Very interesting stuff on Ben Ginsburg...

[Soopercali]

From Amy Sullivan over at the <A HREF="http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_08/004571.php">Washington Monthly:</A>

Is That The Same Ben Ginsberg?....Hmm. The front-page story everywhere today is that a top lawyer for the Bush/Cheney campaign has, at the same time, been advising the infamous 527 Swift Boat Vets group. The lawyer at the center of the story, Ben Ginsberg, says that everything he's done is technically legal. And that may be true -- I'm not enough of an election law expert to judge.

But what's also true is that Ginsberg himself has attacked what he characterizes as the impropriety of individuals holding dual roles with campaigns and 527s.

An article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer just two weeks ago included this bit about Ginsberg: "Ben Ginsberg, a legal adviser to the Bush campaign, specifically condemned the dual roles played by Democrats Harold Ickes and Bill Richardson, who had official roles at the convention and also within prominent friendly 527s. 'They're over the coordination line,' Ginsberg said of Ickes and Richardson. 'The whole notion of cutting off links between public officeholders and soft-money groups just got exploded.'"

To make things even better, Ginsberg doesn't just advise the Swift Boat Guys -- a role he will no doubt seriously downplay over the next few days. He serves as the official chief counsel to Progress for America, another 527 that, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, exists to "form 'issue truth squads' that respond to Democratic attacks on President Bush."

[Eloriel]

1. Great find

I wonder if the Kerry campaign is swift enough to find such info?

[CarolynEC]

2. Jeez, all the JK campaign needs to do at this point...

... is print up a simple fact sheet -- all the work's been done by the swiftsmear creeps themselves!

It's just unreal. It's like these people can't help lying and spewing hypocritical nonsense, like it's a compulsion.

I mean a real sickness -- why in the world would you walk around denouncing dual roles when you're doing the same thing yourself and could be found out at any second? It's like they enjoy the thrill, the risk, and truly get off on seeing how close they can come to the edge.

Sick, sick, sick people, all of them. The lawyers, the smearvets, the Rovians, all of them. Ick. :evilfrown:

[hang a left]

6. This was released today by the Kerry Campaign.

on edit:

For Immediate Release
August 26, 2004

Kerry Campaign Asks Bush-Cheney to Explain the “Web of Connections”
***New Web of Connections Chart Below***

Washington, DC – Kerry-Edwards campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill wrote the following letter to Bush-Cheney campaign manager Ken Mehlman today:

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

-30-

THE FACTS:

“Web of Connections”
Oh, what a tangled web they’ve weaved…

Karl Rove – Bush’s White House political director; longtime associate to Bob Perry; consultant to Hutchison; most senior advisor to Bush campaign.

Ken Cordier – Former Bush-Cheney campaign advisor—forced to resign after appearing in Swift Boat Veterans for Bush commercial.

Benjamin Ginsberg – Former General Counsel to Bush Cheney—forced to resign for improper relationship as counsel to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

Harlan Crow – Bush Foundation Trustee; Longtime friend of Bush family; Longtime fundraiser for Bush family; Donated at least $25,000 in seed money to the Swift Boat Vets for Bush.

Bob Perry – Largest Republican donor in Texas; Donated hundreds of thousands to Bush family campaigns; Donated at least $200,000 in seed money to the Swift Boat Vets for Bush; Close colleague of Rove in Texas Governor’s race; Longtime friend of John O’Neill.

Kay Bailey Hutchison – Longtime friend of Spaeth; Former client of Rove; Current Co-Chair of Bush campaign

John O’Neill – Longtime friend of Bob Perry; Very close law firm connections to Bush as Governor; close friend to Spaeth, former colleague to Speath’s husband/Bush’s 1994 running mate; Front man for Swift Vets for Bush.

Merrie Spaeth – Provided media consulting to Swift Boat Vets; longtime friend of Hutchison; longtime supporter of/donor to Bush campaign; provide debate prep for GHW Bush; met with and gave media training to current, top White House officials; close associate to John O’Neill; Advised smear campaign on McCain in 2000.

Tex Lezar – Late husband to Spaeth; Former running mate with Bush in 1994; law partner to John O’Neill.

Harriet O’Neill – Close associate to John O’Neill, Lezar & Wilson; Bush judicial nominee.

Margaret Wilson – Law partner with John O’Neill, Lezar; Bush Administration official; former counsel to Governor Bush.

Bush-Cheney Campaign HQ Florida – Regional Bush HQ in Battleground State; Coordinated activities with Swift Boat Vets for Bush rally—rally forced to cancel.

Minnesota RNC – Official Republican website in Battleground State; Coordinated linkage with Swift Boat website—provide direct link to Swift Boat commercial.

DCI Group – Political strategy firm with close connections to Bush campaign & Swift vets.

Charles Francis – Longtime friend/supporter of Bush; works for political firm with close ties to both Bush campaign and Swift Vets for Bush; colleague of Lacivita.

Tom Synhorst – Advisor to Bush campaign 2000; “major contracts” with Bush campaign 2004; works for firm with close ties to Swift Vets for Bush; colleague of Lacivita; Worked on anti-McCain phone banking in South Carolina in 2000.

Chris Lacivita – Senior advisor to Swift Boat Vets for Bush; close ties to Bush campaign; associates with Synhorst & Friancis.



www.johnkerry.com
Paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc.

[flpoljunkie]

3. Will Dubya ask GOP's 527 Progress for America Voter Fund to Disband?

New York Times reports today they have raised over $35 million dollars to run ads. Note their chief counsel, the ubiquitous Ben Ginsberg!

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/25/politics/campaign/25m...

By GLEN JUSTICE

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 - A day after President Bush called for an end to campaign spending by independent groups, one such Republican organization said on Tuesday that it had raised $35 million to counter Democratic attacks on television and hoped to wage a $125 million advertising campaign through Election Day.

The organization, the Progress for America Voter Fund, is the first Republican group to announce that it had raised a substantial amount of money to compete with Democratic-leaning groups that have collected tens of millions of dollars to attack the Bush-Cheney campaign on television.

Others may be poised to follow.

"We don't disagree with the president's take," the president of the group, Brian McCabe, said. "But we can't unilaterally disarm. There is extensive activity by the liberals, and we still need to counter them and level the playing field."

http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527events.asp?orgid=6

Progress for America, 2004 Election Cycle
Formed: February 2001 |

Republican group that plans to raise tens of millions of dollars for issue-advocacy efforts, particularly TV ads, in support of GOP candidates. Will form "issue truth squads" that respond to Democratic attacks on President Bush. Seen as the Republican equivalent of The Media Fund, which aims to raise close to $100 million for pro-Democratic issue ads.

 Affiliated Personnel:
Ken Adelman, chairman (former director of arms control and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Reagan)

Tony Feather, founder (political director, Bush-Cheney '00, and a close ally of Karl Rove)

Ben Ginsberg, chief counsel (chief outside counsel for Bush-Cheney '04)

Chris LaCivita, executive director (former issue-advocacy director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee)

Donors:
Sig Rogich, one of President Bush's fundraising Pioneers and former ambassador to Iceland under President Reagan

  Budget:
Fundraising goal is $40-$60 million

[WillyT]

4. BIG KICK !!!

:kick:

[skip fox]

5. Please send links to stories like this to:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=774345&mesg_id=779184

This is a reference file for all of us (w/ hot links) in DUs Editorial section.

[MissMarple]

7. The Dems had roles at the convention not with the campaign .

I guess if you don't have a leg to stand on, you have to try to trip the other guys up somehow. But from the gutter?