Obama Donor Starts Anti-Stimulus Campaign

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This Union Leader article was sent to us this morning from a ASO reader in Concord, New Hampshire:

A GRASSROOTS EFFORT. Fred Tausch of Nashua is a frustrated, well-to-do businessman who got tired of watching politicians of both parties spending taxpayers' money. And so, spending $100,000 of his own money, he's trying to do something about it.

In full-page ads today in this newspaper and others, in radio advertisements and on a new Web site, the 37-year-old entrepreneur and investment manager emerges onto the political scene to provide an avenue for others upset about the size of the stimulus package and likely more spending measures on the horizon.

Tausch is a registered independent who, after voting Republican for most of his life, supported Barack Obama in the last election, even contributing $2,300 to the cause.

Tausch said he "got excited about his message. There was not a lot of fiscal discipline in either party, and I thought that when Obama talked about change, he was including that he would be more cautious about how we spend money. And that's just not the case."

Tausch says the federal government should have a limited role in trying to turn around the economy. He supports tax cuts for "working class" families and government purchase of government-backed securities to stabilize the mortgage industry and "keep people in their homes."

But he said he considers much of the spending in the stimulus plan excessive and fears it will have "a profound effect on the American economy. We're responding to a bad financial situation by borrowing a tremendous amount of money and spending it in a way that I don't think will help the economy very much."

Tausch said he wanted to do something to express his opinion and provide a place for people to talk about government fiscal policy, regardless of their political leanings.

He started up an organization he is calling STEWARD, an acronym for Stimulate the Economy Without Accumulating Record Debt. Not the most streamlined group name we've ever heard, but unique.

The site contains a blog, a link to an explanation of the stimulus and several other sections including an "ideas center."

"If I can get people to participate in the process and help provide a voice to people who are concerned, maybe we can help those who represent New Hampshire understand that we care not only about this package but also about what will probably be continued dramatically increased federal spending in the future," he said.

Tausch said he has no interest in running for office, but is just "trying to play a role in the process."

Mr. Tausch's website may be found here.