Meet the ‘Pacaderms for Progress’

I don’t know much about them beyond what I’ve outlined below, but I’ve submitted an interview request — pending which, you might consider this post a placeholder or bookmark on a “group to watch.”

In a press release dated today, the Pacaderms bill themselves as “a new breed of 527.” Their Web site provides some additional (though admittedly vague) background, for instance: The organization “is a non-partisan group of citizens who have come together to advocate a change in the divisive nature of national politics” … is “not affiliated with a political party or any political candidate” … and aims “to forward common sense ideas in a non-partisan environment.”

Via their Web site we also learn that — while non-partisan — the group was likely initiated by moderate Republicans seeking cross-aisle collaboration; hence the word-play on “pachyderm” (e.g., an elephant, the symbol of the GOP). I’m assuming “progress” is a nod to Democrats/progressives, though the Web site does not claim as much.

I’m further assuming Tony Campbell is involved in this group. Tony is the press officer for Republicans for Obama (RFO) and I had the pleasure of interviewing him earlier this year. I suspect Tony is involved because the listed blog for the group contains a number of posts identical to those Tony occasionally posts on his RFO blog, with the same pseudonym “acspark” listed as the author in both places.

More later.