Republican Smear Machine Roaring Back To Life

The only thing that could prevent the Democrats from matching the Republicans dollar-for-dollar this cycle is the right wing's shadowy network of third-party organizations that make up their devious smear machine. Terrified of losing their last shred of power in Washington, the Republicans are already rushing to resurrect the gang that brought you those Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The latest news has Freedom's Watch, a vicious right-wing front group founded by Ari Fleischer, announcing that they are expanding their operations to include Senate campaigns. They're hiring key staff from all the worst places: the Bush campaign team, the national Republican Party, and a couple of infamous right-wing organizations. Freedom's Watch is certain to have plenty of money because, under campaign finance rules, they can raise huge sums from just a few anonymous donors. They spent $15 million on their launch campaign last year and have already spent more than $1 million on just two special elections in 2008. Some even speculate that their final total this year could be more than $200 million.This could spell big trouble for Democratic candidates unless DSCC does something about it. The DSCC can't level the playing field if Freedom's Watch neutralizes their fundraising advantage.