Thread: Mark Zuckerberg immigration group’s status: Stumblin

Mark Zuckerberg immigration group’s status: Stumblin

Zuckerberg's founding group draws heavily from executives with Facebook connections. | AP Photo

By REID J. EPSTEIN | 4/4/13 10:42 PM EDT
Even the man who transformed social media can get into a messaging mess.
The immigration reform group that will be Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s entry into politics was supposed to launch as early as next week with a lot of fanfare, support and money — but the person leading the effort is already hitting unlike on its launch plan.

That plan, sent to board members and staff, was written by Joe Green — one of Zuckerberg’s Harvard roommates and the man the young billionaire tapped to lead his group. But before the group’s unveiling, Green has apologized for the plan’s phrasing and several claims which he now says aren’t right.
(Also on POLITICO: Business balks at immigration deal)
The prospectus, obtained Thursday by POLITICO, states that Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen are founding members of a group named “Human Capital” and details how the technology executives would use their companies to “control the avenues of distribution” for a political message in support of their efforts.
Under a section called “our tactical assets,” the prospectus lists three reasons why “people in tech” can be organized into “one of the most powerful political forces.”
“1: We control massive distribution channels, both as companies and individuals. We saw the tip of the iceberg with SOPA/PIPA.
“2: “Our voice carries a lot of weight because we are broadly popular with Americans.
“3. We have individuals with a lot of money. If deployed properly this can have huge influence in the current campaign finance environment.”
(Also on POLITICO: GOP reaches out to Silicon Valley)
Gates and Andreessen, however, are not yet signed on to the Zuckerberg group, according to a source familiar with its operation. The group will also not be operating under the name “Human Capital,” as Green advertised in the prospectus. And they’re now denying that the high-tech executives involved will use their companies to promote their message, which could have run them into trouble with broadcasting and campaign finance laws.
After being told the plan had leaked Thursday, Green issued a statement to POLITICO apologizing for the language and inaccuracies in the prospectus.
(Also on POLITICO: Tech immigration push in high gear)
“Several prominent leaders in the tech community, operating solely as individuals, continue to work on forming an issues advocacy organization that would seek to promote issues such as comprehensive immigration reform and education reform,” Green said. “However, some of the information contained in this email is outdated and not representative of the kind of work this organization will perform. Moreover, I regret some of the language in the email was poorly-chosen and could give a misimpression of the views and aspirations of this organization and those associated with it.”

A spokesperson for Andreessen declined comment. A spokesperson for Gates did not immediately return a request for comment.
The prospectus does, however, lay clear a roster of founding members that serves as a who’s who of Silicon Valley. And it reveals a plan of how to push a political message that would benefit the technology elite to the masses who consume their product.

The prospectus makes clear the technology CEOs plan to parlay their roles in Silicon Valley to boost the group’s political agenda. Twice the prospectus states that the executives can control what messages its targeted audience will see.
“We have the ability to build a database of interested parties who will post to their distribution channels when issue campaigns arise,” the prospectus states. Then, in a segment that is underlined for emphasis, “We control the avenues of distribution.”
The roster of the Zuckerberg group’s founders as listed in the prospectus and confirmed by a source is heavy on executives with Facebook connections. It includes Netflix founder Reed Hastings, Twitter creator Jack Dorsey, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston, Zynga co-founder Mark Pincus and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom. Venture capitalists Jim Breyer, Ron Conway and Paul Graham are also involved.
Pincus has pledged to give the Zuckerberg group money but is not a board member or founder, according to a person familiar with his involvement.
Details about the group are emerging as the Senate is set to return from its Easter recess with a comprehensive immigration reform package still being negotiated.
Last weekend, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO signed off on a visa program for future low-skilled workers, a key hurdle in the eight-way bipartisan Senate talks.
Signed on to be the Zuckerberg group’s campaign manager is Rob Jesmer, a former executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Serving as political advisers are two Bush White House veterans: Dan Senor, who also served as Paul Ryan’s chief adviser during his vice presidential run, and Facebook executive Joel Kaplan.
The prospectus describes the group as a unique entity in the immigration fight. Listed among qualities that “we uniquely bring to this fight,” the prospectus says the Zuckerberg’s group is the “only well-funded bipartisan pro-reform group.”
“We have assembled the best people and most funding on this issue, and will win by focusing our activity in the districts of key members of Congress and senators,” the prospectus reads.
The group would seem to be a competitor for both attention and credit with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s immigration group, Partnership for a New American Economy. And in fact some of the executives listed as part of the new Human Capital project are also involved in the Bloomberg operation.
Green is co-chair of the March for Innovation, a Partnership for a New American Economy production. Conway and Graham are also listed as supporters.
Bloomberg immigration officials declined to comment on the Zuckerberg group’s prospectus Thursday.
According to the prospectus, the group will be organized as a 501(c)4 social welfare organization, allowing it to receive unlimited contributions without a reporting requirement. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Zuckerberg aims to raise $50 million for the group and is seeding it with his own funds.

Officials with the group declined to comment Thursday on the group’s fundraising goals.
Under a “tactics” section, the Zuckerberg group details plans for “grassroots and grasstops” organizing in targeted congressional districts, online advocacy campaigns, paid online and television advertising that will be “critical to creating the political infrastructure we need” and “earned media.”
“Given the status of our funders and quality of our team, we will drive national and local narratives to properly frame our agenda,” the prospectus states. The prospectus says the group’s support will provide cover for the “many congressmen and senators who want to vote for this but need the political space at home,”
The group’s listed “immediate” goal is to pass comprehensive immigration reform, which it calls “a unique opportunity to launch our organization. It is an issue that is critical to our community, that we can win, but where our help can be the difference maker.”
Elsewhere in the prospectus the group says its qualities include a “pragmatic focus on what moves votes, not talking about ourselves.”
It also lists goals that include familiar tech-friendly ideas like educating and attracting high-skilled workers but also “to assure women are able to maximally contribute to our economy.”
All 12 founders, the group’s four political hires and its CEO are all men.
Seeds for the group may have been sown last summer when tech industry executives met to gripe that they needed to have a bigger, better organization for representing their industry’s vision and policy goals, something akin to the MPAA or NAM or PHARMA.
That effort appeared to fizzle but some of the same people who were said to be part of that inquiry are on this list.
Notably missing from this list of backers of the Zuckerberg group are fellow top Silicon Valley leaders from the Google leadership like former CEO Eric Schmidt, who has been active in immigration causes and co-founder Sergey Brin, himself an immigrant. Also missing from the prospectus are top officials from technology companies that have long lobbied for years for immigration reform on the Hill, like Intel, Oracle and Cisco.
Last week, the Zuckerberg group hired two lobbying firms — Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart and Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock. Other consultants involved in the project include former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart of the Glover Park Group and Jon Lerner, a Republican strategist.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/0...#ixzz2PYxWJBEB

no need to ask what their hidden agenda is!

I am going to post every article about these illegal invaders I can find to facebook! Let's see if FB blocks my account.