Blackwater, accused of killing Iraqis and tax evasion, begins spin campaign, urges calls to Congress

[ProSense]

Blackwater Launches Campaign Urging Supporters To ‘Influence’ Congress With Misleading Spin

In the past two weeks, Erik Prince, the CEO of embattled private security firm Blackwater USA, has orchestrated an aggressive public relations campaign in efforts to save his company’s reputation in the face of multiple . In his media blitz, Prince has given interviews to The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer,” CBS’ “60 Minutes” and PBS’ “Charlie Rose” amongst others.

As the next step of the PR campaign, Blackwater sent an e-mail blast today, encouraging supporters to contact “elected Congressional representatives” with “letters, e-mails and calls” with the goal of “influencing the manner in which they gather and present information.” Blackwater also provided “suggested themes” for supporters to follow:

- Cost efficiency of Blackwater — saving the US taxpayer millions of dollars so that the US Government doesn’t have to take troops from their missions or send more into harms way

- Professional population of service veterans and mature law enforcement personnel

- Sacrifice in lives lost by Blackwater saving US diplomats without one single protectee harmed

Blackwater’s claim to cost efficiency is specious at best. According to documents made available to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, “It costs the U.S. government a lot more to hire contract employees as security guards in Iraq than to use American troops.”

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[msongs]

1. using taxpayer money to promote itself - helpless Nancy oughta investigate nt

[BuyingThyme]

2. What are the odds that they're working right now in SoCal?

[supernova]

3. I hope BW does an ENRON

:grr: Evil, vile, corrupt organization.

[killbotfactory]

4. The people running this company should be arrested

Money trumps justice almost everytime.

[mod mom]

5. Wonder if Hillary's chief strategist, Mark Penn is helping out:

"Hillary's Rove" Comes Through for Blackwater
Posted October 16, 2007 | 03:49 PM (EST)


Have we just had a taste of how influence might be wielded under a Clinton II Administration? In a very successful week for its most notorious client, Mark Penn's firm was able to get Blackwater CEO Erik Prince several major television appearances. Lob-ball questions were included at no extra charge.

Democrats have waited years for a consultant that can play the media as well as the GOP can. Unfortunately, most of them had hoped it would be for a better cause. And even if this is all coincidence, Mr. Penn's continued leadership of Burson-Marsteller - and the firm's indiscriminate choice of clients - creates a serious perception problem in a time when voters are yearning for change.

It makes sense that 60 Minutes and other news shows would offer Prince prominent spots, and would hit the talking points he and his PR firm want them to hit. After all, Hillary could be the next President of the United States. Who wants to get on the bad side of the man so many are describing as "Hillary's Rove," especially this early in the election season?

The sometimes-formidable Lara Logan offered a soft venue for Prince's unverifiable denials of the mass shooting in Iraq - denials that contradict both eyewitnesses and the United States military. (The State Department and the FBI are stonewalling the military and freezing them out of the investigation - presumably so they can prepare a more politically-influenced report).

-snip

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/hillarys-rove-comes-th_b_68688.html

[ProSense]

6. Kick! n/t