Why is the managing Director of Mark Penn's Firm linked to the Iowa push polls?

[saracat]

As if it isn't bad enough that Penn is defending Blackwater and the manufacturers of lead based Chinese toys, now he is linked to the atrocious push polls in Iowa this week!Nice move on the part of the Clinton campaign, and he is of course and integral part of that campaign.
The company traced to the push polls is Central Marketing Services, which Chris Wilson, of the Wilson Research Strategy admits is a "sister" company of Wilson. Central is currently conducting the anti Edwards push polls in Iowa.

September 2007 Journal Record article had the bios of the CEOs of Wilson Research it said:
Lance Tarrance is one of the most respected pollsters in America and has conducted countless public opinion studies for national corporations, foundations, elected leaders of the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and state governments. Named one of the 150 people in the country influencing national government by National Journal and also a member of “Who’s Who in America,” Tarrance’s provocative commentary is sought by print and broadcast media, including the New York Times, the CBS Morning News, ABC’s Nightline and NBC’s Today. Tarrance has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Gallup Organization and first Managing Director and President of Gallup China in Beijing. He also served as the President and Founder of V. Lance Tarrance & Associates, a Houston-based national survey research company and as managing director to Washington D.C.’s Burson-Marsteller Public Affairs Practice. Tarrance is a published author and lecturer and has traveled extensively over the world, including the Far East, Africa and South America.

Carlos A. Rodriguez has been a public affairs and communications professional for more than 25 years. A well-known and respected Republican operative based in California, he has directed numerous successful congressional and statewide candidate and initiative campaigns in a number of states. As a founding member of Huckaby Marsh & Rodriguez, he was part of President Reagan’s successful professional reelection campaign team in 1984. Rodriguez also played a leadership role in the 2002 GOP victories in multiple Florida House districts when Republicans in the state House and Senate captured two-thirds control of the legislature. Fluent in Spanish, Rodriguez has been involved in several successful Latino political projects including the structure and launch of The Latino Coalition and Opiniones Latinas, a bilingual Latino polling, communications, and research firm. Rodriguez also has provided corporate strategic consulting services for a number of companies including ADP in New York.

Chris Wilson is the Founder and CEO of Wilson Research Strategies and is widely recognized as one of the leading and most credible public opinion research and research-based strategic consultants in the country. He has conducted numerous public opinion surveys for hundreds of candidates, companies, and political organizations. His cutting-edge techniques keep him well ahead of the competition. Chris has been named a “Mover and Shaker” in American politics by Campaigns & Elections magazine. He is a frequent lecturer on research, strategy, and national trends; Chris has been quoted in such national publications as The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Burson-Marsteller is the company run by Hillary Clinton chief campaign strategist, Mark Penn.

Tarrance was also the GOP’s architect of their “Southern Strategy” in the 1960s and 1970s. So why is he working with Hillary’s campaign chief strategist’s firm?

[SaveElmer]

1. Guess the spot on attacks on Edward hypocrisy and flip-flopping...

Are gettin to ya huh?

Looks like Edwards supporters are running scared...Hillary must be pulling away!!!

Not the diversionary pro you are...but I'll get there...

[sandnsea]

2. Can you contradict the facts?

:shrug:

Why attack the messenger?

[SaveElmer]

4. There's a history...

Rather than address Edwards rank hypocrisy as demonstrated many times over the last couple of days, the OP as usual drags up some lame anti-Clinton conspiracy theory to avoid facing up to it...

[sandnsea]

20. So contradict the facts

If you can't, then the post isn't lame.

[Mojambo]

8. There's usually crickets from Clinton supporters when Mark Penn's name comes up

I can understand why.

[SaveElmer]

9. Or when John Edwards record is brought up...

I can understand why

[Mojambo]

15. I'll take Edwards correcting his formerly wrong positions

over connections to a union busting, dictator defending slime bag like Penn any day.

[SaveElmer]

18. How about connections to a shill lobbyist...

Working for Monsanto?

Or to a firm that foreclosed on post Katrina New Orleans homeowners...

[Donnachaidh]

56. :yawn:

Dig up something NEW please. These have already been addressed by Edwards. When can we expect you to drag out the *hair* whinge?

[Andy823]

21. Right on

You can't compare a person admitting to their mistakes with someone like Peen running thing for Hillary. Now who do you think is going to be getting her "ear" if by some miracle she did become president, the people, or thoe who Penn works for?

You can tell a lot by the company a person keeps! And all I can say is:puke: !

[SaveElmer]

22. Look up the name Peter Scher...

See if you think that is the type person you like Edwards to "keep company with"

Or how about Fortress Investments...real humanitarians there...

[Andy823]

33. Can you tell me

What you would say if Penn was on say Edwards team?

Can you explain to me how she can hire someone like this, and then tell the public that lobbyists and special interst groups will not be getting any favors from her?

Now since this thread is about Penn, I think we should keep to the subject, don't you?

[SaveElmer]

35. I respond to attacks and hypocrisy...

I know that all the campaigns have people that are not as pure as the driven snow...that's politics...it's a mean dirty shitty game that has to be played...

But when one candidate tries to portray themselves as above it, and criticizes others...while not clean themselves...I am gonna call them on it...

[Bluebear]

30. You said it. nt

[asdjrocky]

44. They never contradict any facts,

They never have any facts.

Post, smear, repeat.

[Donnachaidh]

55. sounding a wee bit shrill dude

But hey -- guess the paycheck is bigger when dogs can hear ya ;-)

[karynnj]

58. Shouldn't you be asking the HRC campaign if Penn is involved?

Clever that they tried to make it look like attacks on Edwards and HRC, though the HRC ones were weak.

This reminds me of the trick that the media guy in Bush's 2001 campaign tried to play making it look like Gore stole Bush's debate practice tapes - when of course they mailed it to Gore's team.

[zulchzulu]

3. Golly gee whiz...who woulda thunk Penn would have ties to the push pollers...

It can't be true....can it, Dwayne?

[Cameron27]

5. Link?

[SaveElmer]

7. Don't bother..OP's typical response to criticism of Edwards...

Drag up some lame 6 degrees of separation conspiracy theory on Hillary to avoid facing up to the glaring deficiencies of her candidate...

[Texas_Kat]

10. That's certainly what it seems to me

It's just bootstrapping. I've heard that similar connections can be made to at least one person on Edwards staff. It was too far-fetched to post even here at DU.

[SaveElmer]

12. Yes there is...nt

[Cameron27]

14. I read the same thing

and based on the way the questions in that poll were worded, it was more believable than the OP. Few would be low enough to post such nasty innuendo though.

[Andy823]

27. Is this the Kat from CARM?

Is it you Kat?

[incapsulated]

32. CARM?

Please tell me this is some super spy type of deal, then Kat would be like even cooler to me, lol.

[Andy823]

38. Top secret

Can't discuss it till I know for sure if she is "Kat from CARM"! :hide:

[Texas_Kat]

41. I'm afraid I don't even know what CARM is

Sorry.

[Andy823]

49. Thanks

It's a discussion board, and there is a poster Tex_Kat, and I thought maybe you were the same person.

[zulchzulu]

11. Found something...

http://news.findlaw.com/prnewswire/20070906/06sep20071318.html

[SaveElmer]

13. You mean you found the same article posted by the OP...

Brilliant find!

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SaveElmer]

19. Yeah pops...

That link contains the same text as in the OP...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

54. Don't Mess With Zulchululu

Didn't he just tell you he's a genius...

[pnwmom]

37. Pardon me, seasonedblue.

Could you please tell me about these push polls that everyone but me seems to know about?

[Cameron27]

39. I'd be glad to.

The story was first picked up by Ben Smith at Politico, at least that's what Joe Scarborough said this morning:

"Two bloggers today reported receiving calls last night from a pollster testing whether John Edwards' failure to drop out to take care of his ailing wife could damage his campaign.

The pollster asked whether "desmoinesdem," a well-regarded liberal Iowa blogger, would not support Edwards because "he chose to continue the presidential campaign instead of staying home with his wife who has cancer," the blogger reported. A blogger on John Edwards campaign website, doridc, shared a similar recollection.

The bloggers (who I wasn't able immediately to contact off line, though I'd like to) both speculated that the call, placed through a firm called Central Research, came from the Obama campaign, because it tested negative messages about both Edwards and Hillary Clinton.

A spokesman for Obama, Bill Burton, flatly denied that his campaign is behind it.

"It's not us. We think that line of questioning is abhorrent," he said.

Snip: UPDATE: There is a call center listed on Irving Place in New York City and known alternately -- at the same address -- as Central Marketing and Central Research. The firm, I'm told by two New York political operatives who have hired them in the past, polls widely for a variety of political clients. They've been associated with pretty aggressive negative message testing and with what sounds like a flat out push poll, in both of those cases apparently working against Democrats. But I'm told that it's a non-partisan, commercial outfit that works on contract for pretty much anyone, including mainstream Democratic pollsters. I spoke briefly with Carol McMahon, who runs the company, and she said she wasn't able to talk just then.

In the meantime, I'm still looking for people with full names who got the calls, and also for whether they came from a 212 number.

ALSO: I'd caution against jumping to conclusions here. As commenters note, they've worked for Republicans. Taylor Marsh has a rather complicated story that she thinks ties Central Marketing to Republicans working on behalf of Obama(!). I'm told, more directly, by a source familiar with the arrangements, that they've done calling for the Global Strategy Group, the firm of Edwards pollster Harrison Hickman which has a New York office -- but that doesn't mean they did this poll, by any means. And the negative message testing they did in New York concerned Freddy Ferrer, the main oppponent of Mike Bloomberg. Global was Ferrer's pollster; Penn Schoen & Berland was Bloomberg's, and either could have commissioned that poll. That pretty much covers it, no?"

There have been more updates, but no one's been able to find any verifiable proof to link this to anyone yet.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1107/Message_testing_in_Iowa_Elizabeth_Edwards_health.html

Edited to say that Clinton was targeted in this same push poll with two nasty questions too.

[Cameron27]

40. I should post the questions that were asked:

From Marc Ambinder:

"Someone's doing dirty work in Iowa: message-testing phone calls against John Edwards and Hillary Clinton..."

Why do you think Hillary Clinton is a weak candidate and gives 3 choices. A) Is a weak general election candidate. B)Is too dependent on lobbyist money. C) Won't bring change

Then why do do think John Edwards is a weak candidate with 2 choices A) a weak general election candidate because his positions are too liberal B) He should be home with his wife who has cancer.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/11/whos_behind_the_negative_messaging_in_iowa.php

[pnwmom]

43. Thank you!

I bet this is Rethugs, trying to stir things up. They get to make all three of the top candidates look bad in different ways, and all three campaigns pointing fingers at each other.

I am SO ready for this to be over!

[Cameron27]

46. I think it's coming from the RW nuts too.

I know what you mean, this primary can't be over soon enough for me either. (With all this ugliness popping up, I'm actually glad that Wes Clark isn't running)

[pnwmom]

47. Wes Clark would have been great, but our group is great as it is.

If we can just get past all the anonymosity that's building up now.

[itsrobert]

6. Clinton campaign getting desperate

They are going to lose big in Iowa. Clinton loses, Democrats and America wins!

[Andy823]

17. Good post

But as I already see, the Hillary gang will "not" address it, just come off with stupid one liners, and try and make you look bad. The facts are something that some don't want to see, no matter how obvious they are.

I think the "Hillary" attack machine is in full mode since the last debate. I kind of feel sorry for them, they really don't have a lot to work with, so attacking is their only option! :scared:

Keep up the good work, and when Edwards wins this, and he will, they will come to see that the people of this country are not going to be fooled by childish attacking, but will see the person who is best suited to be the nominee for the dem party, and it isn't Hillary!

[Catchawave]

23. Welcome to DU Andy....

:applause: :toast: :applause:

Edwards WILL win this :hi:

[Andy823]

31. Thank you for the welcome

Yes I agree he will win! :applause:

[incapsulated]

24. Why is Central Marketing doing polling for Edward's pollster?

So who made the calls? Doing their own research, bloggers on the Edwards site found that Central Research is actually a firm known as Central Marketing Services in New York City, which has been connected to negative message testing before. The liberal blogger Taylor Marsh has found that Central Research is connected to Wilson Research Strategies, a firm that has been tied to push polling before in a local race for mayor’s in Indiana.

Ben Smith’s blog on the Politico reports that he contacted the owner of the firm, Carol McMahon, to ask about the campaigning and received no reply. Smith’s reporting also found that Central Research is also tied to Global Strategies Group, a firm owned by Edwards pollster Harrison Hickman. Central Research was also reported to have done polling against Freddy Ferrer in the New York Mayor’s race in 2005.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/14/465939.aspx


Connect the dots is fun for everyone!

[SaveElmer]

25. Uh oh Indy...

eom

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rinsd]

52. Consider yourself warned?

WTf does that mean keyboard tough guy?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

53. Be careful

He might beat you up...


:scared:

[Cameron27]

26. Good catch.

[itsrobert]

29. Ben Smith has shown to be a Hillary Shrill

He's not a good source.

[ClarkUSA]

28. Whoever is behind this is as bad as any Rovian Republican.

It's disgusting that there may be some Democrats that are as amoral as the Republican dirty tricksters DUers have
decried in years past.

[illinoisprogressive]

34. amazing what a little digging will turn up.

[itsrobert]

36. Good job connecting the dots.

thanks!

[msongs]

42. yeah but obama associates with KNOWN republicans in Washington :-)

so if guilt by association is the order of the day, let's get everyone we can, like biden too, and dodd as well.

next thing you'll be telling us the POPE was in the hitler youth.

Msongs

[asdjrocky]

45. Great post Sara!

Full of facts as usual.

If you work for a living, you must support Edwards.

[MethuenProgressive]

48. The Edwardians win the Horse Shit Stacking Contest!

What a silly post. :rofl:

[sundancekid]

51. imagine that! mark penn = karl rove light ... may their shenanigans fail miserably

so that truth can be restored to power

[AtomicKitten]

57. I'm stunned by this news.

Stunned I tell you. Ha, ha.

:hi:

[Broke Dad]

59. Mark Penn while working for Hillary does push polling in Iowa

No surprise there.

The Hillary drones then claim here that Mark Penn doesn't work for Hillary.

No surprise at that either.

The Hillary manure spreading organization at work.

[rinsd]

61. You can't even make shit up correctly. I haven't seen anyone claim Penn does not work for Hillary.

Please tell me you are a doing all you can to spread the word that you are for Edwards.

You could be our secret weapon on caucus night!

[creeksneakers2]

60. There is nothing at all in the paragraphs you posted or anywhere

else on the web linking these calls with Burson-Martsteller. You are spreading false information.

A group in New York that is linked to the calls worked for an opponent of Mark Penn's firm during the Bloomberg election. In other words,Mark Penn had nothing to do with the calls in either case. The other side did.

I think you are misreading the links to the Wilson firm and misreading that Mark Penn is involved with them. The only links from Wilson are to Edwards, who is the likeliest culprit for these calls. Edwards is the one that would benefit from them.

[saracat]

62. Really ? Read to comprehend.>

September 2007 Journal Record article had the bios of the CEOs of Wilson Research it said:
Lance Tarrance is one of the most respected pollsters in America and has conducted countless public opinion studies for national corporations, foundations, elected leaders of the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and state governments. Named one of the 150 people in the country influencing national government by National Journal and also a member of “Who’s Who in America,” Tarrance’s provocative commentary is sought by print and broadcast media, including the New York Times, the CBS Morning News, ABC’s Nightline and NBC’s Today. Tarrance has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Gallup Organization and first Managing Director and President of Gallup China in Beijing. He also served as the President and Founder of V. Lance Tarrance & Associates, a Houston-based national survey research company and as managing director to Washington D.C.’s Burson-Marsteller Public Affairs Practice. Tarrance is a published author and lecturer and has traveled extensively over the world, including the Far East, Africa and South America.

And of course you acknowledge the Chris Wilson quote that Central Marketing is a "sister" comapny to Wilson research?

[creeksneakers2]

63. You're right

Burson-Martsteller is in there.

[blindpig]

64. Bidness as usual

Watch them in action...

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Some might argue that this is the way thing are done. If that is your position then you have contempt for democracy.


It's despicable.