Pro-Bush crew bids to offset Kerry fans

Florida Leadership Council leaders want to fight "distortions" propagated against President Bush.

TALLAHASSEE - With liberal groups spending millions in Florida criticizing President Bush and lining up voters for John Kerry, Republican operatives, one with close ties to Gov. Jeb Bush, have started a conservative group of their own.

Organizers of the Florida Leadership Council said Wednesday that they already have $250,000 in pledges and hope to raise millions more to "counter the distortions by the liberal groups against our president" in Florida.

The group is led by former Gov. Bush aide Cory Tilley, former Florida GOP executive director David Johnson, and Tampa accountant Robert Watkins and his wife, Nancy, who are major fundraisers for President Bush's re-election.

In a slick four-page brochure featuring pictures of more than a half dozen Republican nemeses, from Jesse Jackson to Michael Moore, and a Web site that features a prominent portrait of President Bush, the group pledges to "win the battle of ideas in Florida." It says it can do so with targeted advertising for less than national liberal groups are spending, such as MoveOn.org, America Coming Together and the Media Fund.

"We're not kidding ourselves. We don't believe we'll be able to raise $10-million by November in this kind of election year," Tilley said Wednesday. "But we do believe we know how to spend whatever we do raise most effectively in Florida to counter the distortions against our president being pushed by these liberal groups and the likes of Michael Moore."

Tilley said he has not spoken of his plan with Gov. Bush, "but I suspect he will be happy to learn someone is fighting against the liberals."

The group starts far behind Kerry advocates, who as of May had spent $6.6-million in Florida television advertising and an unknown amount organizing voter registration efforts.

Early on, Democratic operatives began to exploit a change in federal campaign finance laws that limits soft money to national political parties but not independent committees, dubbed "527s" after the IRS code section they operate under.

Conservatives initially challenged the committees, asking the Federal Elections Committee to clamp down on them. It refused.

"Not only are they late to the game, they are saying one thing and doing another," said Tait Sye, Florida spokesman for America Coming Together, which has focused on door-to-door canvassing.

Though 527 groups cannot coordinate with candidates, they are free to support or oppose any candidate or issue.

Among the chief backer of liberal groups is New York investor and multibillionaire George Soros.

Only one conservative group, Club for Growth, is among the top 10 independent groups in spending, according to OpenSecrets.org, which tracks IRS filings. Its $6.6-million in expenditures during the 2004 election cycle pales in comparison with the $118-million spent by nine liberal groups.

World and national headlines

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright