Photo: Rep. Scott Sales speaks at July 4 Independence Day Tea Party at Gallatin County Court House

Tea Partiers and Candidates Urged to Reject Out-of-State Ad Campaign

Bozeman, Mont.—In a bizarre and Orwellian twist, the Montana SEIU has teamed up with the Main Street Advocacy Fund (MSAF), a Progressive left-wing Republican organization, to run campaign ads in contested GOP primary races.  The ads and slick brochures are in support of specific candidates who are running against others affiliated with the Tea Party movement and conservative grassroots activist organizations.  In the Bozeman-Livingston area, the SEIU/MSAF campaign is attempting to defeat fiscal conservative, Tea Party affiliated candidates Art Wittich (SD-35), Terry Bannan (HD-68) and Pat Wagman (SD-31).  These targeted candidates have consistently participated and actively supported the planning and execution of Tea Party rallies and other grassroots conservative events in Gallatin and Park Counties. Other candidates being targeted for defeat and who have supported similar events in their areas include Rep. Lee Randall (HD-39), Rep. Bob Wagner (HD-71) and Rep. Mike Miller, (HD-84).
At face value the ads vaguely reflect the views of most voters, particularly Tea Party voters who are concerned with government accountability and lower taxes.  However, the organization responsible for the ads is the national Main Street Advocacy Fund, an offshoot of the “moderate” Main Street Republicans.  Former Republican Congressmen Tom Davis (VA) and Amory Houghton (NY) as well as former Goldman Sachs executive John C. Whitehead sit on the group’s board of directors.  Davis was a promoter of the REAL ID Act and an opponent of the Contract with America Tax Relief Act which cut taxes by $189 billion.  Funding for Main Street offshoot groups have come from the far left including George Soros, according to a report by columnist Michelle Malkin.

Representative Mike Miller uncovered the SEIU connection with MSAF when speaking with Mary Baker, program supervisor at the Offices of Political Practices.  According to a report published by the Montana Watchdog, Ted Dick, the political director of Montana SEIU came to Baker’s offices twice to review the ad campaign.
“The SEIU is a thug organization,” said Henry Kriegel, an organizer of the Bozeman Tea Party.  “They are paid hacks who incite and commit acts of violence at Tea Party demonstrations.”  SEIU members attempted to goad Bozeman Tea Partiers in a fight at a rally last August when President Obama held his Town Hall meeting in Belgrade. Last year, during the height of the town hall rallies opposing Obamacare, SEIU also brutally beat up a black conservative activist Kenneth Gladney in St. Louis.

“This unholy alliance between the SEIU union thugs and big-government Republicans with their paid advertisements is a blatant attempt to corrupt the GOP primaries and our democratic process,” said Kriegel.  “RINO’s will team up with anyone including enemies of our Constitutional principles and their own party to get people they support elected.”

The Bozeman Tea Party is calling for all GOP candidates to repudiate this SEIU/Main Street Advocacy meddling into the primary process.  Miller was the first to reject these ads.   “If the Political Director of SEIU had designed a flier that could potentially influence voters to vote for me, I would have to seriously question my core conservative beliefs.” Miller said.

Kriegel added that it is critical that the Tea Party movement be leery of the ad campaign.  “Main Street Advocacy talks a good game. Their ads are slick but when you get beyond the words and look at the voting records of their Congressional Board members, you will see that the organization is run by the Progressive wing of the party.  They are in fact, the Anti-Tea Party,” Kriegel added.  “Even their radio ads are deceptive.”

Despite being placed by an out-of-state ad agency, the ads were identified as “Montana GOP” spots when in fact, the Montana GOP had nothing to do with the ads being placed, according to a statement released yesterday by Bowen Greenwood, the State Republican Party’s Executive Director. “If they lied in their disclaimer, what else are they saying that is not true?” Kriegel added.

Greenwood also wrote that “Senator Brueggeman told (MT GOP) Chairman Deschamps that he is involved with the group running the ads, and anyone with questions is welcome to contact him.” Media calls from the Montana Watchdog to Brueggeman yesterday were not answered or returned.

“We respect the freedom of Sen. John Brueggeman to align himself with the SEIU and other opponents of fiscal conservatism,” said Kriegel.  “The Tea Party also reserves the right to denounce the attempt by the SEIU-backed RINOs to manipulate the primaries.”

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The Bozeman Tea Party is a non-partisan, non-profit, grassroots activist organization that activates and inspires Montanans to restore America to a constitutional republic by organizing large events, primarily freedom rallies and protest events.  Nothing written herein is intended to support or endorse any candidate for office.