Laborers’ Local 663 hosted a meet the Democratic Party candidates event in Odessa, Missouri this afternoon. For a portion of the event a campaign tracker (with video camera) from the right wingnut America Rising LLC stood by the entrance filming.

America Rising LLC | PAC | America Rising Squared | Definers Public Affairs

….America Rising LLC and America Rising PAC were founded in Spring of 2013, in response to perceived Democratic superiority in the field of opposition research. The related but distinct corporate entities are both commonly referred to as America Rising, and the entities are often confused….

[….]

….The America Rising joint enterprise was founded as an opposition research shop described by the Wall Street Journal as “the unofficial research arm of the Republican Party.” America Rising PAC describes itself as “an organization on the right for the sole purpose of exposing the truth about Democrats through video tracking, research, and communications,” and spends its time attacking democrats, progressives and environmentalists.

America Rising co-founder Matt Rhoades previously worked for DCI Group and was Mitt Romney’s campaign manager for the Republican nominee’s failed 2012 presidential bid. America Rising’s other co-founder Joe Pounder is a long-time Republican strategist and opposition researcher, and a former research director at the Republican National Committee….

We were there, too, so we thought we’d talk to him:

Show Me Progress: Hey, how are you doing?

Tracker: Good, how are you?

Show Me Progress: So, are you a tracker?

Tracker: Uh…yes.

Show Me Progress: Yeah, so who are you with?

Tracker: America Rising LLC.

Show Me Progress: America Rising LLC. [….] I’m with Show Me Progress. Okay. So do you, do you go around to different Democratic events or are you following a particular candidate? [pause – blank grin on the face of the tracker] You don’t, yeah, they’re, they don’t want you to talk about it. [….] Well, have fun, whatever.

Tracker: Yeah, enjoy the event. [crosstalk] Heh.

Show Me Progress: Yeah. [raise camera for photo, tracker raises video camera] Yeah, go ahead and, and track, that’s awesome. [shutter click] Have a good day.

Tracker: You, too, sir.

Whatever they’re paying their trackers isn’t enough. Trackers should organize for better pay, better working conditions, health benefits and retirement. That tracking stuff probably gets old really fast.

Previously:

Campaign Tracker: the worst job in politics and you still have to wear a suit (March 18, 2010)