Emerging Right-Wing Group Aligned w/AEI Raising Millions to Lobby for War With Iran

[bigtree]

September 30, 2007

AEI & Freedom's Watch Seek $200 Million to Sell War on Iran


The New York Times reports that Freedom’s Watch is working with the American Enterprise Institute to lobby for war with Iran. ...

“ 'If Hitler’s warnings were heeded when he wrote Mein Kampf he could have been stopped,” said Bradley Blakeman, 49, the president of Freedom’s Watch and a former deputy assistant to Mr. Bush. ...

The idea for Freedom’s Watch was hatched in March at the winter meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition in Manalapan, Fla., where Vice President Dick Cheney was the keynote speaker...

One benefactor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the group was hoping to raise as much as $200 million by November 2008. Raising big money 'will be easy,' the benefactor said, adding that several of the founders each wrote a check for $1 million. ... Since the group is organized as a tax-exempt organization, it does not have to reveal its donors...

Among the group’s founders are Sheldon G. Adelson, ... sixth on the Forbes Magazine list of the world’s billionaires; Mel Sembler, ... who served as the ambassador to Italy and Australia; John M. Templeton Jr., the conservative philanthropist from Bryn Mawr, Pa.; and Anthony H. Gioia, a former ambassador to Malta ... .

Mr. Sembler, who is on the board of directors of the American Enterprise Institute, said the impetus for Freedom’s Watch 'came out of A.E.I.' last winter."


report: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6498

[mmonk]

1. It's dangerous when issues of life and death can be bought.

Let your reps know that you don't want another elective war.

[flvegan]

2. Why isn't "lobbying for war" terrorism?

[bigtree]

3. like the Iran 'regime change' office at State that's run by Elizabeth Cheney

and funded with $20 million from Congress

[jojo54]

4. You make a very valid point flvegan.

But it's terrorism only when Bushco's opponents are doing it.

[hootinholler]

5. Because lobbying against the current wars is terrorism?

Thus, by definition, lobbying for yet another war is patriotic!

Didn't you get the memo? You're either with them or agin them.

-Hoot

[flvegan]

7. So it's more like, "lobbying to fight them over there BEFORE we

might even have to consider thinking about fighting them over here"

I'm sooo behind.

[The Stranger]

16. Good question.

[L. Coyote]

6. This is just a stealth support IRAQ WAR initiative, and a distraction tactic.

Plus, it is just a scam to funnel millions to the media to pay them off, and get a tax deduction in the process.

This psy-op is being run by White House insiders to manipulate opinion and divert attention from the real issue bringing down Bush, his WAR built on lies and deceptions. It is just more attempting to control the debate. Don't fall fort this crap!

IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ
IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ
IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ
IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ
IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ
IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ
IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ

[NNN0LHI]

8. You are correct

Iraq will be the demise of the Republican party. And the thugs know it.

Don

[The Stranger]

17. But what if they can shift it to Iran? Then Syria? Then on to somewhere else?

[Jim__]

9. “ 'If Hitler’s warnings were heeded when he wrote Mein Kampf he could have been stopped,”

So, we have our cue. These assholes are telling us what they plan on doing. We can stop them if we act now. Heed their warning

[L. Coyote]

10. When will we realize that they are LIARS, LIARS, LIARS.

Heed, to give consideration or attention to

That is exactly what they want.

If they were really going to do it, they would not be
announcing it in every right-wing rag around the world.

IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ IRAQ

[Jim__]

15. Oh, of course. They never announced they were going to invade Iraq before they did it.

[The Stranger]

11. Will this get one more recommendation?

[bigtree]

12. The editor over at OpEdNews has asked his contributors to look into Freedom Watch

both experienced journalists and others. I think that's an excellent idea.

[yardwork]

19. k&r

[Selatius]

13. They want a war because they make money off war. War is a racket. n/t

[Joanne98]

14. I like to know what the LYING THIEVING AEI has to say about "The Shock Doctrine"

The murdering pigs for profit are disciples of Milton Friedman after all. Let them answer the charges!

[yardwork]

18. These people are crazy.

Templeton is nuttier than a fruitcake. He's one of the intelligent design dingbats.

Let these folks go to war with Iran. We'll stay home, thanks anyway.

[Forkboy]

20. Scary stuff, but thanks for posting it.

[bigtree]

21. we should rip the hypocritical facade off of Freedom's Watch

check out Kristol and Timmerman's role in promoting this