Julie Fanselow contested my statement that the media did the dirty work of the Democrats, writing regarding the amount of contributions from Club for Growth:
The Club for Growth story was hardly told a thousand times by the mainstream media. I know that I told it dozens of times on the Grant blog, but it was barely touched by the Boise media. The one outlet (Channel 6) that did a substantive story did so right after the primary, and then failed to revisit the issue in the general election, even as the Club was pouring a million dollars into Sali’s coffers.
Perhaps, Julie didn’t read the Idaho Statesman, I did a search for Club for Growth in the archives and here are some headlines:
National backers help elevate Sali above crowded Congressional field
May 24, 2006 •• 748 words •• ID: boi2006052414080084
Negative political ads flood airwaves
November 4, 2006 •• 953 words •• ID: boi2006110421334343
16. Sali keeps raking in campaign contributions
February 2, 2006 •• 1038 words •• ID: boi2006020216480685
Gregory Hahn Staff Kuna conservative Bill Sali and Congressman C.L. “Butch” Otter are setting the pace for campaign contributions this year. Sali pulled in almost $100,000 more in the final three months of 2005 to lead the crowded race for the 1st Congressional District seat with $245,000 raised. Thanks to the endorsement of the conservative Growth for Growth, small-government supporters all over the country are sending checks to Sali´s campaign
20. GOP Congressional candidate Sali retains fund-raising lead
May 17, 2006 •• 340 words •• ID: boi2006051712440039
ELECTION 2006: Group that supports conservative contenders nationwide fills his campaign coffers GREGORY HAHN Staff Bill Sali´s commanding lead in fund-raising lasted through the beginning of May, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The roughly $385,000 he´s raised and $370,000 he´s spent are more than $100,000 more than former state Sen. Sheila Sorensen, his closest competitor in the 1st
Doing a search for Bill Sali, Club for Growth netted 27 results. These are just the most obvious. In addition, in endorsing Larry Grant, the Idaho Press Tribune mentioned the Club for Growth, Betsy Russell at Eye on Boise mentioned the Club for Growth. The story was trumpeted and promoted and it seems we’ve got some selective memory going in order to mythologize the last election.
