Is This What Obama Means by "Change"?

Group Plans Campaign Against G.O.P. Donors - NYTimes, via Instapundit

Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding “warning” letter in the mail next week.

The letter is an opening shot across the bow from an unusual new outside political group on the left that is poised to engage in hardball tactics to prevent similar groups on the right from getting off the ground this fall. (emphasis mine)

So, if I'm understanding this opening, the whole point of this potentially multi-million dollar endeavor by liberal operatives is to prevent a hypothetical and heretofore non-existent right-wing opposite number from ever existing? Seems like donors' money could be better spent...

“We want to stop the Swift Boating before it gets off the ground,” said Mr. Matzzie, who described his effort as “going for the jugular.”

The warning letter is intended as a first step, alerting donors who might be considering giving to right-wing groups to a variety of potential dangers, including legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives.

I like how the left continues to try to re-define "Swift Boating" as something deceptive or somehow underhanded, as if John Kerry was denied his rightful place because of some kind of grand conspiracy of lies. The group simply told their side of the story, and let the facts speak for themselves. If Kerry hadn't tried to base his campaign around his Vietnam experience, none of this would have been an issue.

It's nice of this group, Accountable America, to be "alerting donors," of potential "legal troubles" and "watchdog groups digging through their lives." I'm sure the prospective Republican donors are going to be much more likely to desert the GOP once they come to understand that this is the kind of generally fascist behavior that can be expected under an Obama administration.

However, as the article goes on to describe, the head of the proposed leftist intimidation squad, Tom Mattzie, was formally the head of another, apparently identical group, Progressive Media U.S.A., which never got off the ground for lack of funds. But hey, don't give up the dream, Tom.

The last line of the piece provides a one sentence rebuttal from Chris LaCivita, identified as a "Republican strategist who helped organize the Swift Boat effort." Mr. LaCivita sums up my thoughts very nicely, with the level of attitude and derision that should be more frequently employed by those on the right. "(Republican donors) are not going to be intimidated by some pipsqueak on the kooky left.”

Couldn't have put it better myself, Chris, well done.