Lehane on MSNBC: Seeking release of Kerry's tax and lobbying records

[Karmadillo]

Not sure this is great timing. I imagine there will be more than a few elbows thrown in New Hampshire, but this probably could have waited until tomorrow. Also, I'm not sure Clark is all that well served by having Lehane as a public voice. He comes off as kind of a weasel (in my opinion, anyway).

[Don Claybrook]

1. I'm not sure how well Clark is served

talking about lobbying. He's a lobbyist, after all, and had a vested interest in the fear of the citizenry.

[KittyWampus]

2. Nor Kerry For That Matter

But I think that is the point.

Millioners in glass houses... shouldn't put on sanctimonious bullshit airs.

Although I hope Kerry does. It'll make him appear even stiffer on tv.

[imhotep]

3. Kerry's best move was firing that scum

Although it will be great fun watching the bloody fight between DLC candidates.

[bearfartinthewoods]

32. what did he do last night?

i heard a caller say lehane "creeped me out" .

wh'happened?

[sandnsea]

4. He laughed yesterday

It came up on a talk show and Kerry laughed and said it was already open and has been gone through. Numerous times I imagine. We've pretty well been through the primary minefield here, can't imagine why Clark would throw this old stuff out.

[JI7]

11. i liked that

it shows kerry does not take things personally.

[Lobo_13]

5. Lehane

is exactly the kind of guy we need to get out of the politics.

I wish Clark would dump his sorry ass.

[DemOutWest]

10. To Mars!

Lehane, Rove, Coulter, insannity, limburger and o'lielly, chosen to be first sent to Mars. If they will have them.

[mikehiggins]

6. Well, isn't that a fair question?

Weren't people just talking about Governor Dean's records?

I don't understand why Lehane has to ask, though. After all the noise up to date Kerry should be way out in front on this one on his own.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

24. Yes it's fair and the answer is it already is open.

See post 4.

Lehane doesn't care about the truth of the matter, the insinuation and the rumor is good enough.

[KittyWampus]

34. TheTRUTH Of Clark's Finances Is Already Open Too

But Kerry hands out fliers implying Clark has done something illegal or unethical.

So why the HELL can't Kerry be held to similar standards?

Kerry had better drop the the sancitmonious crap.

He is neither a SAINT nor is he IRISH although he pretends to be both.


The following is an excerpt form a BOOK being released THIS year by Center for Public Integrity on BUYING THE PRESIDENCY and KERRY IS FEATURED. And since its the Center for Public Integrity Youcan't blame it on Chris Lehane.

By the way, Kerry will have a harder time explaining his favoritism towards Telecommunications Corporations as a Senator than Clark will his work trying to improve Airline Safety... especiallly since he is obviously knoweledable about National Security and since the Hart Rudman Report, Gore's Commission on Airline Safety & Terrorism and the events of 9/11.


Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., whose largest campaign contributor lobbies on behalf of telecommunication
interests, pushed the legislative priorities of its clients in the wireless industry on several occasions, a
Center for Public Integrity analysis of campaign, lobbying and congressional records has found. That
analysis is part of the Center's research for The Buying of the President 2004 (to be published by
HarperCollins), which tracks the financial backers and interests of the major candidates for the White
House.

Kerry, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, has sponsored or co-sponsored a number of
bills favorable to the industry and has written letters to government agencies on behalf of the clientele of
his largest donor.
Boston-based Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C. has been the biggest financial backer of
the Massachusetts Democrat's two decades-long political career in elected office, with its employees
contributing nearly $187,000 to various Kerry races, including his current presidential campaign.

Kerry's ties to the firm go beyond campaign contributions. His brother Cameron F. Kerry is an attorney at
the firm's Boston office, and David Leiter, who was the Senator's chief of staff for six years, is a lobbyist for
ML Strategies LLC, a Mintz, Levin affiliate that provides consulting and lobbying services.

Mintz, Levin advertises communications law among its areas of expertise and lobbies on behalf of wireless
industry clients such as AT&T Wireless Service, XO Communications Inc. and the Cellular Telecommunications
& Internet Association. CTIA is the trade association of the wireless industry; its more than 320 members
include carriers, manufacturers and wireless Internet providers. CTIA-affiliated companies and their
employees have contributed at least $152,000 to Kerry. The amount includes contributions made to his
presidential campaign and his previous election efforts, his political action committees and the 527 group
that Kerry formed. Verizon employees donated close to a third of that amount ($45,400).

much more at link-

By M. Asif Ismail

http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/report.aspx?aid=4

[Feanorcurufinwe]

52. What are you talking about? What fliers?

"But Kerry hands out fliers implying Clark has done something illegal or unethical."

What are you talking about? Is this something you made up or what?

[KittyWampus]

60. Kerry People Were Handing Out Fliers AT Clark's Campaign Rallies

and has a webpage maligning Clark.

It was all over this board in various threads so I can't be bothered finding a link.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

64. You must be making that up.

Since you can't 'be bothered' back it up, I conclude you are making it up.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

54. "Sorely misguided"

Kerry Campaign statement:

" Senator Kerry has friends and family who work at Mintz Levin, ranging from his brother to former classmates who work in this Boston-based firm. In addition to having been elected to the Senate four times, John Kerry has been Lt. Governor and run for Congress in Massachusetts, so a lot of these folks go way back with him. It should come as no surprise that they would be supportive of his campaign for president and any effort to make anything more of it is sorely misguided.

On all issues, including issues important to the wireless industry, Senator Kerry makes his decisions based on what is sound policy and what is best for the people he represents.
http://www.bop2004.org/download/KerryStatement.pdf

If you wish to believe the worst about Kerry, that is your choice, but I think most people will look at the facts of this matter and conclude there is nothing to it.

[KittyWampus]

59. Stop The Sanctimonious BS Kerry Voted Against The Public Interest

and for Telecom. Industries.

Hell, there's a whole chapter in a book coming out this year.

It'll be fun watching a Washington Insider like Kerry try and explain stuff like that away in soundbites.

Especially since Kerry LOOKS like a stiff, patrician Politician...

[Feanorcurufinwe]

63. Wrong. And your attack on Kerry's 'looks' is unpersuasive.

[jeter]

7. Lehane is a moron

If he thinks this will win him any points.

Enough negativity.

[KittyWampus]

35. Kerry Is A Moron If He Thinks Clark Is going To Take Any Crap

without fighting back.

Kerry has been smearing Clark for a week.

Why shouldn't Kerry be held accountable just as Dean and Clark are.

And it's about time to find out if Edwards is really a Mr. Clean too.

[cindyw]

56. Smearing Clark for weeks? Can you prove that?

I like both men and have paid attention to both. With all due respect, Kerry has not even had the time to pay attention to Clark the last few weeks. I heard one thing from his campaign manager about Clark being a repub in the past. That is a fact. It doesn't bother me at all that he may have supported Bush. Military people must support the CIC. That is what makes the system work.

I am really looking for a "May the Best man win campaign in NH".

[KittyWampus]

61. Again, Kerry People Have Been HAnding Out Fliers Maligning Clark

Jeanne "I voted for Nixon" Shaheen called Clark a Republican etc. as a Kerry representative.

Kerry has an entire webpage maligning Clark.

So Kerry HAS been running negative crap against Clark. And that has always been Kerry's method.

Spending huge sums of money and going negative to get elected.

[Snivi Yllom]

48. Just look at what happened to Dean

negative attacks work...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

69. ...and pushpolls.

[LiberalBushFan]

8. someone tell Clark

to fire this guy.

[LandOLincoln]

22. I agree.

I think Clark would be MUCH better off without Lehane. I also think Dean would be better off without Trippi.

NO MORE NEGATIVITY. How much more clear can it be--especially given John Edwards' sudden Big Mo--that it's a major turnoff to most voters?

[KittyWampus]

36. Edwards Has Shelton On His Team. Shelton Who Smeared Clark About Character

and Integrity.

And Shelton's smears have been dogging Clark since getgo.

So please stop with Edwards false front of civility.

And just out of curiousity, do you think it is appropriate for A Democrat to have a Republican like Shelton Advising them? Shelton just showed his true colors last week when he came out against Paul O'Neill.

[LandOLincoln]

46. You're absolutely right. I forgot all about Shelton

working for Edwards. What a sneaky coward Shelton is.

BTW, a doctor friend of mine came by to talk politics this morning, and proceeded to unload on Edwards bigtime for his many, many unwarranted malpractice suits against doctors--forcing good and competent doctors to defend themselves and driving the cost of malpractice insurance skyhigh, thereby forcing more and more good and decent doctors out of business.

He likes Clark a lot, though.

[spooky3]

49. Shelton is from NC and they have known each other for years. Re: malprac.

Yes, there are physicians who dislike Edwards. Have you ever read any of Edwards' writing on the injustice of limiting injured patients' rights to be compensated for the harm proven to result from negligence, and alternatives to arbitrary limits? I have, and find it compelling, but not surprisingly, some members of the AMA do not.

Your friend may be misinformed. Statistics show that a very small minority of physicians are responsible for the vast majority of $ awarded in negligence suits. That is very unfortunate for the harmed parties, including those indirectly harmed such as competent and conscientious physicians, who are the vast majority. But he/she should direct his/her ire at the colleagues who are responsible for such negligence as they are the ones driving up costs.

I would appreciate a link to the "many, many unwarranted malpractice suits." Presumably Edwards would have lost most if not all those cases. I find it hard to believe he would have had the time to win the cases he did if he were busy with those groundless cases. And, if he were so stupid as to not be able to discern the well-founded ones, I don't see how he could have had the ability to win so many others.

Here is a link to an editorial Edwards wrote on malpractice, "Let's Keep Doctors in Business", with some interesting facts:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A13116-2003May...

"What the president's proposal won't do is work. Insurance premiums have spiked recently because of insurance companies' losses on their investments, not their losses to victims. In fact, about half the states already have some limits on victim compensation, yet premiums in states with caps average about the same as premiums in states without caps."

(snip)

"We need a real solution that frees doctors from crippling insurance costs -- without preventing the most badly injured victims from receiving the compensation they deserve.

That real solution has three elements. Most important, we need to crack down on price gouging by the industry. We also need aggressive action against frivolous lawsuits that don't belong in court -- not against the serious lawsuits that bring help to the most badly injured. And finally, we need to reduce the number of medical errors, many made by a very small fraction of the medical profession."

(more)

[LandOLincoln]

50. You're right, and I probably should have put

"many, many unwarranted malpractice suits" in quotes--or just left it out entirely, because to tell you the truth I'm not sure my friend used those words outright. It certainly seemed to be his meaning, however.

I'll print out Edwards' editorial and see what my friend has to say after he's read it.

Thanks for your input.

[spooky3]

57. thanks, LandOLincoln, I'm sure your friend is one of the good ones.

[NashVegas]

9. Well That Didn't Take Too Long, Now Did It?

Tag! You're it!

[IndianaGreen]

16. Tag it is!

Like I said I work last week, the Democrats are self-destructing right in front of our eyes.

Let's see who is next...

[Jack_Dawson]

12. Lehane: "Hey Matthews were you ever fired?"

I haven't seen Matthews speechless in a long-ass time.

[bearfartinthewoods]

33. huh??? i was watching cspan...wha'happened?

[Bertrand]

13. The Kerry Camp did bring up Clark and his lobbying role a week ago

and now that the Clark campaign thinks that they're insulated a little bit by the record dump, they're going to use it to their percieved advantage.

I agree with you about Lehane, although i think it has less to do with his voice and more to do with his eerily steadfast commitment to talking points.

[TrueAmerican]

14. Lehane seems like a weasel to me.

nt

[Red_Storm]

30. That's the impression I get ..............

everytime I see him on T.V. .......

[goodhue]

15. Lehane is horrible

makes Mathews look classy, which is no small feat.

[KittyWampus]

37. That Is True, Chris Should Stay Off Television

he is sort of gremlin like.

[auburnblu]

17. Taxes could get Kerry, maybe

One thing Edwards mentioned tonight was the use of lawyers and accountants by rich people to avoid paying taxes. Kind of odd to use the sight anti-lawyer statement. But I wonder if he suspects that Teresa Heinz has does some crazy deals and has been involved in some crazy tax shelters, he used the term loophole. Who the heck knows, but when you've got a net worth of 9 digits, you usually have professionals, i.e. lawyers and accountants advising you and they suggest what are called "tax optimization" strategies.

Kerry can't run as a populist, Gephardt did, it didn't work this time and Edwards is running as one. Edwards seems to have pulled it off in Iowa.

As long as Kerry or his wife hasn't done too much to "optimize" their tax liability, tax returns shouldn't be an issue.

[sandnsea]

25. Yeah, they're that stupid

They will find nothing, zero, zilch, nothing. Kerry just went through a campaign with Weld and they found nothing and that was the entire Republican machine. Kerry's clean. No question.

[KittyWampus]

39. Well, Kerry's Carrying Water f/Telecommunications

is being featured in a book released in 2004 by Center of Public Integrity. Title- Buying of the President.

There's so much stuff Kerry won't be able to reduce it to a sound bite.

Maybe Kerry should have thought twice about smearing Clark and trying to make it look like Clark did something illegal or unethical in his post military career.

Kerry is a hypocrite and hopefully his supporters will see that it's only fair if he is held to same standars as Dean and Clark.

[AnnitaR]

18. Not a fan of Lehane!

He sounds like a weasel. Don't understand why Clark lets him do this stuff. I truly don't believe it's the way Clark wants to run this campaign. He needs to reign in Lehane now.

Clark doesn't need to go dirty attacks to win this thing.

[KittyWampus]

40. Kerry's Been Handing Out Flyers Smearing Clark. Why Should Clark

just take that kind of crap?

Kerry also has a webpage maligning Clark.

How about a little consistency here.

Kerry needs to be scrutinized. The sooner the better.

Kerry is not a Saint nor is his behavior regarding Telecommunications, among other things, ETHICAL.

[RamboLiberal]

19. Lehane is a sleaze

I wish Clark had never taken him on - yuck. Only Toe Sucker Dick Morris is sleazier. Get rid of this jerk! Or put him on retainer until it's time to go after Rove & Bush! Then use these tactics. I do wonder how much of the sleazy attacks on Dean in the last couple of weeks were Lehane's works. Well we'll know if this same kind of sleaze attacks turn up against Kerry and Edwards.

And you know what, I like Clark. Just don't like this choice.

[QuidditchFan]

20. Either he is blind or stupid or both...

Someone in the Clark campaign needs to get this guy under control. I wonder if it would have been a good idea for him to pay attention to where the mud-slingers in the Iowa primary ended up.

I have no doubt that Kerry will find a way to turn this against Lehane.

Very bad idea, imho.

[Tim_in_HK]

21. Not a fan of Lehane either . . .

Can someone in the know fill me in on his recent past?

If I remember correctly, he used to work for the Kerry campaign, but then left. I remember him quitting (when Kerry was losing people) before Clark entered the race. Is that right?

[RamboLiberal]

23. Daily Kos is a good place to look

Monday | September 15, 2003

Chris Lehane is history
You knew it was coming.

Kerry communications director Chris Lehane has resigned from the Kerry campaign.

John Kerry's communications director has resigned over differences in the direction of the Democrat's presidential campaign.

Chris Lehane's departure comes amid speculation of a wider shake-up in the Kerry campaign, which has been torn by internal fights and a lack of public support from the candidate.

Can campaign manager Jim Jordan be far behind?

The official line is that Lehane wanted Kerry to move more aggressively against Dean. True or not, Lehane is an asshole. Many have documented his blatantly unfair attacks on Bradley as Gore's campaign mouthpiece in 2000, such as this piece:

http://www.dailykos.net/archives/004185.html

The documents — those nasty tidbits that campaigns euphemistically call "opposition research" — are flying in the scrappy final days of the Democratic contests here and in Iowa. At the center of the maelstrom, Democrats say, is a 36-year-old aide to Gen. Wesley K. Clark, a frenetic, colorful and, some contend, devious communications strategist named Chris Lehane.

Every campaign has people behind the scenes feeding unflattering facts about opponents to the press. But Mr. Lehane — a veteran of Al Gore's 2000 campaign and the Clinton White House, where his specialty was blunting queries from investigative reporters — is such a shrewd practitioner of what one admiring strategist called "the political black arts" that lately, when a negative story appears, rivals point to him.

"He can spread both joy and pain," said Donna Brazile, who managed Mr. Gore's campaign and calls herself a fan of Mr. Lehane. "It's important to know what side you're on when Chris Lehane is coming at you."

Now, Mr. Lehane has become a target in a fight among Democrats about whether opposition research is going too far. With General Clark rising in the polls in New Hampshire and Howard Dean facing a spate of negative news reports, from stories about stock he sold as Vermont's governor to remarks maligning the Iowa caucuses, many Democrats are convinced they see the invisible hand of Chris Lehane.

http://nytimes.com/2004/01/16/politics/campaigns/16LEHA...

[Rocinante]

26. Lehane is

a valuable resource. However he will be put on the back burner for a while after tonight. That's just my opinion, nothing else.

[Native]

27. Lehane came across like a complete moron

and Matthews immediately started bashing him and didn't let up. As to being speechless, I recall that Matthew's response to Lehane when asked if he'd ever been fired was a resounding yes. I had no idea this caricature of a human being had anything to do with the Clark campaign. Talk about a serious liability!

[KaraokeKarlton]

28. Lehane knows Kerry's secrets, so there must be some dirt in there

n/t

[Native]

41. So all he can come up with is griping about how 36 hours

has gone by since they made a request to see Kerry's tax records? 36 hours? Can you believe it? A whole day and a half? Why that's absolutely outrageous! Anyway, didn't Kerry release his tax records some time ago? I remember reading something about it around the time the media was talking about Heinz funding his campaign.

[KaraokeKarlton]

53. Actually, Kerry has a skeleton in his tax closet

A few years back he got involved in a shady offshore investment "deal" which amounted to tax fraud and a way to avoid paying taxes. He did back out of it, but he didn't report it the way he was supposed to, which I believe, is against the law. It could be this that Lehane is going to put out there, or maybe there's something else hiding in Kerry's closet that no one else knows about yet.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

65. Actually, your unsubstantiated charge is false.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

71. Actually, it's true.

Kerry took a loss in tax shelter in 1984 to avoid political fallout

Weeks before that interview, Kerry, by his own account now, had jettisoned an investment of between $25,000 and $30,000 in an exotic tax shelter after his accountant questioned its legitimacy. In an interview with the Globe, Kerry acknowledged that fear of political embarrassment was a factor in his decision to swallow the loss.

Until now, Kerry has never disclosed details of this tax shelter, which utilized offshore companies registered in the Cayman Islands and a "straddle" scheme of forward contracts to buy and sell commodities, apparently worth up to $238,527.





http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/06190...

[maddezmom]

29. tacky

agree, not sure Clark is best served by Lehane. But the Kerry camp brought the issue of records up when they posted Clark info on the Kerry site. They are both in it to win, so I'm sure this isn't the last of the back and forth between them.

[Freddie Stubbs]

31. Kerry's lobbying record's?

I do not believe that he was ever a lobbyist. Anyone have proof to the contrary?

[KittyWampus]

43. Kerry's Biggest Contributors Are Lobbyists For Telecommunications

and Kerry's votes on Issues regarding Telecom. have benefitted that Industry DIRECTLY against the public interest.

[Freddie Stubbs]

45. All of that is already in the public record

Only of the Democratic candidates for President has been a registered lobbyist.

[KittyWampus]

62. Only One voted Against The Public Intererst To Benefit Telecom. Industry

who are his largest contributors and even has a chapter in a book telling all about it... put out by the center for Public Integrity.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

66. Except your statement is wholly false.

Your fevered 'conclusion' is unsupported by the facts.

[Jerseycoa]

38. I wish they'd keep Lehane off television

But Kerry opened this particular line himself, so all's fair on it now.

[returnable]

42. I'm with you...

..."behind the scenes" operatives should remain just that, behind the scenes. Lehane didn't do Clark any favors last night.

And does anyone else think Lehane has a passing resemblence to Chris Kattan?

[Kahuna]

44. That was embarrassing. Lehane was sleezy as hell.

nt

[DoveTurnedHawk]

47. I've Told the Campaign Several Times

That Lehane needs to "get his fucking face off the TV" but sadly, they don't listen.



DTH

[LandOLincoln]

51. I was about to call Clark's NM campaign director

and tell him exactly the same thing, of course using Shelton's quote myself.

I'm sorry to hear they don't seem to be listening, but maybe if they hear from enough of us it will finally sink in.

Can't believe the General would condone the use of that sleazel to represent him.

[OKNancy]

55. Yup

a lot of Clark people feel the same. And unlike others, who see no wrong in their candidate, or their campaign, we Clark folks are all too ready to call it like it is.

[blm]

58. I have thought Lehane was a GOP operative for years now.

I was depressed when he came on to the Kerry camp and still depressed he found his way to Clark's.

[LandOLincoln]

68. A reasonable suspicion, I'd say. Isn't he a Republican? n/t

[CMT]

67. just as I thought

it is going to be a Clark-Kerry slugfest. I hope that Dean is the beneficiary.

[Melinda]

70. Lehane is a POS.