The New Karl Rove: Sidney Blumenthal (And Hillary Is in Bed with Both of Them)

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beth-arnold/the-new-karl-rove-sidney_b_99935.html

The New Karl Rove: Sidney Blumenthal (And Hillary Is in Bed with Both of Them)
Beth Arnold


Posted May 3, 2008 | 08:18 AM (EST)


The good senator from Illinois and the Great Black and White Hope for America Barack Obama has been absurdly and ridiculously raked through the coals because of "guilt by association" with his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. I'm not going to dignify that nationally destructive feeding frenzy with any statement except that it is the perfect example of how not to help our country recover and heal--get back on its feet--after the tremendous and purposeful demolition of these dis-United States over the last seven years. The reverend was and is a non-issue, and this campaign was purely an attack against Barack Obama that the traditional media pathetically--again--fell for.

Initiated by whom? Hillary Clinton looked into the cameras, as she usually does whether she's telling the truth or flat-out lying, and said that she would've left Wright's church if she had been a member. Whatever. She didn't stand up against George Bush or Dick Cheney when they were publicly spewing about truly important issues like going to war and stamping their approval on torture and spying on us and acting like they were supreme patriots for doing so. Hillary bought into and helped keep the Bush/Cheney illusion going with her statements and votes--like she was a Republican.

And maybe she is a Republican. She's embraced some of the worst aspects of the Republican Party, including their immoral campaigning. It's politics after all, you say. Shame on you if you do! Politics may be politics, but this is part of the reason our country is in the mess it's in right now. We should NOT expect a lack of integrity from our leaders. We should expect them to measure up to what the U.S. was and is meant to be. We should expect them to lift us up with their example--not to drag us into the muck of their hypocrisy, cynicism, and what is ultimately disrespect for us. Want another George W. Bush? Hillary is looking more like him every day.

Public manipulation at any cost to her party and to her country, and, sisters, yes, to her sex--as long as it gives her a leg up to win the presidency. That's what seems to define Clinton ethics.

So Sidney Blumenthal, the creator of the phrase "the vast right-wing conspiracy," is now sending out prolific smearing emails from/like "the vast right-wing conspiracy" to wreck the best chance America has had in years by electing Barack Obama. And Hillary pays him to do this. Where is the crowd fomenting the "guilt by association" now? By not only embracing but so creatively employing these tactics that almost did the Clintons in AND cozying up to the GOP that used them in the 90's, I would say that Hillary and her campaign have set a new record for lowness in politics. I consider this worse than the Republicans, because we expect the GOP to have no ethics about such things. That's their calling card.

Hillary got into bed with both Rove and Blumenthal and seems to like it there. Then she looks into the eyes of the public and the television cameras, and she says she's sorry that the Republicans are using the Wright (non)issue against Obama. But this is exactly what her campaign has done every single day. And, again, bedmate Blumenthal is paid a lot of money for this. Where is the respect for the working class that she claims to have? Probably in that bar where she left her photo-op shot glass.

Was it good for you, Karl?

[Skidmore]

1. Hillary is just

nasty.

[patrice]

2. You know the Clintons justify this with something like: This IS what it takes to win, but

S/He forgets that, almost universally, people become what/how they are being treated by others. Reduce people and their issues to their basest condition and guess what, you get base people operating on the lowest common denominator. This is one of the reasons Obama is so important, he's actually trying to change that at considerable political risk to himself.

[DJ13]

3. And maybe she is a Republican. ...Where is the crowd fomenting the "guilt by association" now?

Republicans never get attacked by the MSM over people they've associated with.

All their bat shit crazy preachers, all the crooks in their favorite lobbys, all the thieves within their own national committee, no one is held to the guilt by association standard that the MSM holds real Democrats to.

Hillary is an exception to the above rule, and its looking like its not the MSM changing their rules, but that they know Hillary is really a Republican with a phony (D) next to her name.

[mod mom]

4. Here's another good Huff Po piece: " Sidney Blumenthal: Republican"

Sydney Blumenthal: Republican

Posted May 2, 2008 | 10:41 PM (EST)


Sydney Blumenthal has written some wonderful and amazing political commentary in his day. He is clearly a brilliant person who knows exactly what he is doing at all times. Therefore it is curious that he would join ranks with the likes of Richard Mellon Scaife and Bill Kristol's The Weekly Standard and National Review to pile on with the Carvilles and the Penns and the Clintons to amp up the "negatives" of Barack Obama. Why? Why are these "Democrats" behaving like Republicans? And doesn't that tell you that they are not really Democrats?

Your book, Sydney, "The Clinton Wars," is one of my favorites of the era. I, for one, cannot believe after writing such a book you could ever do this to the progressive Democratic candidate for president -- and the first African-American presidential candidate to make it this far in the nominating contest in American history.

Sydney, Matt Drudge wrongfully accused you of spousal abuse. Now you feel it is politic to join ranks with this person and his ilk? Just to prove your loyalty to the Clintons?

-snip

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-a-palermo/sydney-blumenthal-republi_b_99920.html

[babylonsister]

5. There are lots of disappointed people, RE: Blumenthal.

He had such a good rep., and ruined it with these actions. I wonder if he'll ever defend himself. Maybe not, as it seems indefensible to me. Thanks for that link!

[Windy]

6. and we don't hear a thing about this in the MSM....surprised? I'm not!

The fix is in.

[blm]

7. These people are DESPERATE because they NEEDED to protect the Bush-Clinton franchise they work for.

All of their careers are based on protecting the powerful elite who depend on their workerbees to keep the global fascist agenda on track into the next decade.

Those pesky open government Democrats keep getting in their way.

[speedoo]

8. Off to the greatest page you go.

Thanks for posting.

[Catherina]

9. I'm sure it was good for Karl. The real question is was it as good for Hillary? K&R n/t

[1776Forever]

10. These are the things that IN and NC voters need to hear!

It is so evident if they just will be open minded enough to really listen!

[TragedyandHope]

11. Help, I'm drowning in SLIME!

[K Gardner]

12. "Maybe Hillary IS a Republican"... amen.

[Scurrilous]

13. K & R

:thumbsup:

[stillcool]

14. I guess we're finding out where the money went...

FACING SOUTH EXCLUSIVE:
D.C. nonprofit aimed at women voters behind deceptive N.C. robo-calls
By Chris Kromm
Facing South

The D.C.-based nonprofit, led by well-connected Washington operatives, claims in a press release they sent to Facing South that the North Carolina calls are part of a 24-state effort targeted at a list of 3 million voters, especially unmarried women. The robo-calls, which never mention Women's Voices, are followed by mailings that include information on how to register to vote. They plan to mail some 276,000 packets in North Carolina alone.

But since last November, in at least 11 states nationwide, Women's Voices -- sometimes working through its Voter Participation Center project -- has developed a checkered reputation, drawing rebukes from leading election officials and complaints from thousands of would-be voters as a result of their secretive tactics, deceptive mailings and calls, and penchant for skirting or violating the law. For example:

* In Arizona last November, election officials were "inundated with complaints" after Women's Voices sent a mailing erroneously claiming that recipients were "required" to mail back an enclosed voter registration form. Many who received the mailing were already registered; the mailing also gave the wrong registration date. Secretary of State Jan Brewer denounced the group's tactics as "misleading and deceptive." A similar mailing in Colorado that month " fire and caused confusion," according to a state press release.

* In Wisconsin, state officials singled out Women's Voices for misleading and possibly disenfranchising voters, stating in a press release : "One group in particular -- Women's Voices. Women Vote, of Washington, D.C. -- apparently ignored or disregarded state deadlines in seeking to register voters,"
sending in registrations past the January 30 deadline and causing "hundreds of Wisconsin voters who think they registered in advance" to actually not be.

* Michigan officials ended up "fielding tons of calls from confused voters" after Women's Voices did a February mailing to "380,000 unmarried women" -- including numerous deceased voters and even more that were already registered. Sarah Johnson of Women's Voices "seemed confused by the confusion," the Lansing
State Journal reported.

* A 1.5 million-piece Women's Voices mailing in Florida falsely stated: "To comply with state voting requirements, please return the enclosed application." Pasco County's elections supervisor called it "disingenuous"; another said it created "a lot of unnecessary panic on behalf of the voters," reported local newspapers. Sarah Johnson of Women's Voice said, "I'm sorry to hear that."

* By March, Women's Voices was backing off the erroneous "registration is required" language, but there were still problems. For example, a mailing in Arkansas allowed that "registering to vote is voluntary," but a clerk in Washington County reported that "the majority sent back to the county come from registered voters, causing needless labor for office employees."

Problems with the group's tactics have also been documented in Louisiana, Kentucky and Ohio.In each state, the Women's Voices campaigns have brought the same news and the same themes, again and again: Deceptive claims and misrepresentations of the law -- sometimes even breaking the law. Wildly inaccurate mailing lists, supposedly aimed at "unregistered single women," but in reality reaching many registered voters as well as families, deceased persons and pets. Tactics that confuse voters and potentially disenfranchise them.

For such a sophisticated and well-funded operation, which counts among its ranks some of the country's most seasoned political operatives, such missteps are peculiar, as is the surprise expressed by Women's Voices staff after each controversy.

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/04/facing-south-exclusive-dc-nonprofit.asp

AG: Recent Robo-Calls On Voting Info. Are Illegal
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008 - 10:00 PM Updated: 11:18 PM

By Steve Sbraccia
General Assignment Reporter
WNCN-TV

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Thousands of North Carolinians have received automated phone calls in the last few days that state officials said broke the law

As the complaints began to pile up, those cataloging them began to notice a pattern where certain groups seemed to be targeted.The situation was brought to the attention of Attorney General Roy Cooper’s office. He said those automated phone calls are illegal.

“They don't identify the group sponsoring the call, nor do they give the recipient info as to who they need to contact to stop the calls from coming,” said Cooper.
---------------------------------------

“A lot of the complaints came from African-American voters,” said Chris Kromm of the Institute for Southern Studies. “When ee heard a lot of the complaints were coming from African-Americans, that really raised a red flag for us.”

Kromm also said the institute's research indicates the Women's Voice group has a number of interesting connections to Bill Clinton.

“They claim they're a non-profit, non partisan organization. But, its president is a recent donor to Hill-Pac, a big Hillary funding group. The executive director worked for Bill Clinton in his ‘92 campaign and the lawyer for the organization is the lawyer who defended Clinton during the impeachment crisis in
the 90's,” said Kromm

A few of the board bio's
Women's Voices, Women Vote

Page S. Gardner, Founder and President, WVWV
Ms. Gardner has been credited with designing and implementing some of the most creative and successful issue and legislative campaigns, as well as staging come from behind candidate victories in key battleground races. She is regarded as one of the top strategists in the country.

Joe Goode, Executive Director, WVWV
Goode brings a wealth of experience to WVWV from his work with other campaigns and organizations as well as from a prior term at GQR. In 1996, Goode was the Campaign Manager for North Carolina Congressman David Price. After serving as the Congressman's District Director in 1997, Goode returned to Washington as a Vice President at the polling firm of Lake Snell Perry. He worked with firm president Celinda Lake on various U.S. political campaigns as well as providing research for non-profit organizations and foundations. Goode began his polling career as Director of Computing Services for Greenberg-Lake, Inc. in 1989. He was the Senior Analyst on company CEO Stan Greenberg's work for the Clinton for President campaign in 1992, assisting in the development and implementation of all polling and focus groups done for the presidential primary and general election campaigns.


Nancy McDonald, Resource Development Director, WVWV
Nancy McDonald worked in the private sector for thirty-two years. For twenty-four years, she held various professional and managerial positions at DuPont, including Chief Information Officer for the $2.2B DuPont Engineering Polymers business. Following that, she became a senior executive at Accenture, a $16B multi-national consulting firm. At Accenture, she led one of the client relationship teams responsible for business development and subsequently led a global organization of 200 people.


Michael Lux, President, American Family Voices
Mr. Lux has a diverse background in the consulting, labor and consumer advocacy world. Lux serves on the boards of several important organizations, including the Arca Foundation, the Proteus Fund, 21st Century Democrats, Progressive Majority, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, and the Clinton-Gore alumni association.


Mimi Mager, Partner, Heidepriem & Mager
From 1987 through 1990, Mager worked for the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, where she designed and implemented the grassroots legislative campaigns. She served as a member of the Clinton-Gore transition team, Special Assistant/Deputy to the Director of VISTA, Executive Director of the Friends of VISTA, Executive Director of the Women's Campaign Fund, Senior Advisor in the Michael Dukakis, Mondale-Ferraro, and Fred Harris presidential campaigns, and Legislative Assistant to Senator Jim Abourezk (D-SD). Mager serves on the Board of Directors of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, Bright Beginnings Inc., and Friends of VISTA. She is a founding member of EMILY's List and currently sits on its national steering committee.

John Podesta, President and CEO, Center for American Progress
John Podesta is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for American Progress. Mr. Podesta served as Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton from October 1998 until January 2001, where he was responsible for directing, managing, and overseeing all policy development, daily operations, Congressional relations, and staff activities of the White House. He coordinated the work of cabinet agencies with a particular emphasis on the development of federal budget and tax policy, and served in the President's Cabinet and as a Principal on the National Security Council.