American Bridge Wins Reed Awards For Best Direct Mail Piece, IE Campaign
Arlington, VA – Campaigns & Elections announced that American Bridge 21st Century has been awarded multiple 2013 Reed Awards for excellence in the categories of Best Direct Mail Piece of 2012 and Independent Expenditure Campaign. The awards recognized American Bridge’s groundbreaking “talking” mailer titled “Todd Akin: We’ve Heard Enough.” After first discovering and disseminating Akin’s infamous “legitimate rape” comments, American Bridge utilized the talking mailer to educate Missouri voters about Todd Akin’s extreme positions on many issues. In addition to his views on rape, the mailer showed Akin’s out-of-the-mainstream stances on Medicare, Social Security and student loans.
Op-Ed: How Democratic Groups Beat The Republican Super PACs In 2012
American Bridge President Rodell Mollineau penned an op-ed featured in The Daily Beast today. Below is an excerpt.
Much has already been written about the influence of outside spending on this election cycle. One could make a compelling argument that in 2010 super PACs were undervalued, especially by Democrats. Conversely, one could argue that in 2012 the impact of these groups was overestimated, this time to the detriment of Republicans. So how much impact do they have? The truth is somewhere in the middle. Like it or not, these groups have an important role, but campaigns still begin and end with the candidate’s ability to communicate a compelling vision to voters. Over the last 18 months, I think super PACs did what should be expected of them. They played a supporting role, pushed narratives, gave cover to candidates, and in some cases nudged the needle a point or two in select states and races. It just so happened that Democratic groups did a better job of this than Republicans. Here’s why.Read the piece in its entirety here.
The Maddow Blog: The 'Romneycare' Anniversary
On April 12, 2012, The Maddow Blog reported:
Exactly six years ago today, then-Gov. Mitt Romney put his signature on his most notably political accomplishment: an overhaul of Massachusetts' health care system, which brought coverage to all of the state's residents, thanks in part to a government mandate. To mark the occasion, American Bridge 21st Century released this video, showing Romney's remarks at the time, many of which sound, with the benefit of hindsight, like a defense of President Obama's Affordable Care Act.
TPM: GOP Congressman: We Can’t Impeach Obama Because We Don’t Have The Votes Yet
On April 11, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Why hasn’t Congress impeached President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder? Rep. Todd Akin says it’s simply a lack of votes. But he says that may change eventually.
ThinkProgress: Romney Campaign Enlists GOP Women Who Opposed Equal Pay Bills To Attack Obama
On April 11, 2012, ThinkProgress reported:
Romney’s campaign followed these two releases with a statement from his former Massachusetts Lt. Governor, Kerry Healey (R). Though she too takes the curious tact of blaming her party’s “war on women” on President Obama, American Bridge 21st Century notes that while in office, Healey “publicly condemned Romney for vetoing spending for women’s health, including breast and cervical cancer screenings and treatment, calling the move: ‘penny-wise, pound-foolish.’”
TPM: The General Election, Day One: What Romney And Obama Need To Do
On April 11, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Run The GOP Primary Race On Continuous Loop Republican pundits like to comfort themselves after a long and acrimonious primary by likening the whole thing to the 2008 Obama/Clinton showdown that ended with a Democratic blowout in the general election. But the poll numbers show that comparison’s a sham: Romney has suffered major damage to his favorability numbers and the Republican brand is as weak as ever. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom suggested the general election have an Etch-a-Sketch-like effect and reset the race. Team Obama is looking to make sure that no one forgets the primary’s greatest hits. In his first major general election speech last week, Obama name-checked an array of golden oldies from the primary, from Gingrich’s denunciation of the House GOP budget Romney supports as “right-wing social engineering” to the early debate where the whole Republican field refused to consider any kind of compromise on the deficit, no matter how stacked in their favor. And Democrats are ready to roll with a host of clips of Romney tossing red meat rhetoric on issues like immigration the second they see him trying to tack to the center. “We are going to have video archive that proves these Republicans are talking out of both sides of their mouth,” Rodell Mollineau, head of American Bridge, told TPM last week.
POLITICO: Steve King Flags Concern On Romney Federal Court Picks
On April 5, 2012, POLITICO reported:
Iowa Congressman Steve King, one of the staunchest conservatives in the House and a member whose endorsement was sought by almost all the presidential hopefuls ahead of the caucuses, said he will be an "enthusiastic" supporter of the eventual nominee of the party - but raised concerns about Mitt Romney's potential judicial picks as opposed to those who Rick Santorum would tap at a town hall in his home state last night. He also expressed being "uneasy" about Romney and how he will address the health care law as well during the forum, which was captured by the Democratic outside group American Bridge.
Indy Star: Senator Richard Lugar Under Attack From All Sides
On April 1, 2012, the Indianapolis Star reported:
Ferguson said Lugar's campaign has not done a good job of handling the issue so far. It got worse recently when the liberal PAC American Bridge supplied research to reporters showing that Lugar had violated Senate rules by charging taxpayers for Indianapolis hotel rooms while in Indiana during Senate recesses.
Daily Beast: Mitt Romney Secretly Supported Anti-Gay-Marriage Group
On March 30, the Daily Beast reported:
Given recent revelations about NOM, liberal operatives see an opportunity to discomfit Romney and, once the general election is underway, paint him as a right-wing extremist. “As a leading contender for president of the United States, for him to be funding a group whose strategy memos lay out such a hateful way to divide African-Americans and the LGBT community, it’s shocking,” says Chris Harris, communications director of American Bridge 21st Century, the super PAC founded by Media Matters’ David Brock. “When he initially donated in 2008, he may not have known that this is their strategy, but as a political leader and as an opinion leader, he has a responsibility to speak out and condemn their intention of dividing Americans.”
Daily Kos: How Much Racial Division And Hostility Did Mitt Romney Buy With His $10,000?
On March 30, 2012, the Daily Kos reported:
When Mitt Romney cut his $10,000 check for Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown's National Organization for Marriage did he know that money would be used to "to drive a wedge between gays and blacks—two key Democratic constituencies?" Did he know his money would be used to purposely and cravenly fan hostility between his fellow Americans? It's a question American Bridge 21st Century is asking, and thus far almost 5,000 people have signed their Change.org petition asking Romney to denounce his ties to National Organization for Marriage.