Astroturf Howard

Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham's (CA-50th) politics have always been to the far side of right wing. But, Duke looks like a raving liberal compared to one of the likely Republican challengers for the Duke's job in Congress, Howard Kaloogian.

Kaloogian a former state assemblyman was trounced last year in the Republican Senate primary, but he is already jockeying for a shot at the Duke's seat. Kaloogian is currently one of the two proprietors of a far rightwing astroturf organization know as Move America Forward. (For a definition of an astroturf organization click here.)

Move America Forward is a political astroturf organization that collects money and mailing lists for right wing PR firm Russo, Marsh and Rogers.

Move America Forward's current media focus is its so called "Truth Tour," a collection of right wing radio talkers passing on good news from Iraq. Billed as a "Voices of the Soldiers," the whole scam is designed to promote Move America Forward and their agenda. Kaloogian and his allies are using the military as a front for the vital fund raising work of the far right's propaganda machine.

If you haven't eaten yet, check out the Move America Forward site. It is dominated by the wall paper of the ultra-right, with a completely political focus. Troops...troops..? Oh yeah, we have a coffee and cookie drive going for them and don't forget we need money for ads to get the UN out of the US. By the way, have you contributed to our campaign to oust Dick Durbin?

On July 4th – Independence Day from those who seek to undermine our national resolve - we will begin a television ad campaign to hold Senator Dick Durbin accountable for his denouncement of our troops.

However, we need your help to raise the remaining money for airtime in just a few days time.

We are about $174,832 short of our initial budget for the ad campaign. That means we need just 6,993 Americans to contribute an average of $25 to the ad campaign.

The $174,832 would buy a lot of coffee and cookies or maybe body armor for a full platoon of troops out in harms way. No, better to spend it where it will do the most good, on hit ads in Illinois.

Move America Forward is designed for one purpose....to help finance the far right agenda for America, not for ideological purposes, but for corporate profit.

That's Howard Kaloogian's truth. I wonder which political consulting firm will be supporting his race in the 50th district? In fact, it looks like they already are.