CNN 2011-12-31

 The campaign for liberty advocates a cut in government spending,shutting down the IRS and a non-interventionist foreign policy,sound familiar? It mirrors the platform of Ron Paul who is now the GOP front runner in Iowa.Paul founded the campaign for liberty in 2008.Since then,the non-profit has been hard at work drumming up ground support for Paul's ideas in_state.It's also what the IRS calls a 501C4 group,which is tax exempt 1 and able to raise unlimited 2 amount of donations.They're supposed to be involved in quotesocial welfare.That term has been stretched in the political world.I mean,basically,we are talking about political entities,now they can be primarily partisan 3,but the part that's partisan is very partisan.Political non-profits have been around for a while,advocating issues,examples,the_and the Sierra club,but a new crop of 501C4 promotes the ideas of candidates.Priorities USA touts 4 the policies of President Obama.Crossroads GPS was started by former President Bush advisor 5 Crok.Its goalwhipping democrats 6 with ads like this one,targeting Nebraska senate Ben Nelson.that critical 60 votes,Ben Nelson,Ben Nelson,senate Ben Nelson.Here's the key:non-profits unlike political action committes,don't have to disclose their donor 7 list.Democracy 21,a non-partisan open government watchdog group has written letters to the IRS,arguing 4 non-profits,Crossroads GPS,the American action network,Americans-elect and priorities USA should have their status revoked 8.A number of these organizations are claiming tax exempt status and ripping off tax code for the purpose of raising secret money and spending it in our elections.We contacted the groups,they all said they followed the law,priorities USA saying quoteour organization operates in compliance 9 with all federal rules and regulations enforced by the IRS.A spokesman for crossroads GPS dismissing Democracy 21's complaint saying it wants the IRS to overturn 200 years worth of camping finance laws and precedence and no one is listening.But_with Democracy 21 says political non-profits are on the slippery slope.We're having secret money,unlimited money being raised and spent in federal elections,secret money,unlimited money is the most dangerous kind of money in our politics,it has led to corruption 10 and scandals before and it will do so again.These non-profit groups can be very influential 11.Crossroads GPS the Crok's group,announced it was spending 500,000 dollars on ads in senate Ben Nelson's homestate to convince him not to run for re-election.We don't know if there's a cause and effect but this week,Nelson announced his retirement 12.CNN Washington