Americans For Prosperity sets up Idaho Falls call center

One of Washington, D.C’s biggest political advocacy groups is calling on eastern Idahoans to help make a difference in the presidential election.

Americans For Prospertiy will bring their nationwide bus tour to Melaleuca’s company headquarters in Idaho Falls on Friday.

The group uses this tour mostly to rally support and advance its agenda in swing states, but AFP has a special reason for coming to eastern Idaho.

As President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney battle it out on the campaign trail, they make it their mission to hit all of those important swing states. Idaho is not one of those states.

“You’re probably not seeing a lot of candidates or a lot of campaigns coming through the state of Idaho,” says AFP Executive Vice President Tracy Henke.

Henke believes that a lack of campaigning doesn’t mean that Gem Staters can’t be influential in the election process.

“You don’t have to feel that you are excluded from the process. You can get involved,” Henke said.

The political advocacy group is setting up shop at Melaleuca headquarters, calling on local people to volunteer their time to call voters across the country and ask them what they want in a leader.

“People here can be calling into Colorado, they can call into Iowa, they can call into Montana, they can call into Missouri, and once again have a huge impact on the future direction and the policy direction that this country needs to take,” Henke said.

AFP is known for its conservative ideals — limited government and lower taxes — but Henke wants to stress that they’re not necessarily Republican.

“There’s not one definition of an AFP activist,” Henke explained. “They represent everything from a stay-at-home mom, who is concerned about the future for her kids, to a small-business owner who is concerned about when to hire or how to keep his doors open.”

The group has not endorsed a candidate however, it has voiced disapproval of Obama’s policies.

The call centers will be up and running Saturday, Sept. 22, through election day.

Melaleuca and AFP are hoping for hundreds of volunteers to make phone calls both in Idaho Falls and at Melaleuca’s Rexburg office.

The bus tour will be at Melaleuca headquarters Friday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. More information on volunteering will be available there.