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Political Groups Fund Education Messages

‘527’ Groups, Including School-Related Ones, Make Election Mark

A young girl in dark-brown pigtails stares out from the television screen as a voice claims President Bush broke his education promises to Hispanic voters.

“George Bush promised to be a friend of the Latino community and do what’s best for our children,” the voice says. “But he has not kept his promises.”

The ad was part of a $6 million campaign that the New Democrat Network, a political advocacy group known as a “527,” ran in the last few months in a bid to sway voters leading up to...