WASHINGTON D.C. CITIZENS UNITED ... TO REELECT SUNUNU AND ENACT THE BUSH AGENDA

For Immediate Release
June 3, 2008

(Manchester, NH) - As Roll Call reported this weekend, an extreme right-wing group that works to enact Bush policies called Citizens United has recently started running television ads in New Hampshire to help reelect John Sununu so that he can continue his record of voting with George Bush 90% of the time. [Roll Call, 5/31/08] Sununu has previously decried the involvement of outside interest groups in the New Hampshire campaign for U.S. Senate, calling the Sierra Club a "Washington Interest Group" when they supported his opponent, but he has no complaints about the support from the Bush group Citizens United.

"Sununu's position is that he thinks outside groups shouldn't be involved in this campaign even when they have thousands of New Hampshire members, but if a D.C.-based, pro-Bush group is supporting him, he's got no complaints," said Alex Reese, press secretary for the NHDP's Coordinated Campaign. "This kind of Washington double-speak is the reason John Sununu is just part of the problem, and it's time to retire him from the U.S. Senate. The way he talks out both sides of his mouth, he'll easily find work after November with one of those Washington interest groups he professes to hate."

Sununu Decries Involvement of Outside Groups ... Unless They Support Him

• Sununu Slams Sierra Club: When the Sierra Club endorsed Sununu's opponent former Governor Jeanne Shaheen a month ago, Sununu decried the group's involvement in the race. He called them a "Washington Interest Group" despite the fact that the Sierra Club boasts 45,000 members and supporters in New Hampshire. [Sununu Press Release, 4/24/08]
• Sununu Has No Complaints When Washington Group Supports Him: But Sununu has no complaints about Citizens United supporting him, even though the group has no New Hampshire membership, no New Hampshire offices, and an address on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. 

Citizens United: A Right-Wing Bush Group

• Director of Citizens United is Former Bush Campaign Manager: Brian Berry, the Director of Citizens United, was George W. Bush's campaign manager when he first ran for Governor of Texas in 1994.
• Citizens United Ran Ads for Bush in 2004: In the 2004 presidential campaign, Citizens United ran attack ads smearing Sen. John Kerry.
• Citizens United Has Program to Promote the Bush Agenda: One of Citizens United's programs is called "Citizens United for the Bush Agenda," which is "the project through which Citizens United members work to enact key elements of President Bush's conservative legislative and policy agenda." Apparently, part of enacting Bush's agenda includes working to re-elect John Sununu -- he has voted with Bush 90% of the time.

Sununu Double-Speak
Confused? Sununu's position is pretty simple really:

• When a group with a large New Hampshire membership supports his opponent, they are a dirty D.C. lobbyist group.
• BUT when a pro-Bush group in Washington D.C. spends money to help him get re-elected and enact Bush policies, he has no complaints.

Clear enough?