Sloppy Sleaze Supporting Mine

The Wisconsin State Journal sheds light on heavy-handed political work by Americans for Prosperity - - a Koch Brothers-funded right-wing advocacy organization - - aimed at defeating grassroots candidates who oppose the proposed controversial open-pit iron ore mine in Iron County.

Heavy-handed and ham-handed, too, as the group's big-dollar, door-to-door literature misidentified one well-known mine supporter as an opponent, and mistakenly published his neighbor's phone number, to boot.

The flyer listed phone numbers for each of the seven candidates challenging county board members.  

"Call these anti-mine radicals and tell them to stand up for you and your local jobs, not radical environmental policies," the mailer urges in bold red lettering.

An out-of-state organization claiming others are influencing local issues is pure projection propaganda, given its underlying hypocrisy.

Similar efforts by the group have been noted in local Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio elections. 

The northern Wisconsin leaflet is not the first indication the outside right-wing advocacy group has ties to the controversial mine plan.

In November, I'd noted the mining company - - GTac, owned by Floridian Chris Cline - - and Americans for Prosperity had hired the same lobbyist for Wisconsin activities.