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'''The Club for Growth''' is an organization consisting of 9,000 [[Americans]] for low taxes and economic freedom<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 [[conservative]] candidates over moderates and [[Democrats]]. Club for Growth’s political action committee was heavily involved in funding candidates favoring lower taxes in the 2002, 2004, and the 2006 primary and general elections. Being a “527” organization, Club for Growth can accept unlimited funding without disclosing donors names. The job of president is currently held by [[Patrick Toomey]]. 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]].
'''The Club for Growth''' is an organization consisting of 9,000 [[Americans]] for low taxes and economic freedom<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 [[conservative]] candidates over moderates and [[Democrats]]. Club for Growth’s political action committee was heavily involved in funding candidates favoring lower taxes in the 2002, 2004, and the 2006 primary and general elections. Being a “527” organization, Club for Growth can accept unlimited funding without disclosing donors names. The job of president is currently held by [[Patrick Toomey]]. 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]].
==Goals==
==Goals==
==History==
==History==
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 “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, they heavily campaigned for low tax candidates; spending a total of $20 million to GOP candidates. They even aired a 30-second television commercial which depicted [[Democrat]] 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 “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, they heavily campaigned for low tax candidates; spending a total of $20 million to GOP candidates. They even aired a 30-second television commercial which depicted [[Democrat]] 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.
==Controversy==
==Controversy==
In 2005, the organization became rifted as accusations of betrayed principals and stolen donor list. <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/08/politics/08club.html?ei=5090&en=743088c03a7a3614&ex=1278475200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1185502627-6QHBHGdK1QqXwRETnGP/Iw New York Times, July 8, 2005, David D. Kirkpatrick, "Leadership Dispute Causes a Split in a Powerhouse of Fund-Raising for Conservative Causes"]</ref> Many of the problems were came about after a disappointing primary race between Congressman, [[Patrick Toomey]], and moderate, [[Arlen Specter]]. Some former leading members and Moore started another organization, [[Free Enterprise Fund]]<ref>[http://www.nysun.com/article/8587 The New York Sun, February 2, 2005, Josh Gerstein, "Power Struggle Grips the Club for Growth"]</ref>. Moore stated,
In 2005, the organization became rifted as accusations of betrayed principals and stolen donor list. <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/08/politics/08club.html?ei=5090&en=743088c03a7a3614&ex=1278475200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1185502627-6QHBHGdK1QqXwRETnGP/Iw [[New York Times]], July 8, 2005, David D. Kirkpatrick, "Leadership Dispute Causes a Split in a Powerhouse of Fund-Raising for Conservative Causes"]</ref> Many of the problems were came about after a disappointing primary race between Congressman, [[Patrick Toomey]], and moderate, [[Arlen Specter]]. Some former leading members and Moore started another organization, [[Free Enterprise Fund]]<ref>[http://www.nysun.com/article/8587 [[The New York Sun]], February 2, 2005, Josh Gerstein, "Power Struggle Grips the Club for Growth"]</ref>. Moore stated,
{{Cquote| "To see the club splintered this way was a heart-breaking tragedy, but the good news is most of the original founding committee members of the old Club for Growth that we built into such a political juggernaut helped me launch the Free Enterprise Fund,"<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/08/politics/08club.html?ei=5090&en=743088c03a7a3614&ex=1278475200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1185502627-6QHBHGdK1QqXwRETnGP/Iw New York Times, July 8, 2005, David D. Kirkpatrick, "Leadership Dispute Causes a Split in a Powerhouse of Fund-Raising for Conservative Causes"]</ref>}}
{{Cquote| "To see the club splintered this way was a heart-breaking tragedy, but the good news is most of the original founding committee members of the old Club for Growth that we built into such a political juggernaut helped me launch the Free Enterprise Fund,"<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/08/politics/08club.html?ei=5090&en=743088c03a7a3614&ex=1278475200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1185502627-6QHBHGdK1QqXwRETnGP/Iw [[New York Times]], July 8, 2005, David D. Kirkpatrick, "Leadership Dispute Causes a Split in a Powerhouse of Fund-Raising for Conservative Causes"]</ref>}}
The organization showed its support for its core principals, when it heavily campaigned against liberal Republican candidate, [[Lincoln Chafee]], in his primary race against conservative [[Steven Laffey]] in the 2006 [[Rhode Island]] [[Republican]] senate primary election<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/miller/miller200510180823.asp National Review,October 18, 2005, John J. Miller, "Is Laffey the Best Medicine?"]</ref>.
The organization showed its support for its core principals, when it heavily campaigned against liberal Republican candidate, [[Lincoln Chafee]], in his primary race against conservative [[Steven Laffey]] in the 2006 [[Rhode Island]] [[Republican]] senate primary election<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/miller/miller200510180823.asp [[National Review]],October 18, 2005, John J. Miller, "Is Laffey the Best Medicine?"]</ref>.
==External Link==
==External Link==