One Way to Spend Money

The Throw-the-Bums-Out Super-PAC

A new super-PAC is harnessing the the volatile mix of re-districting, low congressional approval ratings, and unlimited funding to overturn established incumbents all across the country.

This past Tuesday, the Campaign for Primary Accountability staged a late ad campaign to lift Army doctor Brad Wenstrup over the top against the notorious conservative firebrand Jean Schmidt. The group had also funded independent-minded Democrat Dennis Kucinich in his losing battle against incumbent Marcy Kaptur.

They went one for two on Tuesday, (Wenstrup won but Kucinich did not) and are now targeting Alabama's Max Bachus ahead of his Republican primary next week.

The group seeks to clean up Congress by flushing out long-serving members:

J. Joe Ricketts, the founder of Ameritrade whose family purchased the Chicago Cubs, gave the group $500,000, its second-largest donation. The most political member of the group is Eric O’Keefe, who helped found U.S. Term Limits in the early 1990s. Having decided his pet cause will never become law, O’Keefe is seeking to limit terms through the ballot box, through a $100,000 donation.

Targeting both Republicans and Democrats, the group may be able to disrupt races in which an incumbent is running that doesn't supports the super-PAC's views of ethics and independence:

Records show they have spent money in five races, three of which are for seats held by Republicans. The group was ready to spend heavily against Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) until he announced he would retire, and Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.) is also on the group’s list.

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Ryan Prior

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