A Final Look at State Politics - Monday, November 3, 2008 10:12 - 0 Comments

The third party smear machines

Folks in Alabama are asking what the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) is. They are also asking why are they interested in the Alabama Supreme Court race this year. For the uninformed amongst us, CFIC is a corporate-funded, tort-reform group that relies largely on negative campaign advertising leveled against Supreme Court candidates in states like Alabama. Founded in 1998, CFIF is little more than a store-front operation based outside Washington D.C. It’s run by a group of lobbyists, political operatives and corporate lawyers who refuse to disclose the organization’s donors. There is a very simple reason why it won’t say where its money comes from. Its funds come from the giant oil, insurance, and drug companies whose goal has been to destroy the civil justice system in this country. They are all interested in protecting themselves in litigation caused by their wrongdoing.

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