Back in 2004, soft-money groups on both sides of the ideological divide raised a boatload of money - some $424 million (Campaign Finance Institute).  They've gained some traction as their email lists have grown since then guys - when you compare the years leading up to presidential election cycles, 527s raised $13 million more last year than they did in 2003. The economy may be in rotten shape, but somebody's finding all those millions to donate to the soft-money groups.  

On the Republican side, strategists say that the offspring of Progress for America, whatever form it takes, will probably be a major player. In 2004, the group raised $45 million to help Bush and attack Kerry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign finance activity.

Progress for America was run by executives of a Washington-based consulting firm called DCI Group, which has close ties to Karl Rove, Bush's longtime political strategist. The chairman and founding partner of DCI Group, Tom Synhorst, is helping lead the new third-party effort this year, according to GOP strategists familiar with the plans.

One of Progress for America's biggest donors was T. Boone Pickens, a Texas oilman who gave it $2.5 million and who also gave $3 million to the Swift Boat group. Pickens will be part of the new effort, the strategists said.

Another new conservative group active this year is Freedom's Watch, a nonprofit created to be a Republican answer to MoveOn.org. It reportedly aims to raise as much as $250 million

Helman goes on to remind us that - despite the hefty fines handed out by the FEC, they won't be all that effective in policing the 527s this year with only 2 Commissioners in place on that 6-member panel.  Something tells me they'll be able to play fast and loose with the rules, AND the truth and will likely be fearless in attacking Obama if he's nominated.

Now some of you may point out that those 527s will go after Hillary too but let's be honest here guys... Hillary's got to be the most vetted presidential candidate ever.  After decades of investigations and witch hunts they came up with zip, zilch, nada - nothin'.  She's been through hell and she's still standing strong.  No more surprises - nothing for those 527s to latch on to that will shock and amaze voters come the general election.

We can't really say that about Obama - can we?

WHICH brings me to an op ed by Lanny Davis in today's Wall Street Journal.  Now I won't go into everything Wright said from the pulpit.  No need to cover ground we're all familiar with. But Davis raises some valid points here guys.  He may be a supporter of Hillary's but his words are worth reading and discussing here.  This has got to be addressed before those 527s get their hands on all this - we can't afford to send up someone who'll be swift-boated into political oblivion in the general election.  Take a look...

Obama's Minister Problem

I have tried to get over my unease surrounding Barack Obama's response to the sermons and writings of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. But the unanswered questions remain.

Clearly Mr. Obama does not share the extremist views of Rev. Wright. He is a tolerant and honorable person. But that is not the issue. The questions remain: Why did he stay a member of the congregation? Why didn't he speak up earlier? And why did he reward Rev. Wright with a campaign position even after knowing of his comments?

Davis does point to something we need to address and that's Obama's comparison of Wright to a beloved family member - and that he can't disown either.  Davis isn't buying that - not one bit and neither am I.  Ya know what?  Those independents we're going to need to win over in the general election won't buy it either.

Mr. Obama made a choice to join the church and to ask Rev. Wright to marry him and his bride. He said for the first time a few weeks ago that had Rev. Wright not recently resigned as pastor of the church, he would have withdrawn. But that only reraised the same questions: Why didn't he act before the resignation?

Furthermore, after knowing about some of these sermons and having serious problems with some of their messages, why did Mr. Obama still decide to appoint Rev. Wright to his official presidential campaign religious advisory committee?

Some have suggested that any Clinton supporters who continue to raise this issue are "playing the race card" or taking the "low" road.

When I said on CNN recently that concerns about the Wright-Obama issue were "appropriate" to continue to be discussed, my friend Joe Klein of Time Magazine said, "Lanny, Lanny, you're spreading the poison right now" and that an "honorable person" would "stay away from this stuff."

Attacking the motives of those who feel this discomfort about Senator Obama's response or nonresponse to Reverend Wright's comments is not just unfair and wrong. It also misses the important electoral point about winning the general election in November: This issue is not going away. If many loyal, progressive Democrats remain troubled by this issue, then there must be even more unease among key swing voters - soft "Reagan Democrats," independents and moderate Republicans - who will decide the 2008 election.

One thing is for sure: If Mr. Obama doesn't show a willingness to try to answer all the questions now, John McCain and the Republican attack machine will not waste a minute pressuring him to do so if he is the Democratic Party's choice in the fall.

But by then, it may be too late.

So - do we figure this out now or do we ignore that two-ton elephant in the room and hope like hell all those 527s ignore it too come the general?

Now we all know Obama's got an uphill battle in winning over the voters in PA - especially after the whole Wright controversy hit the national scene.  First he pretends that he's going to take a pass on Pennsylvania, and then turns around and buys unprecedented ad time all around the state.  So far he's spent $6.5 million on advertising - $2.3 million this week alone (compared to $2.5 million overall / $1 million this week by Hillary).  He's also just wrapped up a 6-day bus tour through the state -  putting his bowling skills on display to try to connect with Pennsylvania's voters - and yet we're seeing polls in PA that show Hillary up by 18 points.  After all the money and all that time he's struggling to pull even in the state .  Let's face it - the road to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. goes through the Keystone State and if you struggle this badly to win Democratic voters over in this state then how are you going to win over those Independents people keep talking about?

Democrats will choose a candidate in the primaries based on the issues - like jobs, the economy and healthcare.  That's what motivates us after all.  That's why Hillary's doing so well with the voters in Pennsylvania.

But make no mistake about this guys - the goopers have shown us time and time again that they play by a different set of rules in the general election. If you bet against them going dirty and playing mean in the general you'll lose.

The question the Super Delegates need to ask themselves in choosing a candidate is this - how sure are you that hope will trump hate this year?  Time and time again we've seen candidates say they're break from the past.  The start of a new day here in Washington.  But at the end of the day they get their ass handed to them by the voters and we get stuck with 4 years of some anti-choice, government-gutting, crony-driven gooper in the white house.

A friend of mine has a clever way of reminding us of all the nice guys who were clobbered by the goopers guys - McMonDukakaKerry.  See if you can figure out how that breaks down.  Add to that the pile of problems and the thin resume Obama brings to the table, and I think you know as well as anyone how this story will end.

UPDATE

eRiposte reference deleted.