Senate Majority Project

The Senate Majority Project is a 527 committee Democratic organization promoting Democratic control of the U.S. Senate.

The Project, which launched officially on March 2, 2006, is a political action committee formed with the backing of former Senate Leader Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota), who lost his bid for re-election in 2002. 

The Project was formed with the help of "veteran" Democratic Party "operative" Jim Jordan and Steve Ricchetti and Mike Gehrke, "two high-level staff members" under President Bill Clinton. 

The aim of the new "political advocacy group" is to "[create] a clearinghouse of opposition-research information against all Senate Republicans." Daschle "and other Democrats" plan "to collect and disseminate political information critical of all GOP senators, not just the handful of vulnerable incumbents whom Democrats have targeted this year. The project is the first concerted attempt by Democrats to create a permanent opposition-research arm focusing on all Republicans." 

"The project's leaders say their model is the GOP's vast opposition-research campaigns run at the national and state level, which dig up Democrats' votes and positions on controversial issues, then use the information as political weapons well before Election Day." 

Background
The Project dates to October 31, 2005, as the Senate Majority Project Blogspot begun by Mike Gehrke, who worked for presidential candidate John Kerry during the 2004 election and is a former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) aide. 

Mission
The Senate Majority Project states that its mission is "to increase the accountability of the majority of U.S. Senators" by "actively monitor[ing] issues before the U.S. Senate, and closely review the public actions and positions of Republican Senators -- votes, statements, fundraising, and outside-of-Washington activities. Rather than campaigning for or against a particular senator," the Project states that it "aim[s] to provide a balance to the taxpayer-paid propaganda that too often is unchallenged by either national or local media." 

Funding
"The group received hundreds of thousands of dollars in seed money last year primarily from Democrat-friendly labor unions and trial lawyers, according to IRS data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. The organization expects to spend about $800,000 a year, according to a brochure mailed to prospective donors. The group wants to raise an additional $1.5 million for ads about Republican senators, project leaders say." 

Categories

 * Agriculture
 * Budget
 * Education
 * Environment
 * Ethics/Corruption
 * Health Care
 * Iraq and Terrorism
 * NH Phone Jamming
 * Social Security
 * Supreme Court and Judiciary

Project Team

 * Mike Gehrke, Executive Director
 * Joe Hansen
 * Jim Jordan
 * Steve Ricchetti
 * Diana Rogalle
 * Christy Setzer, Project spokeswoman and communications director

Contact Information
Senate Majority Project 235 Mass Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone: 202 204-9054 Website: http://www.senatemajority.com

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * soft money
 * U.S. congressional elections in 2006
 * U.S. presidential election, 2008

Profiles

 * Federal 527 Organizations in 2005 (>$10,000 in contributions) and Federal 527 Organizations Jan. 1, 2005 - March 31, 2006, Campaign Finance Institute.

2005

 * Chris Cillizza, "527 Aims for Six-Year Drumbeat on Senate GOP," Roll Call, June 23, 2005. Subscription required.
 * The Note, ABC News, September 7, 2005.
 * Chris Cillizza, "Majority Blogging," Washington Post/The Fix Blog, November 1, 2005.

2006

 * Rick Klein, "Democratic group targets Senate GOP. Daschle aiding project to gather, spread criticism," Boston Globe, March 2, 2006.
 * Mike Gehrke, "Allard Accuses A Senator of Siding With Terrorists," Senate Majority Project, March 14, 2006.
 * Liz Ruskin, "Democratic group blasts Stevens. Unlikely ally: Alaska environmentalist supports senator's efforts," Anchorage Daily News (Trout Unlimited), March 27, 2006. re Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
 * "Group files FOIA for Justice Dept. findings on White House involvement in 'phone-jamming scandal'," The Raw Story, April 18, 2006.
 * "Liberal group files Abramoff complaint in New Hampshire," The Raw Story, May 4, 2006.
 * The Note, ABC News, June 24, 2006.