Awesome super PACs you've never heard of

[IIOY]

I'm going to start the Chocolate Is A Vegetable PAC, the Kwitcherpeein' In The Pool PAC, the Christian Bale Is Mine, Bitches! PAC and, of course, the Death Panels PAC. From the WSJ:

WASHINGTON—Big new super PACs, such as American Crossroads and Priorities USA Action, are raking in millions of dollars and playing a leading role in the 2012 election.

The same can't be said, however, about the Joe Six PAC.

Or the Bringin' Sexy PAC, or the Talkin' Smack PAC. And certainly not the Slam Dunks, Fireworks and Eagles super PAC, which promotes the idea that the nation's political and fiscal problems could be solved with beer.

These might be called the not-so-super PACs, and regular people across the country have formed more than 600 of them in the two years since the Supreme Court allowed them to proliferate. They tend to have little money and even less focus.

The amateur super PACs are run by some unlikely figures, including eccentric entrepreneurs and bored teenagers. Unlike their well-heeled counterparts formed to promote specific candidates or parties, most of these PACs have missions that are a lot less mainstream.

The Rauhmel Fox Is for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow super PAC, for example, wants to combat any plan politicians in Washington may be secretly hatching to sell off Alaska, Hawaii and the original Louisiana Purchase to pay down the national debt.

"There's nothing in the Constitution that says you have to be 50 states," says Rauhmel Fox, the founder. If his super PAC manages to raise any money, Mr. Fox says, he would create after-school programs to teach teenagers about the potential sale of territories and other civics issues.

Like the more conventional super PACs, the lesser-known ones ballooned after the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case, which allowed companies and labor unions to use their own funds to pay for campaign commercials. Prior to the decision, such advertisements had to be paid for with money from individuals or volunteer donations from employees and members.

The court's decision is widely considered to have launched the super PAC era by allowing groups to raise unlimited sums of money from companies and unions to pay for television ads and other campaign activities.

Subsequently, Karl Rove, a White House political director in President George W. Bush's administration, helped launch American Crossroads, a Republican super PAC that hopes to raise $300 million along with a sister organization.

Pro-Obama group Priorities USA Action and its sister organization hope to raise $100 million.

But one doesn't need anything like that kind of money to start a super PAC, which can be created by anyone of any age.

In fact, the Federal Election Commission's website features a helpful start-up guide. Individuals fill out a four-page form declaring that they have created a super PAC and have a bank account or safe deposit box.

"It's easier than renewing your driver's license at the DMV; you don't even have to wait in line," says William McGinley, an election lawyer with the firm Patton Boggs.

Once a super PAC is created, it is free to collect whatever money it can, to spend however it sees fit, to promote whatever cause it espouses, as long as the spending isn't coordinated with candidates.

Some have real goals for fixing Washington and changing the world. Others were created simply to mock the institution of super PACs.

Playing off the Citizens United decision, Andy Gillstrap created Citizens Benighted to highlight the downsides of super PACs, and he plans to spend any money raised to elect members of Congress who want to reform the campaign-finance system.

So far he has raised $46.18.

Several of the super PAC knockoffs were inspired by comedian Stephen Colbert, who created a buzz last year when he founded the Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow super PAC to mock the Supreme Court's decision and what Mr. Colbert contends is its invitation for big money to play an even bigger role in politics.

Thus, Stefani Jones, a Duke University political science major, and two friends created the Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Yesterday super PAC. "We want to look into time-travel research, platforms of candidates of yesterday because we think that that's truly the best way that we can influence tomorrow," Ms. Jones says.

Her group plans on having a lemonade stand and bake sale this fall to raise money. She would like her PAC to partner with Mr. Colbert.

"We could have a Better Tomorrow and a Better Yesterday, teaming up together, we could really, truly champion a better today," she says.

The Howard Stern Fans for a Baba Booey Tomorrow, Tomorrow PAC hopes to raise money for "a huge block party."

Meanwhile, student Daniel Bassali says he plans to use any money he raises in his Slam Dunks, Fireworks and Eagles super PAC to sponsor events at which members of Congress can partake in a pastime more popular on college campuses: drinking beer. Frequent bipartisan happy hours will promote more friendly relations across partisan lines, he believes.

Defying convention, Mr. Bassali says that throwing back a few adult beverages could promote fiscal responsibility.

"In college, when you have a problem with someone in your fraternity, you sit down and have a beer with them and talk it out," says Mr. Bassali. "We think members of Congress can do the same thing."

Several have been launched by students simply looking for more inventive ways to waste time. "For some students, that's playing beer pong," says Anthony Kao, one of the founders of Joe Six PAC. "For us it's starting a super PAC. We're not really advocating anything."

[UMaineTeach]

so do you pay tax on super PAC funds? or can I launder money through one, or avoid gift taxes and claim I am using the money to raise awareness of sad puppies and the only action I take is mailing a flyer of a sad puppy to my senator while buying myself a sweet house?