{"id":39849,"date":"2013-11-18T06:38:15","date_gmt":"2013-11-18T12:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=39849"},"modified":"2014-11-19T17:29:50","modified_gmt":"2014-11-19T23:29:50","slug":"pulling-the-strings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=39849","title":{"rendered":"Pulling The Strings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bill Glahn has been doing the work the Twin Cities media hasn’t<\/del> won’t in covering the big, unseen<\/del> unreported-on force in Minnesota politics: \u00a0Take Action Minnesota.<\/p>\n

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Even among people who know that TAM exists, I think few know exactly what they’re into, and how the organization works:<\/p>\n

Charity Status\u2014whether legal or not, I object to TakeAction\u2019s abuse of its tax-exempt non-profit charity status. Unlike the traditional political party\u2014whose role the group is increasingly displacing \u2014TakeAction can accept tax-deductible contributions from anonymous donors. Despite my best efforts at discovery, we really do not know who contributes the millions of dollars that fund TakeAction\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n

Quasi-Party Status\u2014although TakeAction operates much like a political party\u2014recruiting and financing candidates, conducting campaigns, and getting out the vote\u2014it does not have to abide by the same laws on transparency and accountability. It acts as a closed political machine\u2014answering to its (unknown) donors, but not to voters and taxpayers in the same way that the Democrats and Republicans must answer.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They also sit among a warren of offices for similar “progressive” “non-profits” – “ProtectMN”, “Wellstone Action” and others – in the Griggs Building, in the St. Paul Midway. \u00a0This isn’t just a happy accident, or entirely the product of the Griggs’ very low rent. \u00a0The network shares much more than just an address; phone banks, lists, staff, know-how.<\/p>\n

You should read Glahn’s entire series on the subject:<\/p>\n

My latest \u201cWho Is TakeAction?\u201d Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Part 1<\/a>\u2014Political philosophy<\/div>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Part 2<\/a>\u2014TakeAction takes over city politics<\/div>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Part 3<\/a>\u2014All the cool kids went to this year\u2019s Progressive Prom<\/div>\n

My original\u00a0TakeAction Minnesota Series:
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