growth was also responsible for the infamous "Sushi-eating" ad during the 2004 Iowa caucuses which tried to paint Howard Dean as some pierced, tattooed, gay freak show.

Criticism

Club for Growth claim to be invested only in anti-tax and anti-spending, not social conservatism, but seemingly every candidate they have run has a hardline view on gays, abortion, and affirmative action, and promotes them as his or her chief calling card. In terms of firing homosexuals from their ranks, they have proven to be as pandering as any other part of the Republican Party. More often than not, this "renegade" organization seems to be saying the same old story.

External Links

• Club for Growth
• Club for Growth SourceWatch.
• Gourevitch, Philip. Fight on the Right New Yorker, April 12, 2004.
• Horrigan, Marie. Conservative ‘Club’ Wins With a Broader Battle Plan CQ Politics.com, July 31, 2006.
• How the Club for Growth Might Help us in November - DailyKos diary on 2006 congressional elections.