October 10, 2011

Why Rick Perry is Slamming Romneycare Today

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So Rick Perry has a new ad up that slams Romneycare in about the same apocalyptic tones you’d normally use to advertise a movie about a zombie invasion of the world. Perry’s ad, of course, is plainly not meant to influence the upcoming primaries, which are still months away. It’s meant to create a mini-feud on the day before a Republican debate, thus prompting the debate moderators to mention it, or maybe play a clip, and then demand that Romney address Perry’s blast.

I guess this is legit. And it’s not as if the subject probably wouldn’t come up anyway. But I just thought it was worth a note. This is one of the ways that primary battles are waged in the brave new era of YouTube and the endless debate. Creating teensy little controversies right before each confrontation is all part of the game nowadays.

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From the desk of Mother Jones CEO, Monika Bauerlein...

Newsrooms can be funded in many ways. One of the most controversial (and volatile) ways is by a for-profit corporation or a billionaire owner. We see it across the headlines on a weekly basis: the claw backs in public media, the gutting of The Washington Post, the bending over backwards to appeal to Trump and his allies.

But not here.

When Mother Jones first started publishing 50 years ago, our founders made a critical decision: to be a reader-supported nonprofit. They knew that no corporate owner would be interested in a muckraking newsroom; they also knew that no muckraking newsroom would be interested in following the agenda of a corporate owner.

And so, we’ve been reader-funded for half a century. We rely on contributions from our readers—readers like you—whether it’s $50, or $15 a month, or whatever fits your budget. People give what they can, and every donation makes a difference for our newsroom, which has grown tremendously—in size and reach and renown—since its inception in 1976.

You may be wondering: What does it take to publish an investigation? And what does my donation actually fund? The answers are one and the same: It takes people, resources, and time. And that’s what your donation funds directly.

Every donation Mother Jones receives from readers fortifies our newsroom, whether we’re covering underreported scandals out of Washington, DC, or the most important news of the day. And right now, each donation will be doubled because of our $50,000 match. So when you make a donation—$5, $50, any amount—it’ll go twice as far.

Your support keeps us going. If you’re able, donate today.

Thanks for reading.

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