By GottaLaff
Check out the group (at the end of this post) that is behind the ad that's getting complaints from readers:
A newspaper advertisement blaming President Barack Obama and Democrats for wrecking the economy is receiving complaints from some area readers and raising questions about the organization behind it.
"Barack Obama and the Democrats did not inherit the bad economy; they caused it and made it worse," read the full-page ad, which ran Monday in The Gainesville Sun and last week in the Ocala Star-Banner. The ad also has run in other newspapers nationwide, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Salt Lake Tribune.
The ad, a membership plea from the U.S. Citizens Association, alleges that high-profile Democrats caused the subprime mortgage crisis and consequently the recession. It also makes a variety of claims about health care reform, global warming legislation and other liberal policies.
Steven Thames, 31, of Gainesville, said he and three of his family members are canceling their Sun subscriptions as a result of the ad. He questioned both the ad's similar appearance to a news story and the claims it made.
"It's just filled with blatant lies," he said. [...]
The Akron, Ohio-based group behind the ad formed earlier this year under the name the Better Government Association. It changed its name when an 86-year-old Chicago organization with the same name sued.
Calls to the 800 number listed on the ad were received at a call center of InfoCision, an Akron-based telemarketing company. Employees of the center said they did not have a phone number for the U.S. Citizens Association but provided a list of company officials and board members.
The list included Executive Director Lance Davis, a former InfoCision marketing director; Benjamin Suarez, founder of a direct marketing company; and Herschel Gammill and Wayne Maddy, pastors of Ohio churches. A story on the Huffington Post Web site said Ed Rollins, a longtime Republican political consultant who chaired Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign, also was affiliated with the group.
Benjamin D. Suarez
- Self-made multimillionaire direct mail king (Suarez Corporation Industries (SCI) with a reputation for scorched earth tactics against those who cross him. Extremely litigious. Pursued a case to US Supreme Court and lost. See Newsweek piece.
- Author of 700 page "7 Steps to Financial Freedom: How to Escape the American Rat Race," among others
- This appears on AOL message board on a Suarez memo to employees on Obama, health care reform...
Lance Davis, InfoCision
- Political Division of InfoCision (as of 2007 was Director of Marketing, Political Division) - Telemarketing, fundraising, get out the vote, etc., for conservative groups, causes, candidates and churches
The Political Division is driven by the current issues and events that shape America’s ideological landscape. The division serves as a full-service political marketing firm for the nation’s most influential political figures and interest groups. We have worked with many of the beltway’s leading conservative organizations, providing the highest quality teleservices for fundraising and grassroots efforts....
- They also have a "Christian Division" "...– experience that includes managing prayer requests and even praying with callers."
- In this 2/15/2007 article in the Non-Profit Times, Davis describes his aggressive scripting tactics
- Lance Davis and InfoCision are credited in the 'Special Thanks' section for several films made by Citizens United with publicity byShirley & Banister Public Affairs - for example the Gingrich film pushing 'Drill Here, Drill Now'
- Note the raw credits include Shirley & Banister
- Shirley & Banister - Public Affairs Among others, did PR for John Kerry Swift Boat film and Willie Horton Ad
- As per Rachel Madow, represented Grassfire.org
- Sourcewatch
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