Udall attack ads tied to Swift Boat, Willie Horton team

Our sister site, the Iowa Independent, has an eye-popping investigative report detailing the The American Future Fund (AFF), the Iowa-based GOP group that is behind radio and TV ads attacking numerous closely contested congressional races across the country, including radio and TV attacks on U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall here in Colorado. Keep reading for details on the group, whose key players were behind the Swift Boat and Willie Horton ads.

A network of Iowa Republicans is playing a leading role in a secretive group advocating nationally on behalf of “conservative and free market ideals” in congressional races around the country. Among the group’s leaders are two media consultants who played key roles in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads in 2004 and the Willie Horton ad in 1988, both of which helped defeat Democratic presidential candidates …

The American Future Fund (AFF), operating out of Des Moines, is sponsoring advocacy advertisements in closely contested congressional races from New York to Louisiana to Minnesota and Colorado. It is one of the most ambitious conservative independent expenditure groups to emerge in 2008 …

… In July, it ran radio ads asking Colorado voters to call U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, and “tell him to stop delaying energy exploration.” Last week, AFF launched a television ad critical of Udall’s stance on domestic oil exploration.

Click here to read the full report from the Iowa Independent, including other races across the country that have been targeted by the American Future Fund.