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| − | '''The Club for Growth''' is a political organization consisting of 9,000 [[Americans]].<ref> [http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=9345#1 People For The American Way,"Club for Growth - Activities"]</ref> The organization has been known for endorsing and funding fiscally [[conservative]] candidates over moderates and [[Democrats]]. Club for Growth’s political action committee was heavily involved in funding candidates who favored lowering taxes in the 2002, 2004, and 2006 primary and general elections, and for supporting fiscally conservative political change. | + | '''The Club for Growth''' is a libertarian-leaning economic group supported by about 9,000 [[Americans]].<ref> [http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=9345#1 People For The American Way,"Club for Growth - Activities"]</ref> The organization has been known for endorsing and funding fiscally [[conservative]] candidates over moderates and [[Democrats]]. Club for Growth’s political action committee was heavily involved in funding candidates who favored lowering taxes in the 2002, 2004, and 2006 primary and general elections, and for supporting fiscally conservative political change. |
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| − | As a "527" organization, the Club for Growth may accept unlimited funding and is not required to disclose the names of donors. Because of its donors' political influence on the organization's message and political positions, former Republican presidential candidate [[Mike Huckabee]] has referred to the Club for Growth as the 'Club for Greed'. He said regarding the organization's credibility:
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| | + | As a "527" organization, the Club for Growth may accept unlimited funding and is not required to disclose the names of donors. Because of its donors' political influence on the organization's message and political positions, former Republican presidential candidate [[Mike Huckabee]] has referred to the Club for Growth as the "Club for Greed." He said regarding the organization's credibility: |
| | <blockquote> | | <blockquote> |
| − | ''"You have to understand that the 'Club for Greed', as I like to call it, is really not being an objective organization. You give them money and they will say whatever you want them to say. [It's] a pass-through so that people who don't have the guts to run for office can write a big check and hide behind the trees, and let the Club for Greed go do its dirty work for them...Its been discredited [by] a lot of objective organizations"''<ref>http://thediscourses.com/</ref> | + | ''"You have to understand that the Club for Greed,' as I like to call it, is really not being an objective organization. You give them money and they will say whatever you want them to say. [It's] a pass-through so that people who don't have the guts to run for office can write a big check and hide behind the trees, and let the Club for Greed go do its dirty work for them...It's been discredited [by] a lot of objective organizations"''<ref>http://thediscourses.com/</ref> |
| | </blockquote> | | </blockquote> |
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| − | This position ignores the obvious truth that the Club for Growth was formed explicitly to support particular partisan positions, and has conducted its activities completely legally.
| + | In 2005, the organization came under criticism for falling back on its core principals; this led to the founding of another organization by some former members, the [[Free Enterprise Fund]].<ref>http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/7/8/95300.shtml</ref> |
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| − | In 2005, the organization came under criticism for falling back on its core principals; this led to the founding of another organization by some former members, [[Free Enterprise Fund]].<ref>http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/7/8/95300.shtml</ref> | |
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| − | The president of Club for Growth is currently is [[Patrick Toomey]].
| + | For years the president of Club for Growth was [[Patrick Toomey]]. In 2015, it is David McIntosh, a former congressman and founder of the [[Federalist Society]]. |
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| | ==Goals== | | ==Goals== |
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| | ==History== | | ==History== |
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| − | The Club for Growth was founded in 1999 by [[Stephen Moore]]; a senior economist at the Joint Economic Committee and a senior fellow at the [[The Cato Institute|Cato Institute]]<ref>[http://www.cato.org/people/moore.html CATO Institute, "Stephen Moore"] </ref>. The organization called on candidates to return to [[Ronald Reagan]]’s conservative “vision of limited government and lower taxes.” <ref>[http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=9345#1 People For The American Way,"Club for Growth - Activities"]</ref>. In 2002, the organization raised $9.2 million for the 2002 campaigns, and in the 2004 election, the organization heavily campaigned for low tax candidates; spending a total of $20 million on behalf of [[GOP]] candidates. They aired a 30-second television commercial which depicted [[Democrat | Democratic]] candidate, [[John Kerry]] as a spinning weather vane. To increase influence on sitting candidates after the 2004 election, the organization hired its first lobbyist. Soon after, former conservative Congressman, [[Patrick Toomey]], replaced Stephen Moore as organization leader. | + | The Club for Growth was founded in 1999 by [[Stephen Moore]]; a senior economist at the Joint Economic Committee and a senior fellow at the [[The Cato Institute|Cato Institute]].<ref>[http://www.cato.org/people/moore.html CATO Institute, "Stephen Moore"] </ref> The organization called on candidates to return to [[Ronald Reagan]]’s conservative “vision of limited government and lower taxes.” <ref>[http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=9345#1 People For The American Way,"Club for Growth - Activities"]</ref>. In 2002, the organization raised $9.2 million for the 2002 campaigns, and in the 2004 election, the organization heavily campaigned for low tax candidates; spending a total of $20 million on behalf of [[GOP]] candidates. They aired a 30-second television commercial which depicted [[Democrat | Democratic]] candidate, [[John Kerry]] as a spinning weather vane. To increase influence on sitting candidates after the 2004 election, the organization hired its first lobbyist. Soon after, former conservative congressman, [[Patrick Toomey]], replaced Stephen Moore as organization leader. |
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| | ==Controversy== | | ==Controversy== |