July 25, 2008 03:55 PM UTC

Shadowy Group Unleashes Attack Ad on Udall

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• by: RedGreen

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

A mysterious organization fronted by a crony of Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer has produced a second TV ad, this time slamming Schaffer’s opponent, Democrat Mark Udall.

Coloradans for Economic Growth returns to the air about a month after “Sources,” otherwise known as “the butterfly and the Prius,” a 30-second spot that played heavily across the state portraying Schaffer as a friend of alternative energy.

The new ad, “You Don’t Know Udall” (also viewable here), claims the Democrat “voted for higher taxes at least 50 times,” “stood with extremist groups,” and “voted to block bipartisan energy reforms that could lower gas prices.” The ad also charges Udall with “fighting for the biggest tax increase in history” because he opposes extending the Bush tax cuts, set to expire next year.

The extremists? According to Coloradans for Economic Growth’s Ad Facts, that would be the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters. The latter sponsored the anti-Schaffer TV ad “Fingerprints,” which lists Schaffer’s ties to “Big Oil” while oily fingerprints drips black goo over the screen.

Normally, the Sierra Club doesn’t frighten Colorado voters. But this week, polls show Udall losing a solid lead over Schaffer as the race tightens to neck-and-neck. Could it be the seemingly pejorative nickname “Big Oil Bob” has worked in Schaffer’s favor as gas prices hover around $4 a gallon? One Denver pollster thinks so:

“Being related to the industry and being able to argue that ‘I know production and we need to get it going’ is now a much more positive position to be in for Republicans,” [Floyd] Ciruli said.

After the jump: what the ad says, Udall camp responds, and just who are these Coloradans for Economic Growth guys?

Here’s the ad’s script:

“You might think you might know where Mark Udall stands, but you don’t know Udall. Udall voted for higher taxes at least 50 times. Udall is fighting for the biggest tax increase in history. Udall stood with extremist groups. And voted to block bipartisan energy reforms that could lower gas prices. If you think you know where Mark Udall stands, then you don’t know Udall. Call Mark Udall, tell him to stop raising taxes and start standing for Colorado. Coloradans for Economic Growth is responsible for the content of this advertising.”

Last night, the Udall campaign fired back with this posting on its web site:

The powerful special interests are at it again-launching false attacks on Mark Udall. But, here are the facts: Mark Udall has voted to reduce taxes on middle class families and Colorado’s small businesses-at least 65 times. It’s true (see below the 65 votes Mark Udall has cast to reduce taxes on small businesses and the middle class). Meanwhile, Bob Schaffer and his special interest allies just keep giving away billions in tax breaks to millionaires, big oil companies, and corporations who ship American jobs overseas.

Coloradans deserve better than false, misleading attacks. And Coloradans deserve better than when Washington and Bob Schaffer sell out to special interests.

… and then goes on to list 65 roll call votes referenced above.

Who’s behind the ad? Coloradans for Economic Growth, a 501 c (4) organization incorporated in Colorado on May 7, 2008, says its mission is to “Promote ideas that secure our future and promote economic growth in Colorado.” Because of its tax status, CEG doesn’t have to file donor information and won’t have to file a tax return until next year. The Contact Us link on its web site leads surfers to a “Coming Soon” page that cautions simply

Don’t worry…it’s coming soon.

In the meantime, you can email us at act@cegnow.org.

Because it’s incorporated as a nonprofit business, rather than a campaign organization, it hasn’t had to file the usual disclosure forms with the Secretary of State, but an examination of public records reveals some familiar names behind the group.

Attorney Scott Gessler of the LoDo firm Hackstaff Gessler LLC is CEG’s registered agent. In 2006, Gessler established a 527 group called Coloradans for Change, which raised and spent in the neighborhood of $1.5 million on electioneering.

The secretary/treasurer of Coloradans for Change? Bob Schaffer. Which should come as no surprise, as Coloradans for Change collected $600,000 from Schaffer’s employer, Aspect Energy boss Alex Cranberg. In addition, the 527 collected $100,000 from the Trailhead Group, $125,000 from the Senate Majority Fund and $300,000 from C. Edward McVaney, the billionaire co-founder of J.D. Edwards, who, along with his family, have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Schaffer campaigns over the years.

Schaffer turned his duties at Coloradans for Change over to Mark Hillman last year and the 527 added another familiar name to its roster, listing convicted accountant Scott Shires as its e-mail contact.

The Coloradans for Economic Growth web site is hosted by Orem, Utah, company BlueHost.com, and run by notorious South Carolina political consultant Warren Tompkins through his company Political Net Roots, which boasts the CEG site among its best work. Tompkins took some flack a year ago for creating a fake Fred Thompson web site while serving as Mitt Romney’s South Carolina honcho, hearkening back to the same role he played derailing John McCain’s presidential aspirations in South Carolina when he worked for George W. Bush and Karl Rove. The PhoneyFred.org site was hosted on BlueHost.com, as are other prominent Republican campaign sites, all operated by Political Net Roots.

Talk about fingerprints.