TheVanguard.Org

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The Vanguard.Org was launched in March 2006 as an organization by founder and Chairman Rod D. Martin as a challenge to MoveOn.org. [1] The web address dates to May 1998.

The organization has "a top-drawer cast, including Silicon Valley heavy-hitters like Eric Jackson (a former PayPal colleague of Martin's, where he was head of marketing) and Gil Amelio (former CEO of two Fortune 500 companies, including Apple Computer) (bio), among others," Stephanie Dube wrote January 17, 2007, for Human Events Online. Many of TheVanguard's staff and advisors are members of the secretive conservative group the Council for National Policy.

Martin "has both entrepreneurial—he worked for the Internet commerce site PayPal—and movement experience—he is a member of the Federalist Society and the secretive Council on National Policy among other far right groups," Bill Berkowitz wrote February 28, 2007, for Inter Press Service.

In 1999, Martin was the Executive Director of the Eagle Forum of Arkansas. [2]

Martin "holds Life Memberships in Gun Owners of America and the National Rifle Association and 'also serves as Executive Vice President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) (web), on the Board of Governors of the Council for National Policy, and as a member of The Arlington Group'," Berkowitz wrote February 5, 2007, for Media Transparency. Martin also served as Director of Policy Planning and Research for Arkansas Governor and GOP2008 presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.

"But it is far from an all-California show," Dube wrote. "Americans for Tax Reform founder Grover Norquist is on its board too, as are Club for Growth founder (and current Wall Street Journal editorial board member) Stephen Moore, famed actress Jane Russell, direct-mail pioneer Walt Longyear, 'compassionate conservatism' guru Marvin Olasky, even Reagan Doctrine-architect Jack Wheeler. Martin refuses to confirm or deny rumors that Jerome Corsi—co-author of 2004's 'Unfit for Command,' which irreparably damaged John Kerry's presidential hopes—has signed on for a similar effort against" Hillary Clinton.

Corsi also "assisted" Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in its smear campaign against Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. [3]

Another "new employee is Richard Poe, a longtime journalist and former employee of conservative provocateur/entrepreneur David Horowitz, who is the group's editorial and creative director," Berkowitz wrote. "Poe recently co-authored, with Horowitz, The Shadow Party: How George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Sixties Radicals Seized Control of the Democratic Party, a book that accuses liberals of using deception, lies, and Soros' dough to take over the country.

"Poe has also been a close observer of Hillary Clinton, having penned Hillary's Secret War, which according to the author, describes 'how Hillary Clinton and the left's 'shadow government' have laboured to put her and her far-left agenda in the White House by controlling the still-uncensored flow of real news to Americans -- via the Internet'," Berkowitz wrote.

"Martin and gang don't come from the 'kinder gentler' school of conservatism. These are hardball players backed by the requisite hardball rhetoric," Berkowitz wrote.

The Name and the Mission

TheVanguard.Org home page states:

"Let's Take the Fight to MoveOn
"Founded by some of Silicon Valley's most successful conservatives, TheVanguard.Org is here to take the battle to the enemy. Read more about how we're going to fix the Republicans and beat the Democrats in 2008, and be part of our Plan for Victory."

"If TheVanguard.org sounds familiar," Stephanie Dube wrote January 17, 2007, for Human Events Online, "it is: Martin's earlier, all-volunteer Vanguard Policy Action Council, has been around for years. And the name has deeper origins still. 'It comes from Lenin’s description of the Communist Party as the vanguard of the revolution,' he says. 'We're tweaking the left; we're also asserting the revolution of Washington and Madison.'"

"At present, there are several noteworthy things about TheVanguard.org," Bill Berkowitz wrote February 28, 2007, for Inter Press Service: "the origin of its name; its stated goal to both emulate and take on MoveOn.org; its mix of Silicon Valley pedigree and fundraising sources with veteran movement conservatives; its weaving of so-called traditional religious principles with secular conservatism; and its hiring of dedicated slash-and-burn right-wing ideologues."

About TheVanguard.Org

The Vanguard.Org describes itself as "an online community of Americans who believe in conservative values, the free market and limited government as the best means to bring hope and ever-increasing opportunity to everyone, especially the poorest among us. We empower regular people to exercise their rights and fulfill their civic responsibilities, by organizing with them for effective action; by training candidates and citizens in the nuts and bolts of how to win; and by promoting policy ideas calculated to reshape America and the globe." [4]

Senior Leadership Team

The following are listed as members of the organization's senior leadership team (biographical links on page): [5]

Board of Advisors

The Vanguard.Org board of advisors includes (biographical links on page): [6]

Former Personnel

The following were previously listed as members of the organization's staff or advisory board (it is not clear whether these were employed by TheVanguard.Org or by Vanguard PAC):

Contact Information

1099 Forest Lake
Niceville, Florida 32578
Phone: 850 729-0401
FAX: 501 421-9720
Email: Vanguard AT TheVanguard.Org


Note: The mailing address was found for Rod D. Martin on the Republican National Lawyers Association website and posted by ArriveNet.com, which also provides article links dating to June 1, 2004.

Related SourceWatch/Congresspedia Resources

External links

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