The Case Against Bush & 527 Coordination

The DNC case against George "I denounce all 527's" Bush is being made here as well as in a couple million e-mails to supporters that just went out and this letter to Ken Mehlman, Bush-Cheney campaign manager, (and the press) demanding answers about the connections between the Bush-Cheney campaign and the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush.

Dear Mr. Mehlman:

For three weeks now, your campaign has been saying there are no ties between the Bush campaign and "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." But the web of connections grows wider and wider every day. Yesterday we saw confirmation of another connection when your general counsel, Benjamin Ginsberg, was forced to resign for providing legal advice for this group.

Enclosed you will find a chart that makes clear the web of connections between President Bush and the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Now that you have this chart and the accompanying fact sheet to back it up, I wanted to ask you several specific questions that deserve your prompt response.

1) Ken Cordier served on the Bush Veterans Steering Committee and also stars in the latest "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" smear ad. As a member of the steering committee presumably he was involved in policy development. What information about the Bush campaign's veterans policy did he share with the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?" Did he ever discuss his activities with this smear group with anyone in the Bush campaign? How many times did "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" activities come up at Bush Veterans Steering Committee meetings?

2) Yesterday on Fox News, Karl Rove confirmed that he and Bob Perry are longtime friends. Bob Perry is the largest contributor to the Texas Republican Party and a longtime supporter of President Bush. When was the last time Karl Rove and Bob Perry spoke, and did they discuss the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?"

3) Based on newspaper accounts, we know Merrie Spaeth was involved in the underhanded shadow campaign against John McCain in 2000. She also helped organize the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" and did the debate prep for President H. W. Bush. She has also admitted that she advised Bush administration officials in the White House as recently as last year. Was Merrie Spaeth ever contacted by anyone from the Bush campaign, including you, about "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?"

4) John O'Neill's law firm, Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson & Fulkerson, has many connections to President Bush. In fact, Margaret Wilson, Mr. O'Neill's law partner, served as General Counsel to Governor Bush and followed him to Washington, where she worked as Deputy Counsel for the Department of Commerce. Did she ever discuss "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" with President Bush, members of his administration or any Bush-Cheney campaign officials?

5) If you say there's no connection, why did the Bush-Cheney campaign office in Florida pass out "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" flyers to promote a joint anti-John Kerry rally in Gainsville, Florida last weekend?

6) According to news reports, you have worked with "Progress for America," a newly formed 527 group that has announced it's going to spend $35 million to attack John Kerry and whose executive director is a top advisor to the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Have you had any additional contact with this group? Have Karl Rove or other Bush officials -- either in the White House or on the Bush-Cheney campaign -- had contacts with this group?

7) How many times did Karl Rove and Benjamin Ginsberg meet? Did they ever discuss the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?"

These questions go to the heart of why so many people now believe that "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" is nothing more than a front group for the Bush-Cheney campaign. The longer President Bush waits to specifically condemn this smear, the more it looks like he's behind it.

It's time for the president to stand up and specifically condemn "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Not only is this a smear on John Kerry's distinguished military service; it's an insult to all veterans who've served their country.

The American people want to hear an honest discussion of the issues. They're concerned about the economy and the troubling situation in Iraq. Today, as we enter week four of this smear campaign, I'm asking you to talk to the president and ask him to heed Senator McCain's call and condemn this smear. The American people deserve better.

Sincerely,
Mary Beth Cahill

Page 2 of the PDF chart goes into more detail about the players and schemers involved for those so inclined to learn more.

It's been interesting watching this "issue" of Kerry's Vietnam record overtake the "news" and even ATS discussions with some continuing to speculate that this will finally be the nail in Kerry's coffin. But the people (damn them) just keep signing the petition for Bush to stop those old dirty tricks (about 100,000 per day so far).

These tactics are nothing new for George Bush. It seems that every time he has found himself in trouble, he's smeared the honorable record of a Vietnam Veteran. Sign our petition and make this election about the issues that really matter.

www.johnkerry.com...

RANT lets not lead people to believe that the democratic party is not the expert on financing this type of attack ad. Its only when something "stuck" to Kerry that this has become an issue with the Kerry campaign. For months if not years Bush has been under attack by democratic sympathizing 527's where was your outrage then?

Such tactics are pure filth but they DO work. Its obvious by the fact that Bush is now ahead of Kerry because of this. Politicians know its nothing but a nation full of dummies who can be swayed by the slightest tactic used. In the end whoever lies the best will get the presidency.
I'm glad i know the truth. No one will be able to blame me.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Such tactics are pure filth but they DO work. Its obvious by the fact that Bush is now ahead of Kerry because of this. Politicians know its nothing but a nation full of dummies who can be swayed by the slightest tactic used. In the end whoever lies the best will get the presidency.
I'm glad i know the truth. No one will be able to blame me.

I do believe that the democrats have much, much more funding via this method than the republicans - so if you are disgusted with these tactics you can start at the democratic party.

Originally posted by Phoenix
RANT lets not lead people to believe that the democratic party is not the expert on financing this type of attack ad. Its only when something "stuck" to Kerry that this has become an issue with the Kerry campaign. For months if not years Bush has been under attack by democratic sympathizing 527's where was your outrage then?

While it is encouraging to see you concede that the Bush campaign IS coordinating the Swift Vets for Bush and agree by ommission that Bush is LYING when he says he denounces all 527's...

I still contend that a huge difference exits between the two in that MoveOn.org presents issues and facts, whereas Swifties have been sunk at every turn as bold faced liars.

I was "outraged" when MoveOn.org had the Hitler ad, but that's not what I'm seeing now. It got pulled thanks to people like me. So if you'd like to analyze the content of the current MoveOn.org ads (like the gay marriage ban effort being issue misdirection and Bush pandering), I'd be happy to join you as I think the MoveOn.org messages deserve at least as much attention and replay as Swifties currently get, don't you?

See it's hard for us to get our issue oriented messages in the constant undercurrent of "news" because there's no controversy in the TRUTH, and despite what you may think of media leanings...it is soley through the outrage of conservatives that Dem ad dollars even get into play (or rather replay).

The days of getting attention (even negative) through outrageous unfounded right wing claims (about Kerry's service or McCain's "black baby" or Cleland being seperated at birth from Saddam) or anything else Karl Rove makes up, buys and pays for are coming to a swift end my friend.

Perhaps not this election cycle. But soon enough. If nothing else I can't wait to read the history books about the darkest of all eras in American politics...the NeoConic period.

I'll spare you the related jokes about fossil fuels.

Originally posted by Phoenix

Originally posted by dgtempe
Such tactics are pure filth but they DO work. Its obvious by the fact that Bush is now ahead of Kerry because of this. Politicians know its nothing but a nation full of dummies who can be swayed by the slightest tactic used. In the end whoever lies the best will get the presidency.
I'm glad i know the truth. No one will be able to blame me.

I do believe that the democrats have much, much more funding via this method than the republicans - so if you are disgusted with these tactics you can start at the democratic party.

Why dont I start with both of the parties. Its sickening.