Progress for America Voter Fund


Progress for America Voter Fund (“PFA-VF”) is a conservative issue advocacy organization dedicated to keeping the issue record straight on the campaign trail and serving as a “Political Truth Squad”. The PFA Voter Fund, which was set up in 2004, raising US$38 million in support of Bush's 2004 election bid.During the first part of the Bush Administration, Progress for America Voter Fund led campaigns to support tax cuts, conservative judicial appointments and energy legislation
This was their website.
The content below is from the site's 2004-2007 archived pages.

As a diverse coalition of concerned citizens, nonprofit organizations, and other players in the political process, PFA-VF is dedicated to educating the American people regarding the public policy positions of candidates for federal, state and local office and mobilizing conservative voters.

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Noted: I remember Tony Feather during Barack Obama's first run for President in 2008. If I remember correctly he was a co-founder of the Republican 527 group Progress for America along with fellow Republican Jeff Larson of FLSConnect, the leading Republican direct voter contact company in America. That group spent millions supporting Bush in 2004, and (with Chris LaCivita) of the American Issues Project (AIP), aired ads in the 2008 presidential election raising questions about ties between Barack Obama and William Ayers. Although the original Progress for America is no longer around, FLSConnect was very active during the 2020 Presidential elections.

Viewing the US elections from afar, I have lived in Melbourne, Australia for the past four years, my Aussie friends find it hard to comprehend the depredations on display at the US election. I tried to explain that the Republican party, going back decades, has been playing to win, and playing dirty. Faced with shifting demographics, the economic convulsions of globalization, the slack religiosity of post-60s America and tumbling innovations in technology and pop culture, it has found a way to bring a constituency around the notion of conservatism. And Trump who is disingenuous to the bone and completely faultless, is the perfect leader of the GOP party. Republicans have gamed the electoral system to turn their demographic minority into a governing majority. Through absurd gerrymandering, voter roll purges, voter ID laws, court challenges to ballot counts and other tactics, Republicans and most importantly Trump, have made clear what they think of the democratic system they operate within and their real chances in it, all things being equal. So why should we, who are observing what's happening in the US be surprised. My friends are still flummoxed and that is before we start making comments about how the US (Trump and the GOP) has handled the Covid 19 crisis.

Those of us in Melbourne who have just weathered a 111 day shut down feel that Australia, the Prime Minister and all state and territory leaders have helped us flatten the curve of the pandemic while in the US which is now in a major surge, we see their curve raising alarmingly. It was rough here in Melbourne but we survived and are much better off. In fact some say that Melbourne is becoming a case study in handling a second wave of infections. I spent the 111 days working from home, Facetiming friends and family, and like many many Australian punters who could not go to their local pubs or clubs to play pokies instead went to their favorite online casino to chill and have fun. The number of Aussie online pokies players sky rocketed. Here is where they go to find the best pokies. Now that the restrictions have eased, I am taking a poll of my fellow punters to see who plans to return to the pubs and who is going to stick with playing pokies online until a vaccine is available. I am in the later camp.

Although it appears that Joe Biden won the US election, Trump is still saying he has actually won and the whole process has been a fraud. I am glad I am not in the states right now. My parents who live there say they will be glad when the Trump Show (that's what they call it) is moved out of the White House by Jan 21 2021. It's hard for my parents turn escape the constant bombardment of Trump. Here in Australia we easily can turn to our local news or simple shut off all news and spend some time playing pokies!

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2004

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About PFA VoterFund 2004

The liberal politicians are working overtime to push their failed policies on America and distort the accomplished public policy records of conservative leaders across this nation.  Everyday their campaigns engage in double-speak designed to bring us back to the days of tax-and-spend, government-knows-best policies.  These policies thwart the ability of American families to keep more of what they earn and provide a safe environment for educating their children and growing the economy.

Progress for America Voter Fund ("PFA-VF") is a conservative issue advocacy organization dedicated to keeping the issue record straight on the campaign trail and serving as a "Political Truth Squad".

Here are the goals of the PFA-VF media campaign:

  1. Level the playing field on ads — it may not be possible out raise even George Soros alone, but the PFA Voter Fund must try to reduce the lopsided advertising advantage the Democratic 527s have on the campaign trail today .
  1. Reinforce the messages of conservatives across the nation -- we have messages we know will work and energize the base; we just need the resources to deliver these messages.
  1. Become a major factor in the battleground states, and also advertise on targeted national cable networks.  To effectively air one TV thirty second ad in every battleground state will cost $9 million.  At the outset depending upon resources, PFA-VF may decide to advertise only in battleground markets where we believe we can play a decisive role.  These markets may cost anywhere from $500,000 to $1.5 million to deliver one TV 30.  We may also go after targeted national cable network audiences for which the ad costs would range from $250,000 to $500,000.

As a diverse coalition of concerned citizens, nonprofit organizations, and other players in the political process, PFA-VF is dedicated to educating the American people regarding the public policy positions of candidates for federal, state and local office and mobilizing conservative voters.  These activities provide the American people with the information they need to see through the misleading public policies and campaign themes of liberal politicians. 

Paid for by Progress for America Voter Fund, a nonprofit organization under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code.  Contributions to Progress for America Voter Fund are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

877-792-3800

 


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2005

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October 31, 2005

PFA APPLAUDS NOMINATION OF JUDGE SAMUEL ALITO
Press Release

Senators Should Reject Pressure from Liberal Extremists

WASHINGTON - Progress for America Inc. (PFA) president Brian McCabe today applauded the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and officially launched the website www.JudgeAlito.com.

"Judge Alito is uniquely qualified to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court," said Brian McCabe, PFA's president. "Like Chief Justice Roberts, Judge Alito will bring a wealth of experience to the U.S. Supreme Court."

"Judge Alito has dedicated his entire life to public service: he served as a well-respected Judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Deputy Assistant to the U.S. Attorney General, Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General and as a law clerk to Judge Leonard Garth," McCabe noted.

"As a crime fighting U.S. Attorney, Judge Alito convicted numerous terrorists and corporate criminals," McCabe continued.

"Although some liberal extremists will inevitably urge Senate Democrats to obstruct Judge Alito's nomination, they should set bitter partisanship aside. No one can argue that Judge Alito is anything but extremely well qualified for the Court and his unanimous confirmation to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals will undermine any attempt by liberals to argue that he is a ideologue," McCabe added.

"Senator Lautenberg put it best during Judge Alito's earlier confirmation when he said, 'I believe Mr. Alito has the experience and the skills to be the kind of judge the public deserves one who is impartial, thoughtful, and fair. I urge the Senate to confirm his nomination.' We could not have put it better ourselves," McCabe concluded.

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September 30, 2005

Roberts Confirmed as 17th Chief Justice
By Charles Babington and Peter Baker, The Washington Post

Senate Republicans Are Unanimous, Democrats Evenly Split

John Glover Roberts Jr. was sworn in yesterday as the 17th chief justice of the United States, enabling President Bush to put his stamp on the Supreme Court for decades to come, even as he prepares to name a second nominee to the nine-member court.

The White House swearing-in ceremony took place three hours after the Senate voted 78 to 22 to confirm Roberts. All 55 Republicans, half the 44 Democrats and independent Sen. James M. Jeffords (Vt.) voted yes.

The vote reflected the gap between many Senate Democrats and the liberal groups that strongly opposed Roberts and are important to the party's base. Senators in both parties predicted a much more bruising fight over Bush's upcoming choice to succeed centrist Sandra Day O'Connor. Liberal activists said they will expect more spirited opposition from rank-and-file Democrats, but some Republicans said the relative ease of Roberts's confirmation suggests that opponents will find it extremely difficult to block anyone picked by Bush.

When the Supreme Court opens its new session Monday, Roberts, 50, will take the court's center seat that his mentor, the late William H. Rehnquist, occupied for 19 years. "The Senate has confirmed a man with an astute mind and a kind heart," Bush said at the swearing-in. Roberts "will be prudent in exercising judicial power, firm in defending judicial independence and, above all, a faithful guardian of the Constitution," the president added.

The Senate Democrats' 22 to 22 split illuminated the influence that presidential politics and red-state, blue-state considerations play in a party struggling to end nearly a decade of unbroken GOP control of Congress. Among those opposing Roberts were presidential aspirants who typically veer to the center but now are eyeing the liberal activist groups that will play key roles in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early-voting states in 2008. They included Sens. Evan Bayh (Ind.), Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.). Also voting no were two senators facing potentially tough reelections next year in states with powerful left-leaning groups: Maria Cantwell of Washington and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Maryland's Democratic senators voted against Roberts.

Democrats voting for Roberts included several facing reelection contests next year in states that Bush carried twice: Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Bill Nelson of Florida, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and Kent Conrad of North Dakota. These and other red-state Democrats who backed Roberts pose the biggest challenge to liberals hoping for a united party front if Bush nominates a staunch conservative next.

Those activists took some comfort yesterday in the belief that Roberts's conservatism will be similar to Rehnquist's and that therefore the court will change little politically. The stakes are far higher for the next pick, they said, because O'Connor has provided the swing vote on many 5 to 4 decisions. O'Connor will remain on the court until her successor is confirmed.

"The pivotal appointment is the next one," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who opposed Roberts. "The comparison obviously is with O'Connor," she said, in contrast to the reliably conservative Rehnquist. Asked how much she feared that Bush will name someone more conservative than Roberts, she replied: "Very. On a scale of one to 10? Eight and a half."

Republicans said the next nominee should be held to no higher standard than was Roberts, suggesting that the new chief justice has blazed a path others can follow. "Every single judicial nominee deserves to be considered on his or her own merits and not juxtaposed with their predecessors or horse-traded for ideological reasons," said Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.).

Bush is poised to announce his next nomination within days, administration officials and GOP strategists say. With Wednesday's indictment of former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) creating unwanted headlines, some Republican advisers urged an announcement today, but sources said that idea was rejected.

Among Republicans close to the White House, the most commonly mentioned candidates in the past couple of days were White House counsel Harriet Miers, former deputy attorney general Larry D. Thompson and Judge Karen J. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Miers, a late addition to the public list, is close to Bush from their Texas days when she was his personal lawyer. Thompson, who is black, is a Bush favorite from the first term. And Williams has impressed many Bush advisers as a strong potential choice.

Also mentioned were appellate judges Alice M. Batchelder of the 6th Circuit and Priscilla R. Owen of the D.C. Circuit, as well as Maura D. Corrigan of the Michigan Supreme Court. If Bush does not opt for a woman or a minority, the leading white male candidates appear to be J. Michael Luttig of the 4th Circuit and Samuel A. Alito Jr. of the 3rd Circuit. Some former Bush aides think he may pick his friend Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, but other Republicans said they think conservative opposition has undermined him too much for him to be chosen.

Owen would almost surely trigger fierce opposition, because Senate Democrats blocked her appellate court nomination with a filibuster in Bush's first term. Owen and several other filibustered nominees were eventually confirmed only after a May compromise that ended a Republican threat to outlaw judicial filibusters.

Democrats would see Owen's nomination as essentially an insult, party sources said. "If it's an ideologue such as a Janice Rogers Brown or an Owen," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), mentioning another once-filibustered judge, "I think there's a good chance that we would move to block it on the floor" with unending debate.

Numerous Republicans have said an effort to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee chosen by a twice-elected president would be foolhardy. If necessary, some said, Republicans would revive their plan to change Senate rules and bar judicial filibusters.

Roberts, who was a lawyer in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and later an appellate judge, drew rave reviews from many senators for his encyclopedic knowledge of constitutional law and his smooth answers during two days of Senate hearings this month. Liberals complained that he dodged too many questions, including those meant to reveal his beliefs about abortion and other contentious issues.

"I am not an ideologue," Roberts said at the hearings. He underlined the point yesterday in his brief White House speech after Justice John Paul Stevens, the most senior member of the court, administered the oath of office. "Judging is different from politics," Roberts said as his wife, Jane, their two children, the president and dozens of administration supporters looked on.

Roberts also said he hoped to "pass on to my children's generation a charter of self-government as strong and as vibrant" as the one Rehnquist left for his.

For an administration plagued by high gasoline prices, bad reviews for hurricane response and ethics problems for key congressional allies, Roberts's almost flawless confirmation process was a welcome success. "I think history will say that George W. Bush knocked it out of the park when he selected John Roberts to be chief justice of the United States," Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters.

Staff writer Michael A. Fletcher contributed to this report.

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2006


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The liberal politicians are working overtime to push their failed policies on America and distort the accomplished public policy records of conservative leaders across this nation.  Everyday their campaigns engage in double-speak designed to bring us back to the days of tax-and-spend, government-knows-best policies.  These policies thwart the ability of American families to keep more of what they earn and provide a safe environment for educating their children and growing the economy.

Progress for America Voter Fund ("PFA-VF") is a conservative issue advocacy organization dedicated to keeping the issue record straight on the campaign trail and serving as a "Political Truth Squad".

Here are the goals of the PFA-VF media campaign:

  1. Level the playing field on ads — it may not be possible out raise even George Soros alone, but the PFA Voter Fund must try to reduce the lopsided advertising advantage the Democratic 527s have on the campaign trail today.
     
  2. Reinforce the messages of conservatives across the nation -- we have messages we know will work and energize the base; we just need the resources to deliver these messages.
     
  3. Become a major factor in the battleground states, and also advertise on targeted national cable networks.  To effectively air one TV thirty second ad in every battleground state will cost $9 million.  At the outset depending upon resources, PFA-VF may decide to advertise only in battleground markets where we believe we can play a decisive role.  These markets may cost anywhere from $500,000 to $1.5 million to deliver one TV 30.  We may also go after targeted national cable network audiences for which the ad costs would range from $250,000 to $500,000.
As a diverse coalition of concerned citizens, nonprofit organizations, and other players in the political process, PFA-VF is dedicated to educating the American people regarding the public policy positions of candidates for federal, state and local office and mobilizing conservative voters.  These activities provide the American people with the information they need to see through the misleading public policies and campaign themes of liberal politicians.  

 

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2007


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FEBRUARY 28, 2007

Progress for America Voter Fund Statement on the 
Announced Settlement with the Federal Election Commission.

Today, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced its settlement with Progress for America Voter Fund (PFA-VF) related to activities in 2004.

Under the terms of the settlement, PFA-VF is not admitting to any wrong doing. In order to conclude the matter, PFA-VF will pay $750,000 and agree to register as a political committee if it undertakes any activities similar to those in 2004. With this settlement, all actions regarding PFA-VF are concluded.

PFA-VF was formed in 2004 and prior to any PFA-VF communications, the Federal Election Commission had refused to:

  • clarify by advisory opinion how the newly enacted McCain-Feingold bill impacted 527 organizations (ABC PAC); 
     
  • act upon a complaint charging the 527 groups with violating the law (Bush-Cheney ’04, RNC), and 
     
  • issue a rulemaking delineating permissible 527 activities.

The FEC’s inactions left all 527 groups, including PFA-VF, to their own interpretation of the law. The FEC subsequently announced a “case by case” enforcement policy and opened investigations into violations of the very statutes for which the Commission had refused to provide guidance.

Responding to the announced FEC settlement, Progress for America Voter Fund legal counsel Benjamin L. Ginsburg issued the following statement:

“Today’s settlement brings to close a disappointing chapter in the evolution of election law. Despite Congressional pressure to impose some set of rules or provide guidance for so called ‘527’ groups, the FEC still refuses to do so. Given the ambiguous legal nature of this situation and the cost of litigating this dispute, PFA-VF has decided it is a more prudent use of its resources and energy to conclude this proceeding.”

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P.O. Box 57167 
Washington, D.C. 20037 
877-792-3800

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PFAVoterFund.com