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Rep. Chris Cannon has started a new political action committee called Eagle PAC. While Eagle PAC’s own description only mentions its intent to suport “smaller government, individual freedom and the security of our nation”, The Politico reports that Eagle PAC is unique in targeting Mormon donors who wish to support candidates who share “Mormon values.”
The goal of Eagle PAC, which will start fundraising later this year, is to spread Mormon political contributions across campaigns, said a Mormon church member familiar with the PAC’s creation.
“If it only goes to other Mormon candidates, that doesn’t accomplish that much,” said the church member, who did not want to be seen as speaking for the PAC. “Any community that wants its voice to be heard, unless you’re being heard by people who are not members of your community, you’re not being effective.”
Hunter said Eagle PAC will support viable Mormon candidates for Congress. But he and the church member said the PAC probably could get a better return by funding non-Mormon candidates who the PAC board members believe to be ideologically synched with Mormon values.
Although Mormons are not known to be big political donors, Eagle PAC purportedly hopes to capitalize on Mitt Romney’s fundraising success. While large donations may not result, a network may develop of like-minded conservatives who have traditionally not been politically engaged.
I am skeptical that outside of Utah, Mormons could make a substantial difference as a voting bloc or political base. The SL Tribune adds that Cannon hasn’t been a very big fundraiser and his chief of staff downplays the Mormon angle:
“The reality of it is that Chris Cannon is a Mormon from Utah and part of it is inherent in a leadership PAC that Chris Cannon would establish is that it would rely somewhat on trying to tap Mormons who are politically involved,” said Hunter, who is not Mormon. “That’s not the goal of it. The goal is to help get good guys elected to Congress.”
(Thanks, Article VI Blog)
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13 April 2007 at 3:40 pm
Dan
Why is Chris Cannon still a representative?
13 April 2007 at 7:37 pm
Jettboy
I think this shows two problems. The first is buying into the idea that Romney mostly got his funds from Mormons - he didn’t even get a quarter of it from them. The second is the reason those Mormons who gave did. They like Romney as both a person and as a potential President.
This is just a dumb idea.
13 April 2007 at 7:42 pm
David
I agree that if the PAC is truly supposed to mimic Romney’s success it’s a big assumption that any significant amount of Romney’s money came from mormons. The NY Times’ conspiracy theories notwithstanding.
And Trib did say that Cannon never was a very successful fundraiser.
18 April 2007 at 11:06 pm
Steve
Chris Cannon is a goofball.
Every couple years he gets the idea that he’ll head up some kind of massive political organization that will reshape politics — with him in charge of the money.
A couple examples:
* After the Clinton impeachment, he set up a PAC to raise money to defend the House impeachment managers (himself included) from attacks by the Clintons and their allies. It was a big flop.
* He tried to set up a company to provide services to congresman and tried to raise funds for the effort. He ended up getting sued by the company employees for not paying them.
This guy is a moron and delusional. He is an embarrassment to the Mormon community.
19 November 2008 at 12:46 am
Chino Blanco
Cannon (R-Utah) lost to his Republican challenger in the primary.
Did Eagle PAC somehow get re-purposed to support Prop 8?