* Press release…
Illinois Rising is a new project of America Rising PAC dedicated to holding Illinois Democrats at the state and federal level accountable through video tracking, research, and strategic communications. This system will ensure that Democrat candidates must account for their policies and actions.
“Illinois Democrats at the highest reaches of government are continuously under investigation and promoting far-left policies including increased taxes and the most extreme late term abortion bill in the country. Illinoisans are already among the highest taxed citizens and deserve better from their elected officials. Illinois Rising is dedicated to holding Democrats accountable for their agendas and campaign promises and exposing the hypocrisy of their policies,” said Sarah Dolan, Executive Director of America Rising PAC.
Dolan worked briefly for US Sen. Mark Kirk after a stint with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
* I told her the press release was a bit vague and asked if she would be targeting anyone in particular in Congress, the state legislature or statewides. Dolan’s response…
All of the above
* From Source Watch…
America Rising is a Republican opposition research organization that was co-founded in spring of 2013 by Matt Rhoades, former campaign manager for Mitt Romney, along with Tim Miller and Joe Pounder, two staffers who worked for the Republican National Committee.[1] America Rising describes itself as “an entity that is focused on solely holding Democrats accountable for their actions and records using research, candidate tracking, rapid response and digital tools,” according to a statement by Rhoades. It focuses on tracking statements by Democrats “in hopes of catching gaffes and flip-flops and collecting an archive that can be mined for hypocrisy and errors,” as described by Slate.
America Rising is comprised of a “super PAC” (America Rising PAC) and a limited liability company that can legally work directly with political campaigns and committees.
* Its Illinois website is so far mostly just aggregated news stories about Democrats…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:08 am:
So they’re offering to be “professional trolls”?
That’s fun.
The Russian bots can’t offer these types is services.
Ok, to the Post,
In the world of “whataboutism”, the goal now is to drown out the bad for your side with bad on the other.
The old game of true oppo is now whittled down to “how much bad is too much bad”
But, I stand by my mocking. It’s professional trolling. Grifting with a trolling bend to it.
- Former Quigley Supporter - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:08 am:
Sounds like another Congressional Leadership Fund SuperPAC, but willing to go beyond the U.S. House of Representatives and get into the Illinois at the state-level.
- Not a Superstar - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:08 am:
Dolan’s work for Chris Christie makes her a good fit for the ILGOP. She will help drag their popularity numbers down to the single digits, too.
- IL4Life - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:14 am:
Is it a coincidence that this “Illinois Rising” trolling initiative has the same name as a former Illinois Policy Institute podcast that was hosted by Dan Proft and Eric Kohn?
- So_Ill - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:16 am:
==So they’re offering to be “professional trolls”?==
Your 2019 GOP. If you can’t govern, might as well troll.
- Jocko - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:17 am:
==This system will ensure that Democrat candidates must account for their policies and actions.==
Sure beats trying to draw attention to DJT at the top of the ticket.
- Anon E Moose - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:18 am:
“former campaign manager for Mitt Romney”
I would leave that one off the resume.
- Former Quigley Supporter - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:21 am:
You get better coverage of the Democrats, and the Republicans, here on CapitolFax.
Same here:
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/08/13/underwood-report
or here
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/08/06/underwood-in-liberal-land
- Jibba - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:24 am:
Personally, I welcome this type of thing because politics is too nice. /s. BTW, the general public probably likes rapid responses just as much as telemarketing.
Founded nationally in 2013? When Republicans controlled both houses of Congress? Boy, that was really a time that a spotlight really needed to be held onto the actions of Democrats.
When you start with the premise that the policies of the other side are full of “hypocrisy”, I doubt that there will be any unbiased reporting or analysis. Hard pass.
- Annonin' - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:25 am:
Actually the work with CommandoKirk makes a sure fit. Some have forgotten the Commando’s Team had a tough time with the truth before his medical situation. Good to see GOPies headin’ for the high road —NOT
- cdog - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:35 am:
Regardless of the personal attacks against those in Illinois Rising, it seems to be a needed public service.
It’s hard to argue with the premises of their stated goals. Everyone benefits when politicians feel the pressure of impending accountability, and are held accountable. Why would any reasonable person fear that and discount the need for it?
Rise on.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:39 am:
GOP research. Is that what they call fiction writing? As OW correctly observes. THese folks are basically trolls spewing venom and falsehoods.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:41 am:
===Regardless of the personal attacks against those in Illinois Rising, it seems to be a needed public service.===
This was the premise of “Fox News - Fair and Balanced”
The only difference is these folks are partisanly trolling as a political arm and “service”
Fox News now masquerades as a “news service”, but the point you’re trying to make is logical to partisan leaning trolling, which this is, so it is what it is.
- Arsenal - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:45 am:
==Regardless of the personal attacks against those in Illinois Rising, it seems to be a needed public service.==
I dispute that oppo research is a public service, or that Illinois faces a dearth of it on Democratic candidates. Think about how much you know about JB Pritzker’s toilets.
==Everyone benefits when politicians feel the pressure of impending accountability, and are held accountable. Why would any reasonable person fear that and discount the need for it?==
I dunno, you’re the one worried about personal attacks on ‘em.
To the post: This just sounds like another in a long line of new outfits that open in the year after an election while everyone feels out the new normal. The problem is, you can’t beat something with nothing.
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:49 am:
=Regardless of the personal attacks against those in Illinois Rising, it seems to be a needed public service.=
Except it isn’t. It is partisan politics. An intelligent person knows this because they are only monitoring democrats.
- Jibba - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:54 am:
==Why would any reasonable person fear that and discount the need for it?===
When you plan to expose someone and hold them accountable, it presupposes that you will be telling the truth. I don’t have confidence in that here.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:00 pm:
Posting videos of Democrats in their own words explaining their polices, which may be out of touch with a district that has been Republican for decades is “trolling”? LOL
- Frank talks - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:27 pm:
Do you have to intern with the Rodney Davis campaign before applying to be a tracker?
- seen it before - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:53 pm:
If Illinois Rising is serious then why does their newsroom page lead off with some reporting agencies that have developed the most notoriously biased reputations around in media these days, am I missing something here?
- Henry Francis - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 1:11 pm:
Did I read somewhere on this blog that Uihlein is no longer dropping major bucks on Proft? Sounds like Ms. Dolan sees an opportunity.
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 2:12 pm:
=Posting videos of Democrats in their own words explaining their polices, which may be out of touch with a district that has been Republican for decades is “trolling”? LOL=
You are so “innocent”. LOL
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 2:15 pm:
===Posting videos of Democrats in their own words explaining their polices, which may be out of touch with a district that has been Republican for decades is “trolling”?===
The partisan bend and selective folks for this, let alone the way it’s being done makes it a trolling.
Keep up.
- Blue Dog Dem - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 2:22 pm:
As a professor troll, this is not trolling.
- Bertrum Cates - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 2:27 pm:
Is now a good time to formally offer my tracker tracking services?
- {Sigh} - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 6:35 pm:
Has McSweeney commented on this Super PAC activity in IL?
{sigh}
- JSI - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:24 pm:
So the Super Pac is going to post their collections online making it all public record allowing campaigns to use the statements and videos without any “direct” collusion. Makes sense.