Over the past year, Mediamouse.org has explored the record of Congressman Vern Ehlers in considerable detail, especially with regard to his positions on the United States' ongoing occupation of Iraq. We have noted that Ehlers--who has been pressured by both the local group ACTIVATE and the out-of-town Iraq Summer campaign--has remained a consistent supporter of the war. Still, despite his support for an occupation that has killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Ehlers maintains a reputation for being a "centrist" Republican in many circles.

This is somewhat puzzling as a serious examination challenges this idea. While Ehlers may vote to protect the environment more frequently than not, his stance on other issues is anything but centrist. For example, when it comes to global trade--which is also an environmental issue--Ehlers has supported most major neo-liberal trade agreements from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). He is currently supporting the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Ehlers has also been consistently ranked by advocacy groups as supporting an agenda that goes against the interests of the middle class by failing to support union rights and lowering the price of prescription drugs.

However, most of these positions are unexamined in the corporate media in West Michigan. Some may argue that this has to do with the biases of the area's only daily newspaper, the Grand Rapids Press, but it may also be due to the local Democratic Party's failure to mount a serious challenge to Representative Ehlers. Each election, they seem more focused on simply having someone to run against Ehlers rather than actually trying to win. Similarly, the Green Party has also not mounted a serious challenge for Ehlers' seat. In most cases, neither of those two parties has engaged in a systematic examination of Ehlers' record. Aside from failing to examine Ehlers' voting record, there has also been little effort to look at his relationship with various think-tanks, professional, and industry groups that have supported Ehlers over the years.

One such group that has not been examined for its relationship with Representative Ehlers is the Ripon Society. According to its website, the Ripon Society is "a Republican public policy advocacy organization representing all Americans through moderate, progressive policy formation that uphold traditional common sense Republican principles." It emphasizes the following Republican principles:

* Limited but effective government;

* A free enterprise based economy;

* A strong, well-maintained, national defense;

* A more equitable tax system

* Social tolerance;

* Conservation of natural resources.

The group takes its name from Ripon, Wisconsin, the city that is "the birthplace of the Republican Party." It was founded in 1962 by "a loosely knit association of young business, academic and professional women and men" to revive what they considered the Republican Party's "commitment to inclusion and reform."

It frequently highlights the values of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt as being examples of the type of Republicanism that it advocates. As part of its homage to Roosevelt, it awards a "Rough Rider" award to an individual--often a congressman or government official (for example, Bush administration figures Karl Rove and Andrew Card have both won in the past)--who pushes for innovative policy solutions. In 2006, Representative Ehlers won that award:

In addition to receiving the "Rough Riders" award, Ehlers is on the "Honorary Congressional Advisory Board" for the Ripon Society, a position that he shares with fellow Michigan Congressional Representatives Dave Camp and Fred Upton.

In an introductory video featured on its website, the Ripon Society portrayed itself as being above the divisive rhetoric of politics--a position not unlike one taken by Ehlers. The organization positions itself as one that is acting to ensure that the Republican Party is "broad-based" and "centrist." Still, the Ripon Society makes it clear that its goal is to ensure the dominance of Republicans. Their website states that the organization was formed to "build a durable majority position in American politics" for the Republican Party.

However the Ripon Society chooses to define its politics, they still represent core Republican values. In its "Public Policy for Debate" for fall of 2007, the Society published several papers calling for traditionally Republican policy. It published a paper that favors making President Bush's tax cuts permanent and securing additional tax cuts, while arguing that tax policy is not a way to "promote equality." On healthcare, it published one opposing government health insurance programs. On trade, a Ripon Society paper calls for more "free trade" agreements. On energy, a paper calls for using "existing" sources--such as coal--while exploring new technologies. On the economy, a paper calls for stronger patent laws and tougher intellectual property protections. On China, a Ripon publication calls for increased engagement with China by the United States.

While its policies are consistent with what is generally advocated by the Republican Party, its conduct is also typical of mainstream politics. Despite positioning itself as an organization above the fray of divisive politics and simplistic debate, the Ripon Society has participated in the type of political activities that one would think it would reject. In 2006, it was revealed that the Ripon Society and the related Ripon Educational Fund skirted federal congressional ethics rules forbidding registered lobbyists from paying for congressional travel. A 2006 report by Public Citizen found that members of Congress have reported receiving $742,000 in free trips for lawmakers from 2000 to mid-2005 from the two groups. Additionally, the Ripon Society's president, Richard Kessler, is a prominent lobbyist whose clients include Pfizer and Altria Group (Philip Morris). The majority of the Ripon Society's 2006 board is made up of registered lobbyists who represent a variety of corporate clients.

The Ripon Society positions itself as a "centrist" organization with "progressive" policies. However, its politics are consistent with the Republican Party's mainstream and its positions on a variety of issues--from healthcare to taxation--are anything but progressive. Similarly, it is dominated by lobbyists and is representative of the type of corporate influenced politics that characterizes Washington DC. At the same time, Grand Rapids Representative Vern Ehlers also tries to cast himself as a "centrist" who is above the divisive discourse in Washington DC. Ehlers has also said that he tries to limit interactions with lobbyists. In many ways, the Ripon Society's politics are consistent with Ehlers'--both say that they are one thing when the reality is far more complex.