Behind The Front: The Pro-War “Freedom’s Watch”

By Dave Johnson and James Boyce
In the early 1970s, the Nixon Administration took a page out of the tobacco industry’s playbook and actively organized front groups to counter the anti-war efforts of Vietnam veterans like John Kerry and Bobby Muller. Men like John O’Neill – later to re-appear as one of the Swift Boat Veterans – were hired to create what Watergate felon Charles Colson called “counter-foils.”

First of all, what is a Front Group? Front Groups have been used by the tobacco industry and the oil and energy companies to create the illusion of independence. “Freedoms Watch” can’t just come out and call themselves “former White House aides and Republican fundraisers” so they create a supposedly independent group and fund it heavily. Everyone pretends it is an independent organization that sprang up from grassroots supporters of the war.
On, there is no listing of people involved, no names and no contact address. Not ONE SINGLE PERSON is listed as being affiliated with the group. According to the press, “President Bush’s first White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer, is the group’s spokesman.”
The company, Democracy Data and Communications is a leader in the “astroturf” industry. Their clients include primarily Republican-associated big businesses associations. They actually built a site called last cycle.
Give them a cause, and a percentage of the $15 million, they’ll build you a site and ads.
When “Freedoms Watch” releases their records, we will have a clearer vision into who is giving them money – $15,000,000 is a lot of money to raise – and how they are spending their money.
And, there is one more funny thing that our good friend Taylor Marsh pointed out. (She also has the first tv spots in her post.) If you call the 1-800 Number that “Freedom’s Watch” offers you for contacting your representative, they only actually connect you, if you agree with their policies.