Repug Presidential Candidates...Real ALEC or ALEC-ish?

Somebody asked in a comment - what do you know about the Republican primary candidates?
Well.... there have been so many of them and more waiting in the wings - I don't know if we will ever be able to keep up with this bunch of whackos.  I've probably missed someone - because following the debates is not on my list of things to do.

Last night I went through my ALEC documents and this is what I found on the list of people who keep popping up in the news.

I would suggest you look at their campaign webpage.   If it has the talking points of the American Legislative Exchange Council - then that's the political party they are representing.


1.Newt Gingrich:

ü      Confirmed ALEC Alumni

ü      Was one of the people who worked on the ALEC's 1983-84 Source Book of American State Legislation

ü      Keynote Speaker ALEC's 1994 National Orientation Conference.

ü      Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2007 34th Annual Meeting

ü      Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2008 States & Nation Policy Summit,

ü      Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2009 States & Nation Policy Summit,

ü      Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2009 36th Annual Meeting

ü      Winner of the 1995 Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award

ü      Quoted in the legacy membership brochure ($5,000)

“The remarkable achievements of ALEC’s members... deserve much applause and recognition. Since 1973, ALEC members have been key leaders in state government, responsible for pioneering legislation inspired by the legacy of our honored Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. For a quarter of a century, through advancing Jefferson’s ideas, you have been stalwart in your effort to revitalize the original American dream as intended by our Founders. ALEC members have helped reinforce my continuing optimism for the future of our great nation. ~ Newt Gingrich

2.Herman Cain

ü      Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2009 36th Annual Meeting

ü      1994, President, National Restaurant Association– an ALEC Corporate Sector Member

3.Ron Paul

ü      Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul (R)TX introduced the Family Education Freedom Act of 2007 (H.R. 1056), which would allow dollar-for-dollar tax credits for tuition paid to private elementary and secondary schools up to a cap of $5,000 per student.

The name of the ALEC legislation that does the same thing is the:

Family Education Tax Credit Program Act

4.Chris Christie:

ü      Written up in the 2011 State Budget Reform Toolkit

“Similarly, the New Jersey Privatization Task Force—created by Gov. Chris Christie under an early executive order— released a report in July 2010 identifying 40 specific privatization opportunities across state government, with an estimated annual savings of over $200 million. Notably, the New Jersey Privatization Task Force also recommended that finding efficiency through private sector competition should become standard policy for all state agencies.”

ALEC “model legislation” for this would be:

The Council for Efficient Government Act 

(The establishment of a “privatization task force”

And the

Government Services Competition Act

(for privatizing government services)

5.Tim Pawlenty: 

ü      A keynote Speaker at the ALEC 2008 Annual Meeting

6.Haley Barbour: 

ü      ALEC Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award – 2006

7.Mitch Daniels:

ü      ALEC’s Rich States Poor States has this quote:

As we highlight throughout this publication, states do not make policy changes inside a vacuum. If anyone doubts this phenomenon, they should take a drive to the Michigan-Indiana state line, where Gov. Mitch Daniels has put up a billboard that reads: “Come on IN for lower taxes, business and housing costs.”

ü      Keynote speaker at ALEC’s 2008 States & Nation Policy Summit

ü      He is the cover of Inside ALEC April 2011 - with an article written by him

8.Jon Huntsman:

ü      Wrote the foreword to ALEC’s 2009 report Rich States, Poor States

ü      School choice history was made February 12 [2007], when Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. signed the Parent Choice in Education Act making the state the first in the United States to boast universal eligibility for public-school students to receive tuition scholarships for private schools.

There are FOUR versions of ALEC’s  “Parent Choice in Education Act”

ü      Wrote the following recommendation for the 2010 report Rich States Poor States

ü      “The second edition of Rich States, Poor States is a valuable resource to those charged with understanding fiscal policy and enacting change. In times of change, it is essential to understand the perspectives from which other states are making decisions, especially as policy-makers determine the best path forward for their respective states.”

9.John Thune

ü      While most action this year by the executive and legislative branches on government management has so far been opposed to competitive sourcing and privatization, a bill sponsored by Sen. John Thune (R–SD) and Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R–TN) would codify a policy of ensuring fair competition between government employees and private-sector vendors for services deemed to be commercial in nature.

Sounds a lot like the ALEC legislation named:

Government Services Competition Act

(for privatizing government services)

10.Jim DeMint

ü      Statement in the introduction to the 2010 report Rich States Poor States

“Washington’s big-government takeovers, power grabs, regulations, mandates, higher taxes, and bailouts have put state budgets in shambles. Rich States, Poor States is an essential guide for states to preserve their constitutional rights and fiscal sovereignty in the face of an ever-encroaching federal government.” U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina

11.Michele Bachmann
This one is kinda of an enigma when it comes to ALEC.  I have not been able to find anything that would suggest that she is a member - YET - I have heard media refer to her as a member, I have seen discussions on MN state research pages talk about an issue she had with 2005 ALEC expenses she reported to the state (which I can not find backup to support) - so is she?  That's good question - probably should check Marcus' checkbook.
12.Rick Perry

  ü  Keynote speaker ALEC Annual Meeting 2010

13.Mitt Romney
Nov 05, 2007 -- Boston, MA – Today, Paul Weyrich, Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation announced his support for Governor Mitt Romney and his campaign to be our country's next President. Paul Weyrich is one of the premier leaders in the conservative movement, having founded the Heritage Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Scouring my volumes of ALEC documents - I can't find any reference to these folks. 

1. Mike Huckabee
2. Mike Pence 
3. Gary Johnson   
4. Donald Trump 
5. Rick Santorum
6. Sarah Palin