More Bush Connections to Smear Ads (another one officially connected)

[radfringe]

More Bush Connections to Smear Ads
http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df08252004.html

While aides to President Bush continue to claim "we weren't involved in any way in these ads" against Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) by Swift boat vets, more evidence emerged yesterday to disprove those denials.

First, the Washington Post reports that a "top lawyer in President Bush's reelection campaign acknowledged that he has been advising the veterans group." Benjamin L. Ginsberg, the "chief outside counsel to the Bush campaign" admitted "I've done some work for" the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Ginsberg has long been a top adviser to Bush. The LA Times reports he represented the Bush campaign in 2000 and became a prominent figure during the Florida recount. In the current presidential campaign, his law firm has been paid $ 256,635 for his services by the Bush campaign. That figure does not include any cash Ginsberg made in his work with the Swift Boat Veterans.

Additionally, the Dallas Morning News yesterday reported that the man bankrolling the smear ads is hosting President Bush's top political adviser at a fundraiser in New York during the Republican National Convention. Robert Perry, the top Bush-Cheney fundraiser who is financing the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads, "is listed as the co-host" of an event whose guest list includes Karl Rove on September 1.
=========

How many "dots" is it going to take?

[roguevalley]

1. interesting isn't it how they think no one will nexus or google. dimwits.

[skooooo]

10. picky point, but..

...The database is "Lexis-Nexis", with an "i" not a "u".

[barackmyworld]

2. what exactly did Ginsberg do?

I thought I heard on the news that he said he only gave them legal advice unrelated to the advertisements, etc.

[0007]

4. Ginsberg is a little well too conncected to junior and the boys, don't ya

think? Kind of like sticking his nose into the scene when no one ask him. But don't 'ya think junior is running scare and ask the schmuck to get involved?

[Zookeeper]

5. On Nightline Ginsburg said...

that he gave them legal advice concerning the ads, but wasn't involved with the content. He claimed that he didn't do anything illegal, but resigned just so he wouldn't embarrass the campaign. (The concern is that 527s are supposed to be independent of a candidate's campaign.)

He was interviewed by Chris Burrie (sp?), who was *great* and really pushed Ginsburg to answer his questions. Ginsburg came across as an unpleasant weasel, who whined, "The Democrats do it, too!" Meanwhile, he completely ignored the fact that the SBVT ads were slanderous and the MoveOn.org ads just tell the truth about BushCo's record.

[shockingelk]

9. He was the guy who figured everything out

Text in Italics is quoted from the websites of Republican non-profits ... it's easy to show his job was a go between Progress for America and the Bush campaign - keep in mind that this administration put a good deal of effort into figuring out how they were going to ignore the Geneva Conventions. This is from that organization's website - they're reproducing a Roll Call article:

November 2003, A not-for-profit organization with strong Republican ties has re-formed in recent months with several top GOP strategists at the helm in an effort to counter the proliferation of soft-money groups on the Democratic side.

The group - Progress for America - is a 501(c)(4) membership committee that was begun in 2001 by Tony Feather, a longtime Republican consultant with strong ties to President Bush. Feather recently cut his ties to the group, however, and has been replaced atop the organization by Chris LaCivita, political director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2002 cycle and the top political strategist for NRSC Chairman George Allen (Va.).

Republican lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who specializes in campaign finance and election law, is also closely affiliated with the committee, according to well-placed sources.
http://www.progressforamerica.com/pfa/wrapper.jsp?PID=1101-165&CID=1101-112403B

Progress for America is like a shell to direct the flow of soft money: http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Progress_for_America

May 28, 2004: I am excited to announce the establishment of the Progress for America Voter Fund and the addition of our new board members," said Brian McCabe, the President the PFA Voter Fund. "We are confident that this new 527 committee and new board members will dramatically increase our impact on public policy in America," McCabe added.
http://www.progressforamerica.com/pfa/wrapper.jsp?PID=1101-165&CID=1101-061706C

May 29, 2004, Progress for America has also recruited Brian McCabe, a New Hampshire-based grassroots specialist, as its president. According to sources, Progress for America is aiming to raise $40 million to $60 million to fund grassroots work, issue advertising, and "truth squads" to burnish the Bush record on tax cuts, the economy, energy, and other issues. Over the past few months, Progress for America's counsel, Ben Ginsberg, who is also the chief outside counsel for the Bush campaign, has been telling potential board members about a game plan that would allow Progress for America to answer liberal advocacy groups.
http://www.progressforamerica.com/pfa/wrapper.jsp?PID=1101-165&CID=1101-052804A

May 30, 2004 Bush campaign website: Ben Ginsberg will serve as chief outside counsel, as he did for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign.
http://www.georgewbush.com/News/read.aspx?ID=1861

His role between O'Neill's group and the Bush campaign would be much the same - figure out how they can bend campaign finance law and have some sort of argument they could present to claim what they were doing was fine.

A few more links are here:
http://fearofclowns.com/2004/08/tie-that-binds.html

[Judi Lynn]

3. I found the Dallas News article mentioned in radfringe's post:

Kerry critic listed as fund-raiser's co-host
NYC event guest list includes president's father, Rove


10:17 PM CDT on Monday, August 23, 2004


By CHRISTY HOPPE / The Dallas Morning News



Houston home builder Bob Perry, a key bankroller for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, is listed as the co-host of a New York City fund-raiser next week for the Harris County GOP, whose guest list includes President Bush's top political adviser.

Mr. Perry, who has given $200,000 to the veterans' group to help launch the anti-John Kerry ads that question the Democrat's Vietnam War record, has denied any links to Mr. Bush or the national Republican Party regarding the Swift Boat Veterans' campaign.
(snip)

Mr. Perry also does not plan to attend the convention in New York City, Mr. Miller said.

Invitations to the Harris County reception and fund-raiser Sept. 1 at Tavern on the Green name Mr. Perry as an event sponsor, and those on the invitation list include former President George Bush, presidential adviser Karl Rove and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
(snip/)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/082404dnpolfundraiser.5ae2b.html
(Free registration required)

[Zookeeper]

6. Here's a list of SBVT contributors...

posted Wednesday by Jackpine Radical:

http://membership.publicintegrity.org/527/docs/9558357.pdf


For crying out loud, the connections are right there! And Jackpine Rad found it on Google.

Edited to correct link.

[radfringe]

7. I think a Swift boat backlash has developed

a couple of guys at work, who are vets from post-Vietnam era, were grumbling about Kerry's military record -- they expressed serious reservations

that was a couple of weeks ago when this mess hit the big news

with the revelations of the bush* connections, bush*'s denial, and bush*'s cowardice in NOT denouncing SBVT -- they are very angry and see bush*'s actions and inactions as a slap in the face to all vets and currently active military personnel.

I suspect that it won't be long before bush* flip-flops on this

meanwhile, the bush* camp spin is that Kerry should denounce "shadowy groups" ads (which Kerry has been doing) and get back to discussing the issues (which Kerry has also been doing)

the only one "hiding" is bush* and the only one NOT discussing the issues is bush*

[Cronus Protagonist]

8. The REAL story here is the Bush Admin's PATTERN of NON-ENFORCEMENT

We have the fox guarding the henhouse. That's the real issue. The Bush administration's willful disregard of existing regulations and treaties, rabid avoidance of oversight, insistence on almost complete secrecy and a willingness act outside of the law.

It's the pattern of non-enforcement of the law against their own, that's the issue.

It's the pattern of abuse, the pattern of secrecy, the pattern of obstruction and the pattern of illegalities that we all need to be pointing out.

Not a theory. We have the evidence. We know what laws were broken in several important areas. We just can't obtain a real investigation or a competent prosecution. And when we do occasionally manage to obtain a faux "investigation", we get a wishy-washy rubber-stamp or tap-on-the-wrist response from the Bush administration.

Ashcroft should be in jail. Rummy and Wolfowitz should be fired for Abu Ghraib. Cheney and Bush should both be forced out for lying - at the LEAST!

We have proof for all of this. The problem is we can't get "them" to execute a proper investigation - because "they" are the criminals, the Bush administration.

The rule of law has become the rule of crime.

Conspiracies do happen. And Republicans are usually the ones caught doing it.

Swiftboat Veterans for Bush

JFK - Drop Bush Not Bombs! - FUCK BUSH
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

(P.S. Sorry for all the caps - I'm drunk)

[radfringe]

18. don't forget the pattern

of MISLEADING
and mis-speaking
and falling off of segways and bikes

[xchrom]

11. how many dots indeed

fasinating isn't it -- the media wants you to think it's nuts that all this evidence leads right to bush's front door.
it's not like you can come to ANY other conclusion.

[RamblingRose]

12. I am facing arguments from rethugs saying that the Kerry camp is guilty of

the same tactics with 527's like MoveOn, using major contributors such as Sorros. Can someone give me some ammunition to fire back.

[redqueen]

13. Is Soros working for Kerry's campaign?

That's the key difference. What the people employed by Bush's campaign are doing is *illegal*.

[radfringe]

19. plus Soros

donated the money loooonnng before Kerry was even nominated

I think he even gave money before the primaries started up

[ejcastellanos]

15. I'll bet they are 'sure' someone is working for both campaigns

Tell them to prove it.

My reply would be 'As sure as Bush deserted the National Guard.'

[kayell]

16. Rove came out and said that was going on, but he neglected

a very important point - a name. Or proof..... Or anything other than the usual repuke lies and smears. Tell them you will be impressed when they have some real live peoples names who are actually caught working on both campaigns.

[Zookeeper]

17. The big difference that the media ignores...

is that the SBVT's ad is pure slander, not backed up by facts. MoveOn's ad are pointed, and I'm sure they seem unfair to the deliberately uniformed, but they "attack" BushCo on the issues and use actual facts and truth of Bush's record of the last four years.

And BushCo's record is right there in front of us for anyone that wants to pull their head out of the sand (or *wherever*!) long enough to see it.

BTW, I love your name! :hi:

[autorank]

14. Feel the love: Just thinkof a news camera posted recording the attendees!

[skip fox]

20. I've added to Collusion section of Swift-Boat-Vets.-for-Truth file in DU's

Editorial section. Please check it out and send me links of more such stories. Let's
make the file a good reference source for us:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x70032






IV. SBVT collusion with The Republican Party and/or Bush White House:


A schematic showing basic associations (and some contradictions):

http://nytimes.com/imagepages/2004/08/19/politics/campaign/20040820_SWIFT_GRAPH.html

and

<snip>

How the group came into existence is a story of how veterans with longstanding
anger about Mr. Kerry's antiwar statements in the early 1970's allied themselves
with Texas Republicans.

<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html


and:

<snip>

"A series of interviews and a review of documents show a web of connections
to the Bush family, high-profile Texas political figures and President Bush's
chief political aide, Karl Rove," the Times reported."Several of those now
declaring Mr. Kerry 'unfit' had lavished praise on him, some as recently
as last year.

<snip>

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5771731/


and:

<snip>

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Public records reveal that two of the
people in the new "Swift Boat Veterans for Bush" television ad are Republican activists
. . . . This is just more proof that Bush's Republican allies are the ones behind this
disgraceful smear of John Kerry (news -web sites)'s military record. It's pretty clear what's
going on here. It's no wonder the Bush campaign refuses to condemn this smear.


<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=669&ncid=669&e=2&u=/usnw/20040820/pl_usnw/more_republican_ties_revealed_behind__swift_boat_vets_for_bush___says_kerry_campaign141_xml


and:

<snip>

Mr. Bush's campaign confirmed on Saturday . . . that one of the veteran in that advertisement
(SBV ad #1) was a member (of) the Bush campaign's veterans' advisory committee.

<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/22/politics/campaign/22swift.html


DU's Mayberry Machiavelli pointed out in a post:

Ken Cordier was on Bush campaign staff right up until his appearance in the
second Swift Boat commercial, proving that Bush campaign denials of connection
with the smear campaign are disingenuous (long word for "lies"):

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/21/edwards.swift...



And Benjamin Ginsberg, the national counsel for Bush's re-election campaign
had to resign due to connections with SBVT:

<snip>

The Washington Post revealed today that a top attorney to the Bush
campaign, Benjamin Ginsberg, has been advising the Swift Boat
Veterans for Truth.

<snip>


http://www.washingtondispatch.com/spectrum/archives/000511.html

and:

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6067942

and:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5818634



Now the main SBVT backer, Robert Perry, is co-hosting Rove next week
at a county fundraiser! (Additionally, Rove claims not to have spoken with
Perry in a year. Ain't life grand!)

<snip>

. . . the Dallas Morning News yesterday reported that the man bankrolling
the smear ads is hosting President Bush's top political adviser at a fundraiser
in New York during the Republican National Convention. Robert Perry, the
top Bush-Cheney fundraiser who is financing the Swift Boat Veterans for
Truth ads, "is listed as the co-host" of an event whose guest list includes Karl
Rove on September 1

<snip>

http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df08252004.html



and from the Dallas Morning News:

<snip>

Invitations to the Harris County reception and fund-raiser Sept. 1 at Tavern
on the Green name Mr. Perry as an event sponsor, and those on the invitation
list include former President George Bush, presidential adviser Karl Rove and
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

<snip>

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/registration/register.jsp?fw=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/washington/stories/082404dnpolfundraiser.5ae2b.html



Yet another conflict of interest, as DUs BurtWorm has it: SBVT Treasurer Administers GOP FEC Compliance Firm. Her name is Susan Artceneaux

<snip>

Political Compliance Services Inc. is a consulting company based in Fairfax, VA.
On its website, it describes itself as "an accounting services vendor specializing in
FEC regulations. Our comprehensive approach to your individual accounting needs
will deliver you from the headaches and legal ramifications of FEC non-compliance."

Its website says that it "serves the following political organizations":

Candidate Committees
Separate Segregated Funds
Non-Connected PACs
Party Committees

In May 2004, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth paid $7500 to Political Compliance
Services for what is described on its IRS form 8872 as "Compliance Consulting".
Despite this, in August 2004 three campaign finance watchdog groups filed a
complaint with the Federal Election Commission arguing that the Swift Boat
Veterans for Truth were in breach of restrictions applying to 527 committees

On its website, Political Compliance Services boasts that: "Our consultants and
analysts are career experts in campaign and PAC accounting, finance,
administration and compliance." <11> However, it appears shy of disclosing
who exactly those consultants are. No information is given on the site regarding
who works for the company. Fortunately, its entry in the WHOIS database is more
informative. It lists Susan Arceneaux as the administrative contact for the company.

. . .

Susan Arceneaux is also the treasurer of The Majority Leader's Fund, a PAC
affiliated with the former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas <13>.
Interestingly, the Majority Leader's Fund has been a client of Political Compliance
Services <14>.

Arceneaux is also listed as the contact person for the recently-formed right-wing
PAC FreedomWorks, on its IRS form 8872 for the first quarter of 2004 <15>.

<snip>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x69684



We may get to know much more very soon since Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics
in Washington (CREW) has filed a Freedom of Information Act request investigating
links between the WH and the SBV for Truth group:

<snip>

(Melanie) Sloan (CREW's exec. director) decided to send the FOIA after reading that,
upon being asked whether she had worked with White House officials, SBVT public
relations coordinator Merrie Spaeth said "The answer is 'no' unless you refresh my
memory." (NYT 8/20/04). Sloan said that she was also skeptical of Bush political
advisor Karl Rove's claim that he has not spoken with his friend and large Republican
donor Bob Perry in over a year. The FOIA was sent, said Sloan, "to gather the
information Ms. Spaeth, Karl Rove and others may need to have their memories
refreshed as to whether or not SBVT illegally coordinated with the White House."

<snip>


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=669&ncid=669&e=1&u=/usnw/20040824/pl_usnw/crew_foias_white_house_contacts_with_swift_boat_veterans_group137_xml


Du's own Skinner (!) is doing a state-by-state search for collusion between local and state
Republican committees and the SBVTs in terms of rallies, links and ads on web-sites and selling
of SBVT materials, incl. Unfit for Command.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=649597&mesg_id=649597


such as . . .

<snip>

"Bush Campaign Caught Promoting "Swift Boat Vets for Truth" While National
Campaign Denies Coordination, Campaign in Florida Promotes Rally

Tallahassee -- On the same day that the Bush-Cheney campaign repeatedly
denied coordinating attacks with the anti-Kerry group "Swift Boat Veterans for
Truth," the Bush-Cheney campaign in Florida was caught promoting a rally
in Gainesville for the group

<snip>

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2004_08_15_atrios_archive.html#109303885084378264


Example of Bush campaign rally in collusion with SBVT:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4439188,00.html


and DU's fine posts and members . . . on the job with cameras!! Wow! Check it out:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x657176

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x646015

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040821/LOCAL/40821006/1078/news&template=printart



And the Official Minnesota Republican Website links the SBV ad:

<snip>

Webpage "Prepared and Paid for by Republican Party of Minnesota" Found
to Be Linking to the Swift Boat Ads. In Minnesota . . . an official Republican Party
webpage was recently found to be linking to the Swift Boat Ads. The webpage goes
on to . . . question . . . John Kerry's service in Vietnam: SWIFT VETS ARE
GETTING TO KERRY; DID HE LIE ABOUT HIS SERVICE, repeatedly, in an
effort to embellish it? DID HE TAKE CREDIT for engagements fought by other men . . .?
The website also contains a link to purchase the book produced by Swift Boat
Veterans for Truth, "Unfit For Command".

<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=669&ncid=669&e=1&u=/usnw/20040823/pl_usnw/kerry_edwards__reports_detail_even_closer_ties_to_bush_campaign__no_wonder_bush_won_t_condemn_this_smear_his_campaign_is_behind



Or even the right-wing affiliations (O'Neill with Charles Colson in
the Nixon WH) of those making the charges as these:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x647917

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=647199&mesg_id=647199

http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_9865.shtml


The similarity between the attack on Kerry and the attacks
on other Bush opponents, including McCain, as well as
those who've opposed Karl Rove's candidates, suggests
on-going and systematic collusion:

<snip>

"It's amazing how similar this type of attack is to the pattern
of attacks I have seen over two decades -- in some cases
involving Bush's campaigns, in other cases they involved
campaigns in which Karl Rove was a participant,'' said
Wayne Slater, senior political writer at the Dallas Morning
News, who has covered Bush since his early days in Texas
politics and is author of the book "Bush's Brain,'' about Rove.

"In every case, the approach is the same: You have a
surrogate group of allies, independent of the Bush campaign,
raising questions not about the opponent's weakness but
directly about the opponent's strength,'' Slater said. "In every
case it works."

<snip>

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/08/24/SWIFT.TMP