Castellanos, A

=<div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/eric-trump-fundraiser-228130" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/eric-trump-fundraiser-228130</a></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Eric Trump attends pro-Trump super PAC fundraiser</div><div class=" story-intro format-s" itemscope="" itemprop="mainEntityOfPage" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" style="font-size: small; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-right: 344.859px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="summary " style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1.25em;"><footer class="meta" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em;"><div itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By <a href="https://www.politico.com/staff/shane-goldmacher" rel="author" class="url fn" target="_top" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;">SHANE GOLDMACHER</a>

<time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2016-09-13 20:42:12" style="box-sizing: border-box;">09/13/2016 08:42 PM EDT</time></div></footer></div></div>One of Donald Trump’s sons, Eric Trump, attended and spoke at a fundraiser for a super PAC backing his father on Tuesday, the closest yet that Trump and his campaign have come to blessing one of the competing groups that have jockeyed for support among big donors.The event was held at the World Bar of the Trump World Tower in Manhattan, not far from Trump’s 5th Avenue headquarters, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by POLITICO. Eric Trump is not listed as a speaker on that invitation, but he showed up and spoke briefly, according people familiar with the event. The fundraiser was for the Great America PAC, which has hired longtime Republican operative Ed Rollins as its top strategist. They showed attendees television ads that they planned to air with additional cash, including at least one that incorporated Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” remark from last week, according to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKT8VyIA123/?taken-by=politnicole" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;">a photo of the event</a>.Donald Trump initially attacked super PACs when he launched his campaign for president and vowed to run without their support — and he did so throughout the primary — but Trump has since changed his tune and tacitly accepted millions of dollars in supportive ads from two main super PACs during the general election, along with TV spending from the political arm of the National Rifle Association.<aside class="story-related" style="font-size: small; box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 344.859px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); padding: 0.625em 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article class="story-frag format-sm" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: table; width: 658px; table-layout: fixed;"><figure class="thumb" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: table-cell; margin: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 5.625em;"><div class="fig-graphic" style="box-sizing: border-box;">[</div></figure><div class="summary" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 1.2; display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; padding-left: 0.625em;"><header style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px;"><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/trump-child-care-ivanka-228131" target="top" data-tracking="mpos=inside body&mid=ParentheticalModule&lindex=Unknown&lcol=Unknown" class="js-tealium-tracking" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;">With softer tone, Trump touts child-care plan with Ivanka</a></h3></header><footer class="meta" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 1;"><div itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By ELI STOKOLS]</div></footer></div></article></aside>Still, Trump’s refusal to bless a singular entity to collect unlimited-sized checks has been a cause of confusion and consternation among big donors. In addition to the Great America PAC, a second rival super PAC, Rebuilding America Now, is run by Ken McKay, a Republican operative who previously worked as an adviser to the Trump campaign. That group has aired the most in television ads so far.Back during the Republican conventions, it had appeared that McKay’s group, which longtime Republican adman Alex Castellanos is also advising, had emerged as the preferred super PAC of the Trump campaign. Then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort called into a donor event the group was holding in Cleveland, which was widely viewed at the time as the campaign’s official blessing. Castellanos said at the time that they expected Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, to attend super PAC events to help raise money.But Manafort soon lost traction inside the campaign and within a month he had resigned, leaving it unclear which of the two groups Trump’s team would rather receive big checks.Among those listed on the Great America PAC invitation to the Tuesday event that Eric Trump attended are David Clarke, the Milwaukee County Sheriff who has endorsed Trump and spoke at the GOP convention, conservative radio hosts Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager and actor Jon Voight. Those four were part of a traveling bus tour that had been organized by the super PAC.Eric Beach, co-chair of the Great America PAC, declined to comment on the event other than to say, “We had a wonderful event today, but as a matter of policy I do not comment on specifics of private meetings.”<div class="story-supplement " style="font-size: small; box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 344.859px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-top: 1.5em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><aside class="content-categories" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h6 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; line-height: 1.2em;">This article tagged under:</h6><ul class="categories-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none none;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0.5em 0.5em 1em;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/elections" target="top" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s; display: inline-block; background: rgb(229, 229, 229); line-height: 2em; padding: 0px 0.5em; position: relative; border-radius: 0px 3px 3px 0px;">Elections</a></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0.5em 0.5em 1em;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/donald-trump" target="top" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s; display: inline-block; background: rgb(229, 229, 229); line-height: 2em; padding: 0px 0.5em; position: relative; border-radius: 0px 3px 3px 0px;">Donald Trump</a></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0.5em 0.5em 1em;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/trump-2020-presidential-election" target="top" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s; display: inline-block; background: rgb(229, 229, 229); line-height: 2em; padding: 0px 0.5em; position: relative; border-radius: 0px 3px 3px 0px;">Donald Trump 2020</a></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0.5em 0.5em 1em;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2016-elections" target="top" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s; display: inline-block; background: rgb(229, 229, 229); line-height: 2em; padding: 0px 0.5em; position: relative; border-radius: 0px 3px 3px 0px;">2016 Elections</a></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0.5em 0.5em 1em;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/donald-trump-2016" target="top" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s; display: inline-block; background: rgb(229, 229, 229); line-height: 2em; padding: 0px 0.5em; position: relative; border-radius: 0px 3px 3px 0px;">Donald Trump 2016</a></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0.5em 0.5em 1em;"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/eric-trump" target="top" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s; display: inline-block; background: rgb(229, 229, 229); line-height: 2em; padding: 0px 0.5em; position: relative; border-radius: 0px 3px 3px 0px;">Eric Trump</a></li></ul></aside></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div> abc white house repoter geoff morrell went to dod to be spokes for robt gates (pal of bob barnett) offered leadership gig and H&K, run by Dan Bartlett (also job offer from Podesta tony gp) ended up at BP in time for oil spill; recruited by purple strategies guy dick kiel (WH rept bloomberg)alex cast cnn this town 253fang:Yesterday at the Newseum, consultant Alex Castellanos spoke at a <a href="http://www.centerforpolitics.org/news.html#twentyten" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2010 elections preview</a>hosted by the University of Virginia Center for Politics and Politico. Castellanos, who fashions himself as a the “father of the <a href="http://www.natmedia.com/about/castellanos.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">modern attack ad</a>,” has helped produce ads for industry clients — like the Chamber of Commerce and the health insurance trade group — to <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/15/castellanos-ahip-gop/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">kill health reform</a>. Recently, after a top communications official was forced out of the Republican National Committee, Castellanos indicated that he will also <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/11/24/70924/castellanos-rnc-communications/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">advise the party</a> on its communications strategy.Perhaps what sets Castellanos apart from other political consultants is his use of subliminal, often racist, messages. In a profile piece, Eric Boehlert noted some of Castellanos’ most<a href="http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/03/15/castellanos/print.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">infamous work</a>:<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 3em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 22.440000534057617px; vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none;">In 1990, working for Republican <strong style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, he produced perhaps the most racially divisive TV ad in campaign history. Called “White Hands,” it featured an angry white worker crumpling up a job rejection notice. He had lost out because “they had to give it to a minority.” More recently, in 2000, his firm National Media produced an ad mocking Al Gore’s stance on prescription drugs, flashing the word “RATS” on the screen for a split second. Castellanos denied using subliminal advertising.</blockquote>ThinkProgress caught up with Castellanos yesterday, and asked him if he had produced a “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIyewCdXMzk" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">White Hands</a>” ad for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) last year — who Castellanos <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/334586" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">advised</a> for the Presidential campaign — would McCain have won the election? Castellanos, in a rare expression of honesty, said no he wouldn’t because his own “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIyewCdXMzk" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">White Hands</a>” ad would have hurt the country in “race relations” since “most people knew Barack Obama is a black man”:<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 3em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 22.440000534057617px; vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">CASTELLANOS: No I think just the opposite. [...] I think most people knew that Barack Obama is a black man. I dont think that was a shot. As a matter of fact I think one of the things people wanted last election, was they wanted to move in a better place in race relations in this country.</blockquote>Watch it:<center style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 22.440000534057617px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">While Castellanos admits his own race-based ads would have backfired last year, he is still up to his <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/new-chamber-of-commerce-a_n_345392.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">old tricks</a>. In a recent ad he produced for the Chamber of Commerce against health reform, one scene features a factory boss forced to fire a white employee. As the worker is summoned to the boss’ office, he taps a black coworker on his way out. The black worker, still gainfully employed, looks directly into the camera for a moment before the white worker is dismissed by the boss. “This is the same old right wing dog whistle politics,” observed Eddie Vale, spokesman for the AFL-CIO. “They’re trying to use race and class to scare working people about a health care bill.”<span id="trigger-slidedown" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.440000534057617px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="tags" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0.5em 0px 1em; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.440000534057617px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h4 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0.5em 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.15em; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); display: inline;">Tags:</h4> <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 1em 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9em; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; display: inline;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.33em; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9em; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6em; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block;"><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/tag/alex-castellanos/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0.5em; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; background: rgb(221, 221, 221);">Alex Castellanos</a></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.33em; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9em; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6em; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block;"><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/tag/race/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0.5em; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; background: rgb(221, 221, 221);">Race</a></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.33em; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9em; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6em; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block;"><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/tag/republican-national-committee/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0.5em; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; background: rgb(221, 221, 221);">Republican National Committee</a></li></ul></div>
<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Alex_Castellanos">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Alex_Castellanos</a>Alex Castellanos has been characterized as the "charismatic, controversial and confrontational Republican media consultant. Castellanos is the party's ultimate hit man, hired by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bush-Cheney_campaign" title="Bush-Cheney campaign" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none;">Bush-Cheney campaign</a> to put his stamp on the contest."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/15/castellanos/index_np.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[1]</a>It was Castellanos who was credited with the creation of the September 2000 Bush campaign "30 second TV advertisement, which [dealt] with who should pay for prescription drugs for the elderly, [containing] the word 'rats'. ... Alongside images of Vice-President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Al_Gore" title="Al Gore" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none;">Al Gore</a>, the ad [showed] fragments of the slogan 'Bureaucrats decide'. RATS [which] is flashed for a split second, before the complete word 'bureaucrats' appears." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/americas/2000/us_elections/election_news/923335.stm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[2]</a><hr style="text-align: left; height: 1px; color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border: 0px; margin: 0.2em 0px; line-height: 19.1875px; background-color: rgb(170, 170, 170);" />Castellanos, a partner in <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Media,Inc." title="National Media, Inc." style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">National Media, Inc.</a>, according to one biographical sketch (2002), "is one of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Republican Party</a>'s new generation of TV-advertising consultants. He has served as media consultant to 6 U.S. presidential campaigns. He has helped elect 9 U.S. senators, 6 governors, and enjoys over two decades of political consulting experience, both in the United States and abroad. Mr. Castellanos has also produced issue advocacy campaigns for several corporations and national associations including: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Verizon_Communications" title="Verizon Communications" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none;">Verizon Communications</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Forest%26_Paper_Association" title="American Forest & Paper Association" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none;">American Forest & Paper Association</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Federation_of_American_Hospitals&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Federation of American Hospitals (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none;">Federation of American Hospitals</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Better_Medicare" title="Citizens for Better Medicare" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none;">Citizens for Better Medicare</a>, and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Chamber_of_Commerce" title="U.S. Chamber of Commerce" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none;">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.centerforpolitics.org/programs/adc/2002_bios-panel1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[3]</a>"'Fortune' magazine singled out Mr. Castellanos as a 'new style media master,' and National Journal calls National Media 'a different kind of public affairs firm.' Mr. Castellanos brings a wealth of campaign strategy, public opinion research and communications experience to corporate communications and public policy campaigns. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.centerforpolitics.org/programs/adc/2002_bios-panel1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[4]</a>"Mr. Castellanos, a native of Havana, Cuba, is fluent in Spanish and English. His parents, refugees who fled Castro's Cuba in 1961, came to this country with one suitcase, two children and eleven dollars. A Morehead and National Merit Scholar at the University of North Carolina, Mr. Castellanos lectures frequently internationally and in the United States, from Harvard University to the United States Army Communication School. He also appears frequently on CNN's 'Crossfire' and MSNBC's 'Head to Head'." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.centerforpolitics.org/programs/adc/2002_bios-panel1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[5]</a><hr style="text-align: left; height: 1px; color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border: 0px; margin: 0.2em 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; background-color: rgb(170, 170, 170);" /><h3 style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19.1875px; background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">SourceWatch Resources</h3><ul style="line-height: 19.1875px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.presidential_election,2004:Republican_Campaign_Ads" title="U.S. presidential election, 2004: Republican Campaign Ads" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. presidential election, 2004: Republican Campaign Ads</a></li></ul><h3 style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19.1875px; background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">External links</h3><ul style="line-height: 19.1875px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">John Egan, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/americas/2000/us_elections/election_news/923335.stm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"RATS ad: Subliminal conspiracy?,"</a> BBC/UK, September 13, 2000.</li><li style="text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Eric Boehlert, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/15/castellanos/index_np.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"Going negative. He's the father of the modern attack ad, and he's behind the Bush campaign's new wave of anti-Kerry spots. Alex Castellanos is known as vicious, irresponsible -- and effective,"</a>, Salon, March 15, 2004.</li></ul>==According to The Washington Post, Citizens for Better Medicare is abandoning its 527 tax status in part to avoid the recent disclosure law enacted last summer. Its re-organizing itself as a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization. CBM reported no contributions to the IRS for the third quarter, but did report spending $8.5 million during this period, with almost the entire amount going to National Media, a Republican broadcast media production firm in Alexandria, Virginia. Alex Castellanos, a strong-arm in the political advertising world, heads National Media. Castellanos’ previous clients include the Republican Party, Senator Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and George Bush’s 1992 presidential campaign.

===

Citizens for Better Medicare (CBM) calls itself "a grassroots organization representing the interests of patients, seniors, disabled Americans, large and small businesses, pharmaceutical research companies and many others concerned with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Medicare" title="Medicare">Medicare</a> reform." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_Citizen" title="Public Citizen">Public Citizen</a> calls it "a collection of shills, seedy direct-mail operatives and industry-funded research and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lobby_group" title="Lobby group">lobby groups</a> working in tight coordination with the drug lobby."

A coalition founded and largely financed by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pharmaceutical_industry" title="Pharmaceutical industry">pharmaceutical industry</a>, CBM has sponsored television and newspaper ads that lobby against efforts to add a drug benefit to Medicare. Several ads feature "Flo," an arthritic bowler who warns Congress not to let "big government" into her medicine cabinet. Another ad portrays a tour bus en route from Canada to the US in search of a better deal on prescription drugs. (Actually, US citizens, in large numbers, cross the borders - often on special bus tours - to Canada and Mexico to buy drugs.)

In her book The Truth About the Drug Companies, Dr. Marcia Angell writes:

<dl>

<dd style="text-align: left;">Formed in 1999, the group spent an estimated $65 million in the 1999-200 election campaign fighting against any form of drug price regulation. Its executive director, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tim_Ryan" title="Tim Ryan">Tim Ryan</a>, had been <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=PhRMA" title="PhRMA" class="mw-redirect">PhRMA</a>'s advertising director. Members of the "coalition" also had ties to big pharma. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=United_Seniors_Association" title="United Seniors Association" class="mw-redirect">United Seniors Association</a> (USA--get it?), for instance, spent about $18 million on "issue ads" in the 2002 election, all of which supported PhRMA positions. Reportedly, its ads were put together by none other than Tim Ryan. (p. 201)</dd>

</dl>

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a href="javascript:toggleToc()" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>]</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Better_Medicare#Personnel">1 Personnel</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Better_Medicare#Funding">2 Funding</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Better_Medicare#Contact_Information">2.1 Contact Information</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Better_Medicare#Articles_.26_sources">3 Articles & sources</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Better_Medicare#SourceWatch_articles">3.1 SourceWatch articles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Better_Medicare#External_articles">3.2 External articles</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2 style="text-align: left;">Personnel</h2>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;">CBM's original director was <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tim_Ryan" title="Tim Ryan">Tim Ryan</a>, a former marketing director for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pharmaceutical_Research_and_Manufacturers_of_America" title="Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a> (PhRMA).</li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Nona_Wegner&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nona Wegner (page does not exist)">Nona Wegner</a> is CBM's current executive director and a registered lobbyists for the group. Wegner has represented other industry <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Front_groups" title="Front groups">front groups</a> including the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Seniors_Coalition" title="Seniors Coalition" class="mw-redirect">Seniors Coalition</a> and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Council_for_Affordable_Health_Insurance" title="Council for Affordable Health Insurance">Council for Affordable Health Insurance</a>.</li>

</ul>

<h2 style="text-align: left;">Funding</h2>

According to the CBM web site, "Members of Citizens for Better Medicare include the:

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kidney_Cancer_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kidney Cancer Association (page does not exist)">Kidney Cancer Association</a></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pharmaceutical_Research_and_Manufacturers_of_America" title="Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce" title="U.S. Chamber of Commerce">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=United_Seniors_Association" title="United Seniors Association" class="mw-redirect">United Seniors Association</a></li>

</ul>

as well as more than 300,000 individual supporters.<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20011021125922/www.bettermedicare.org/who/" class="external autonumber" title="http://web.archive.org/web/20011021125922/www.bettermedicare.org/who/" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>

Public Citizen says that PhRMA "budgeted at least $65 million for television advertising since July 1999" through CBM.

<h3 style="text-align: left;">Contact Information</h3>

<div style="text-align: left;">P.O. Box 34337</div><div style="text-align: left;">Washington, DC 20043</div><div style="text-align: left;">Phone: 202-872-8627</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fax: 1-800-767-7198</div>

<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.bettermedicare.org" class="external free" title="http://www.bettermedicare.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.bettermedicare.org</a></div>

<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20010926121051/www.bettermedicare.org/" class="external free" title="http://web.archive.org/web/20010926121051/www.bettermedicare.org/" rel="nofollow" /><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20010926121051/www.bettermedicare.org/" class="external free" title="http://web.archive.org/web/20010926121051/www.bettermedicare.org/" rel="nofollow">http://web.archive.org/web/20010926121051/www.bettermedicare.org/</a></div>

<h2 style="text-align: left;">Articles & sources</h2>

<h3 style="text-align: left;">SourceWatch articles</h3>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pharmaceutical_industry" title="Pharmaceutical industry">Pharmaceutical industry</a></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Health_care" title="Health care" class="mw-redirect">Health care</a></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Astroturf" title="Astroturf">Astroturf</a></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Astroturf_Marketing" title="Astroturf Marketing">Astroturf Marketing</a></li>

</ul>

<h3 style="text-align: left;">External articles</h3>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;">John McCoy, "<a href="http://www.citizen.org/congress/reform/drug_industry/contribution/articles.cfm?ID=4538" class="external text" title="http://www.citizen.org/congress/reform/drug_industry/contribution/articles.cfm?ID=4538" rel="nofollow">Citizens for Better Medicare: The Truth Behind the Drug Industry's Deception of America's Seniors</a>", Public Citizen, June 2000.</li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=APCO_Worldwide" title="APCO Worldwide">APCO Worldwide</a>, "<a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/holmestemp/story.cfm?edit_id=324&typeid=4" class="external text" title="http://www.holmesreport.com/holmestemp/story.cfm?edit_id=324&typeid=4" rel="nofollow">Citizens for Better Medicare</a>, The Holmes Report, undated, accessed December 2004.</li>

<li style="text-align: left;">Thomas B. Edsall, "High Drug Prices Return as Issue That Stirs Voters," Washington Post, October 15, 2002, A8.</li>

<li style="text-align: left;">Bob Young and Michael Surrusco, <a href="http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/articles.cfm?ID=6537" class="external text" title="http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/articles.cfm?ID=6537" rel="nofollow">"Other Drug War"</a>, Public Citizen Congress Watch, July 2001</li>

<li style="text-align: left;">Larry Lipman, "Political Groups Woo Seniors," Atlanta Journal and Constitution, November 1, 2002, 17A.</li>

</ul>

<div id="mw-normal-catlinks" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Front_groups_portal" title="Category:Front groups portal">Front groups portal</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Lobby_group" title="Category:Lobby group">Lobby group</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:United_States" title="Category:United States">United States</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Pharmaceutical_fronts" title="Category:Pharmaceutical fronts">Pharmaceutical fronts</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Consumer_fronts" title="Category:Consumer fronts">Consumer fronts</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Politics_%28US%29" title="Category:Politics (US)">Politics (US)</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Pharmaceutical_industry" title="Category:Pharmaceutical industry">Pharmaceutical industry</a></div><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" style="text-align: left;">
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