Anti-TEA Party GOP PAC funded by Labor Unions

The anti-TEA Party GOP PAC Republican Main Street Partnership has been exposed. The Partnership mission states, “Main Street is aligned with the governing wing of the Republican Party and centrist policy makers.” Click here to see who are the RMSP members.

Former Ohio Representative Steve LaTourette (pictured above) is the President and CEO of RMSP. LaTourette was one of only seven Republicans who voted “NO” on a measure introduced in the US House of Representatives to strip all government funding from NPR.

In a meeting with transit advocates, LaTourette disparaged fellow legislators, referring to them as “knuckledraggers that came in in the last election that hate taxes,” due to their reluctance to even consider revenue as part of a compromise to extend the debt ceiling.

LaTourette was one of only two Republicans (along with Scott Rigell of Virginia) who voted against a motion to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in criminal contempt of Congress, though he did vote to bring civil charges against Holder, for his handling of the Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal.

But who are those funding this “GOP PAC”?

Eric Odom of Liberty News reports, “One major new group, Republican Main Street Partnership, has openly declared war on conservatives. It was one thing when it was just known as moderates fighting to keep their thrones, but it’s another when you look at who is bankrolling their efforts.”

Odom found:

The Republican Main Street Partnership has emerged as an outspoken, deep-pocketed player in pro-business GOP plans to beat back tea-party challengers next year. But the group’s new super PAC has an unexpected source for its seed money: labor unions.

The super PAC, called Defending Main Street, has not yet submitted a major donor disclosure to the Federal Election Commission. But documents filed by other groups show that two labor organizations, the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Laborers’ International Union of North America, directed a combined $400,000 to the Republican group in September and October.

Main Street says it has raised roughly $2 million total between its super PAC and an affiliated nonprofit group so far—and that means labor has supplied at least 20 percent of those funds.

“In other words, liberal Republicans can’t beat conservatives without labor union support? If that’s the case then what exactly is the point of having a Republican party?” asks Odom.