Bush official accused of fraud resigns his job

By ERIK STETSON, Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — James Tobin, the Maine man who is in charge of President Bush's New England campaign, stepped down after New Hampshire Democrats implicated him in election fraud, which he denied. Tobin, who was born in Windham, educated at Bates College in Lewiston and lives in Bangor, released a statement though a Bangor law firm Friday as Democrats and Republicans fought in court over whether Democrats could question GOP officials about Tobin's role in illegal phone jamming on Election Day 2002.
"The Democrats' allegations against me are without merit," Tobin said.
"But to avoid any harm to the campaign from their underhanded tactics, I elected earlier this week to step down from my voluntary position with the campaign," he said.
The 2002 jamming consisted of computer-generated calls to get-out-the-vote phones run by Democrats and the nonpartisan Manchester firefighters' union. More than 800 hang-up calls tied up phones for about 1 1/2 hours.
Last summer, Chuck McGee, the former executive director of New Hampshire's GOP, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and admitted paying $15,600 to a Virginia telemarketing company that hired another business to make the calls. GOP consultant Allen Raymond also pleaded guilty.
State Democrats have said they believe Tobin might have put McGee and Raymond together.
In 2002, Tobin was Northeast political director for the Republican Senatorial Committee, the party operation that worked to elect Republicans to the Senate. Among the races affected by the phone-jamming was the U.S. Senate contest between Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican U.S. Rep. John E. Sununu. It was considered a cliff-hanger, though Sununu ended up winning by about 20,000 votes.
At plea hearings in U.S. District Court, McGee and Raymond both acknowledged speaking to an unidentified official with a national political organization about the jamming. Democrats say they believe Tobin was the official.
In his statement, Tobin said he will fight the allegations and is confident he will win. "It is disappointing, indeed, to see the opposition party manipulate the court system in a blatant effort to influence the election," he said.
Tobin, whose father is state Rep. David Tobin, R-Windham, founded a communications and political consulting company in Bangor before getting into GOP politics. Before his latest jobs, he was national political director for Steve Forbes' presidential campaign.
Tobin has also been an adviser to former U.S. Sen. William Cohen, R-Maine, and to U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.
New Hampshire Democratic Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan has said the public should know Tobin's role in the phone jamming, and that of any other high GOP officials. In pursuit of that goal, the party won an order in Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester on Wednesday saying it could proceed with depositions of GOP officials.
But a deposition set for Thursday was abruptly called off when the Justice Department said it would seek a delay until federal criminal proceedings ended.
In a motion filed Friday in Superior Court, federal prosecutor Todd Hinnen said the people Democrats want to question were likely witnesses in the criminal case.
The questioning "would inevitably disclose the substance of ongoing matters occurring before the federal grand jury and would permit the targets of the criminal investigation to obtain access to information which they would not otherwise be entitled to at this time regarding the investigation and the United States' likely witnesses," the motion said.
Democrats accused the Justice Department of colluding with the state GOP, which the GOP denied.

Oregon: Bush Security detail tactics draw fire from Local Residents

October 16, 2004
Security detail tactics draw fire
By SANNE SPECHT
Mail Tribune

JACKSONVILLE, OR— Residents joined demonstrators Friday in condemning police for using what they called "aggressive" force to clear crowds during President Bush’s stay Thursday night.
"They took an aggressive standpoint and escalation was their only option," said Jacksonville resident Michael Moss. He spoke at a press conference held by the demonstrators in front of City Hall Friday afternoon.
The trouble started about 8 p.m. Thursday following peaceful demonstrations from both Bush supporters and protesters throughout the afternoon.
Police ordered about 300 people to clear a section of California Street in front of the Jacksonville Inn, where President and first lady Laura Bush were dining after holding a rally at the Jackson County Expo.
Two protesters were arrested and police fired rounds of pepper balls when a "small group became aggressive with the officers," said an Oregon State Police press release issued Friday.
Moss, 29, said he was taking a walk, not protesting, when he was shot in the back seven times with pepper balls (plastic paint balls filled with capsaicin).
"I was in front of the riot police and we started moving slowly backwards," said Moss. "I saw a man get hit by a baton. He went down. With my back to the police — as I was picking him up — that’s when I was shot."
Moss lifted his shirt to show the quarter-sized welts and abrasions on his back. Moss said he used his body to shield an older man who had been pushed to the ground by police.
"It felt like a branding iron," Moss said. "I talked to (the man) briefly afterwards. He thanked me, but was so shaken up he could hardly talk."
The Secret Service had requested "assistance for a safe and secure setting" from local law enforcement agencies, said the OSP press release, issued jointly with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the Jacksonville Police Department.
OSP Lt. Kurt Barthel said he was at the command post at the Medford airport during the Jacksonville events, but was told that five of the protesters physically fought back with officers and grabbed their batons.
Protest organizer Shelley Elkovich of Ashland said she had numerous conversations with Sheriff Mike Winters and Jacksonville Police Chief David Towe regarding the planned demonstration before the president’s visit.
"We were told as long as we stayed on the sidewalks, we would be fine," she said. "This was a peaceful protest until the police made a decision to escalate and become aggressive. I am going to be setting up a meeting with law enforcement regarding excessive force."
Police, spectators and demonstrators agree the mixed-age crowd was behaving well until police ordered the sidewalk be cleared immediately between Third and Fifth streets. Those above Third Street were not ordered to clear and some became separated from their families.
Barthel said the Secret Service gave officers orders about a half-hour earlier to move the crowd away from the back of the Jacksonville Inn as the motorcade was leaving the Expo.
"We were given about three minutes to clear the area," said Barthel. "We were told to move them and move them now."
However, Barthel said the back of the inn was cleared without incident.
Barthel said he’d had reports the crowd had gotten louder once it realized the president was in the Jacksonville Inn having dinner.
"But I can’t really state why there was a sweep of that area," said Barthel.
Elizabeth Bretko, 32, of Jacksonville, said she decided to take a walk downtown and was quickly met by "the riot police."
"I want everyone to know I wasn’t there to protest. It was a one-time ever event," she said. "But to be constantly told (by police) that I was the enemy was really shocking. I walk these streets every night. I own a business here."
When the sweep started, Bretko said the crowds, which had been assembling for several hours, were unable to move as fast as the police were demanding.
"They couldn’t hear what they were shouting. And they couldn’t move because there were too many people still coming up the street. It was crazy," said Bretko.
Barthel said Towe was in charge of the town’s policing.
Bretko said she and others had a talk with Towe at a restaurant later that night.
"(Towe) was upset people were saying people got shot with rubber bullets," said Bretko. "I want to know why anyone was shot at all. I held one of those pepper balls in my hand. It stung my hand and hurt my eyes. This was so unnecessary."
City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said neither he nor Towe will have any comment other than what was expressed in the joint press release.
Winters was not available for comment Friday afternoon.

Oregon Conservatives to show "Stolen Honor" at Shilo Inn

Due to the fact that there is no Sinclair Broadcasting stations in Oregon, Oregon Conservatives with the help of right-wing radio host Lars Larson, are organizing an event to show “Stolen Honor” at the Shilo Inn a week before the election. Lars will be giving tickets away for the event during his Monday (Oct.18) call-in show which airs from 11:00am -3:00pm. Larson explained that he has 250 tickets and they are all free. Copies of the DVD will also be available for purchase at the event.

Lars Larson Show Phone: 1-800-827-0750

Flash: Conservative media company orders broadcast of anti-Kerry film

On October 9, the Los Angeles Times reported that Sinclair Broadcast Group is ordering the 62 TV stations it owns or operates to preempt primetime programming in order to air a film attacking John Kerry. Sinclair Broadcast Group is best known as the conservative media organization that has given more than $60,000 to Republicans this cycle and blocked its ABC affiliates from broadcasting an episode of Nightline in which anchor Ted Koppel read the names of American soldiers who died in Iraq. Senator John McCain called that Sinclair decision "a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces" and "unpatriotic."
The film, Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, was made by Carlton Sherwood, a former Bush administration official, and attacks Kerry for his antiwar activities in the early 1970s.
Conservative defenders of Sinclair and Stolen Honor claim that critics of the film and Sinclair's decision to broadcast it (such as MMFA) are disingenuous, as they haven't yet seen the film. The Wall Street Journal, for example, editorialized: "None of 'Stolen Honor's' critics appears to have actually seen the show. ... We haven't seen 'Stolen Honor' ... Sinclair Broadcast Group doesn't own a station in our metro New York City market, though we're now tempted to hop on a plane to Buffalo or St. Louis to check out what all the fuss is about."
Well, we at Media Matters for America are familiar with a little thing called the Internet -- you'd think the august Wall Street Journal would be as well -- so we checked Stolen Honor's website. Turns out you can watch the film online, for $4.99.

GOP backed election-year phone jamming

GOP backed election-year phone jamming

By ERIK STETSON

Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Democrats are accusing the Justice Department of playing politics by trying to delay an inquiry into whether President Bush’s New England campaign chief played a role in illegal phone-jamming on Election Day 2002.
The state Democratic Party asked for an immediate hearing Friday to get permission to question GOP officials under oath after a questioning session set for Thursday afternoon was delayed by a last-minute Justice Department request.
In legal filings late Thursday, Democrats said they believe Jim Tobin, New England director of the Bush-Cheney campaign, was involved in the phone jamming, which led this summer to guilty pleas on conspiracy charges by Chuck McGee, former executive director of the state GOP, and a GOP consultant from Virginia. In 2002, Tobin was Northeast political director for the Republican Senatorial Committee, the party operation working to elect Republicans to the Senate.
Among the races affected by the phone-jamming was the close U.S. Senate contest between Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican U.S. Rep. John E. Sununu. Sununu won.
Tobin did not return a phone call to his Washington, D.C., office on Thursday seeking comment.
"The sudden cooperation between the Department of Justice and the New Hampshire Republican Party strongly suggests that the Department of Justice has intervened at this late momnent in an attempt to prevent a Republican Party operative from being publicly identified, disclosed and possibly removed from his position because of his alleged involvement in electoral fraud," Democrats said in a motion filed late Thursday in Superior Court in Manchester.
The jamming involved computer-generated calls to get-out-the-vote phone banks run by Democrats and the nonpartisan Manchester firefighters’ union. More than 800 hang-up calls tied up phones for about 11/2 hours.
In July, McGee admitted paying $15,600 to a Virginia telemarketing company that hired another business to make the calls. Allen Raymond, the former president of GOP Marketplace in Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty in June to hiring an Idaho firm to make the calls.
While the federal investigation continues, Democrats are suing and seeking to question GOP officials, including Tobin, under oath. The state GOP opposed the depositions, arguing they should wait until the criminal investigation ends. Democrats said civil and federal inquiries often take place simultaneously.
After a hearing Wednesday, at which Justice Department lawyers didn’t present arguments, a judge said the depositions could continue. But 20 minutes before the start of one deposition Thursday afternoon, federal prosecutor Todd Hinnen contacted Democratic and GOP lawyers to tell them he would seek to halt the depositions until the criminal proceedings ended.
Republicans would not say who was going to be questioned at the session, and Democrats didn’t know.
Hinnen, who was traveling, did not immediately return a call to his Washington office Friday morning.
State Democratic Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan said the role of high-level Republicans in the phone-jamming should be public now.
"We want to know the names of everybody involved," she said. "We want to know where the money came from."
Jayne Millerick, state Republican chairwoman, said the party would have participated in Thursday’s in deposition if the federal government hadn’t intervened.
"We were prepared to go forward today," she said Thursday.
Tobin founded a communications and political consulting company in Bangor, Maine, before getting into GOP politics. Before his latest jobs, he served as national political director for publisher Steve Forbes’ presidential campaign.

October 15, 2004: Right Wing Watch

Election

Critics contend that the Christian Coalition's supposedly non-partisan voting guides show an obvious partisan slant. The Boston Globe reports: "The Christian Coalition is distributing 30 million voter guides that use conservative catch-phrases such as 'unrestricted abortion on demand' and 'affirmative action programs that provide preferential treatment' in detailing the positions of the two presidential candidates....Roberta Combs, coalition president, said the guides were an attempt to educate voters. 'I don't think the wording is loaded at all,' Combs said." Read

Softer Voices, "an organization of women with families, representing citizens particularly concerned with national security issues, the economy, health care, education and the culture," has announced a television advertising campaign targeted in swing-vote states hoping to convince female voters that President Bush would make American families safer if re-elected as president. Read

Wall Street Journal editorial page writer Kimberly Strassel explains the significance of the Senate race between Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Rep. John Thune (R-SD): "Mr. Daschle has served as chief architect of liberals' two-year strategy to obstruct George W. Bush's agenda, from national security and tort reform to energy production, tax cuts and federal judges. A Daschle defeat would be a repudiation of that filibuster game plan, and do more to break the Senate logjam than any other Republican gains." Read

Mary Cheney

The Washington Times characterizes Kerry's "bizarre gay-baiting comment" during the debate as "an insult" and a "cheap shot." What Kerry said was this: "We're all God's children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as." Read

Add so-called "ex-gays" and their champions to the list of individuals enraged over Sen. Kerry's remarks. Warren Throckmorton, a professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania and producer of the 'I Do Exist' documentary promoting their cause - claimed that Kerry "misled the country" in expressing a viewpoint that some individuals are born gay. One "ex-gay" in Throckmorton's film said the Senator's remark "was an insult to the tens of thousands of people that have struggled with homosexual orientation and have chosen to come out on the other side." Read

Voting

Republicans accuse liberal voter registration groups of fraud. The Washington Times reports: "Colorado Gov. Bill Owens this week accused the groups of trying to undermine the election process and demanded an investigation by his state attorney of hundreds of questionable voter-registration applications. 'I am very concerned that such groups have registered people who are not qualified to vote,' said Mr. Owens, a Republican. Democrats quickly blasted Mr. Owens, insisting that he was trying to scare people away from the polls." Read

MediaAmerican Conservative Union chairman David Keene urges Sinclair Broadcasting to "stand firm" in its plans to air an anti-Kerry documentary on all of its stations just days before the election. "The issue of John Kerry's conduct following his service in Vietnam is fair game," Keene said, "and Sinclair is well within its rights to broadcast a documentary that scrutinizes those issues." Read

People For The American Way

Rocking the vote, the GOP way

by Johnny Donaldson

October 15, 2004

Should the person who registers you to vote allow his or her own political affiliations impact their job, or should these registrars simply take a non-partisan stance despite individual beliefs?
Some may think it's a stupid, "no duh" question, but it's really a valid one to ask. I believe that that is the kind of job which should not be tainted by subjectivity, that the ethical and responsible thing to do is to cast aside personal beliefs - whether they lean towards the left or the right - in the greater good of getting people to vote.
I shouldn't be surprised that in the era of George W. Bush, king of the smear campaign, that a Republican-affiliated group would throw out such quaint notions as "ethics" and "responsibility" in favor of a win-at-all-costs attitude.
The organization in question is called Voter Outreach for America. It's a private voter registration firm based out of Nevada, one of the year's hotly contested swing states. Its job is to collect registration for the state, an easy enough job, but the company that set them up, a Phoenix-centered consulting firm called Sproul and Associates, has received major donations from the Republican party: as in $500,000 in donations. Spokespeople for Sproul have said, and I quote: "it is safe to say we are trying to register Republicans."
The problem with all that is that a former employee, Eric Russell, has come forward to accuse supervisors of willingly tampering with registration forms. Democratic registration forms.
Russell charges that a supervisor ripped up Democratic forms before his eyes. Nathan Sproul, head of the company, says that the allegations are false. But this a company that is also under investigation in Oregon for "alteration and destruction of voter registration cards" (Anne Martens, spokeswoman for Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury). Apparently, a canvasser refused to register anyone other than Republicans, saying that's how he made his commission.
Right now, Secretary of State Dean Heller is investigating. Jon Summer, spokesman for the Nevada Democratic State Committee, said he will pursue a lawsuit.
The Republican Party naturally disavows any kind of connection to the matter. No matter that they fund the company and that the destroyed voter registration cards were for Democrats. No matter that in Oregon, the controversy swirled around Democrats being shunned by registrars.
It's called plausible deniability. It's a nicely Machiavellian tactic, one that allows the Republicans to engage in their brand of not-very-kosher behavior without ever being in danger of being liable in any individual case. Fund a private firm and get them to toss out the registration cards antithetical to their own goals. When the proverbial excrement hits the fan, deny all culpability, disavow any knowledge and find a scapegoat. You know, some misguided fool who did not act in the best interests of either party. That way no can credibly point a finger at you; if they do then they are just being reactionary and zealous.
Yep, some of you reading this column will write in and respond and say that I'm just looking to exploit this news story in order to dump on the Republicans yet again. Some will scoff and snicker and wonder what any of this has to do with Bush, that there is no proof to connect him to this alleged crime. (I do hold out hope that for the ever-dwindling decency of the GOP, that this crime turns out to be a lie.) I know what all the responses will be. And you all are, for the most part right. There is no proof connecting the GOP to this little scandal out West. It could just be the actions of a few idiots undermining our democracy. But the Republican sponsorship is troubling and curious. It sends my red flag up, especially with the ghostly specter of plausible deniability hovering over it. It's a tricky little gambit that the Republicans have long since perfected. Let's hope that this little incident well help to finally trip them up.

Johnny Donaldson is a Collegian columnist.

GOP Sents Out Scare Tactics Email

GOP Email:

From: BushCheney2004
Date:Thu, 14 Oct 2004 10:52:35 -0700 (PDT)
Subject:
[XXforBush2004] Kerry campaign planning on charging voter intimidation, even where none exists [Drudge]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU OCT 14, 2004 10:58:04 ET XXXXX DNC ELECTION MANUAL: CHARGE VOTER INTIMIDATION, EVEN IF NONE EXISTS**World Exclusive**The Kerry/Edwards campaign and the Democratic National Committee are advising election operatives to declare voter intimidation -- even if none exists, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal. A 66-page mobilization plan to be issued by the Kerry/Edwards campaign and the Democratic National Committee states: "If no signs of intimidation techniques have emerged yet, launch a 'pre-emptive strike.'"

[HIGHLIGHT OF ELECTION DAY MANUAL, NOVEMBER 2004. CLICK FOR IMAGE .JPG FILE]

The provocative Dem battle plan is to be distributed in dozens of states, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. One top DNC official confirmed the manual's authenticity, but claimed the notion of crying wolf on any voter intimidation is "absurd.""We all know the Republicans are going to try to steal the election by scaring people and confusing people," the top DNC source explained.

Bill O'Reilly Gets Hit With Sexual Harassment Suit

Female Fox coworker details lewd behavior of cable TV star

OCTOBER 13--Hours after Bill O'Reilly accused her of a multimillion dollar shakedown attempt, a female Fox News producer fired back at the TV star today, filing a lawsuit claiming that he subjected her to repeated instances of sexual harassment and spoke often, and explicitly, to her about phone sex, vibrators, threesomes, masturbation, the loss of his virginity, and sexual fantasies. Below you'll find a copy of Andrea Mackris's complaint, an incredible page-turner that quotes O'Reilly, 55, on all sorts of lewd matters. Based on the extensive quotations cited in the complaint, it appears a safe bet that Mackris, 33, recorded some of O'Reilly's more steamy soliloquies. For example, we direct you to his Caribbean shower fantasies. While we suggest reading the entire document, TSG will point you to interesting sections on a Thailand sex show, Al Franken, and the climax of one August 2004 phone conversation.


Pages:
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 >

Source: The Smoking Gun

October 14, 2004: Right Wing Watch

Debate

The Right's reviews of the final presidential debate are in and they are overwhelmingly pro-Bush in tone. National Review managing editor Jay Nordlinger writes: "That's my boy. That's my Bush. He a hoss - a debatin' hoss. Last night, he was flat-out marvelous in debate. I said, following the second debate, that he had done well, but not his best. (Who does his best all the time? That's why we call it "best.") Last night, he did his best - and his best is superb. And I say this as an analyst, not a Bush partisan." Read

National Review Online's Gary Andres on the debate: "President George W. Bush clearly roared back - scoring his best performance of the three debates. John Kerry 'came back' as well - but the old John Kerry returned, one that had a hard time with crisp, concise answers and one that at times seemed aloof and sanctimonious." Read

The John Locke Foundation's John Hood also rules in the President's favor: "The president was better prepared, sunnier, and more persuasive Wednesday night. A bounce will likely follow." Read

The Fox News Channel's debate panel was unanimous in its praise for Bush. "I think Bush knocked Kerry out tonight," said the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol. "He just slaughtered him." Read

Meanwhile, Republicans are attacking John Kerry for "outing" Vice President Cheney’s lesbian daughter in last night’s debate, despite the fact that Mary Cheney previously did gay outreach for Coors Brewing Company and the Vice President has referenced her sexuality on the campaign trail. Read

Reproductive Rights

The Traditional Values Coalition's Rev. Lou Sheldon confirms that President Bush's "Dred Scott" remarks during the 2nd debate were code for Roe v. Wade: "Everyone knows the Dred Scott decision and you don't have to stretch your mind at all. When he said that, it made it very clear that the '73 decision was faulty because what it said was that unborn persons in a legal sense have no civil rights....It didn't just slip out by accident." Read

Counter Protest: Supporters of Sinclair launch campaign to support airing smear documentary

Here is an email alert sent out to RightMarch members prompting them to contact Sinclair and tell them to air the Anti-Kerry Smear Documentary.

RightMarch.com is a conservative organization that seeks to tie right-wingers together for the purpose of promoting the agenda of the GOP. Their psuedo-moveon.org activities put them involved in contacting government and business leaders; placing newspaper, radio and television ads; and holding the Left accountable for their anti-American antics.

________________________________________

This CONSERVATIVE ALERT is a special message from RightMarch.com for XXXXXX:

ALERT: The wanna-be censors at MoveOn.org are at it again.

They've tried to come against Fox News for over a year now, just because the news network finally offers Americans fair and balanced reporting. MoveOn would rather keep the liberal bias of mainstream networks streaming into our homes instead.

This time, the radical leftists at MoveOn.org want the FCC to stop the Sinclair Broadcast Group from airing a new documentary called "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal". "Stolen Honor" investigates how Democrat presidential nominee John Kerry's actions during the Vietnam era impacted the treatment of American soldiers and POWs. Using John Kerry's own words, the documentary juxtaposes John Kerry's actions with the words of veterans who were still in Vietnam when John Kerry was leading the anti-war movement.

Sinclair, owner of the largest chain of television stations in the nation, has tentatively scheduled this special news event featuring the topic of Americans held as prisoners of war in Vietnam, which will include a showing of "Stolen Honor", for sometime in the next two weeks. They have invited Kerry to participate in the news special as well, to tell HIS side of the story.

The liberals at MoveOn.org don't want ANY news reported that could possibly reflect unfavorably on their far-left candidate, John Kerry. So, they're mobilizing their forces to call local Sinclair stations, DEMANDING that they NOT broadcast this important news special.

Patriotic Americans across the nation need to COUNTER their efforts -- and it will only take a couple of minutes for YOU to do YOUR part.

TAKE ACTION: CALL or WRITE the Sinclair station that's nearest to you, and let them know that you DO want to see "Stolen Honor", and will be very disappointed if they give in to the demands of left-wing censors who don't want Americans to know the TRUTH about John Kerry disgraceful actions.

Find your local station's contact info here: http://sbgweb2.sbgnet.com/business/television.shtml

If there's not a Sinclair station near you, voice your support by emailing or calling Sinclair directly at comments@sbgi.net or 410-568-1503.

Don't let MoveOn.org's minions stop free speech in America. Sinclair has the right to air news stories and documentaries, on their OWN stations, without threats from radical left-wing censors!

What's The Bush/Cheney Camp Up To?

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Bush-Cheney ’04 Walk the Vote Weekend

On October 16 and 17, Bush-Cheney '04 Supporters Will Walk Together in an Effort to Get Out the Vote

Arlington, VA - On Saturday, October 16, and Sunday, October 17, thousands of Bush-Cheney ‘04 supporters will host walks in their communities to encourage neighbors to vote for President George W. Bush on November 2, 2004. Walk the Vote is part of the President's unprecedented grassroots organization and voter turnout efforts.

These efforts will be kicked off with a live web cast internet rally with President Bush for hosts of Walk the Vote parties. Following the rally, organized walks will go door to door to turnout the vote for President Bush throughout the country.

Bush-Cheney '04 supporters can organize a walk any time between now and Election Day by visiting the campaign's web site. Supporters can also search for a scheduled walk in their community.

The Bush-Cheney '04 campaign expects to reach over 1.6 million voters this weekend through Walk the Vote and grassroots outreach. The campaign has also been knocking on doors and making volunteer phone calls since the beginning of the general election on March 3, 2004. Since then, the campaign has made over 1.2 million volunteer knocks and 13 million volunteer phone calls in support of President George W. Bush.
___________________________________________

See what they are doing in your community: Bush/Cheney 2004 Calender

Bush's Domestic Agenda

President's Domestic Agenda Laid Bare

President Bush will finish his term with one of the worst economic records of any president in the last 70 years. He will be the first president since Herbert Hoover to preside over a net decline in employment over a four year period. His tax and budget policies have produced the worst fiscal deterioration in a half century and the largest budget deficits in U.S. history. Five million more Americans have lost health insurance on his watch while those with coverage face double-digit cost increases. Poverty and inequality rates have risen for three straight years.

Jobs record: More than 800,000 total jobs; 1.6 million private sector jobs; and 2.7 million manufacturing lost over the last four years. As the Economic Policy Institute reports, when the president's last tax package (called the "Jobs and Growth Plan") took effect in 2003, the administration promised it would create 5.5 million new jobs by the end of 2004 – more than 300,000 new jobs per month. The economy produced only 96,000 jobs last month, more than 200,000 jobs fewer than predicted. In fact, as EPI states, "job creation [has] failed to meet the administration's projections in 13 of the last 15 months."

Health care record: 5 million more uninsured in the last four years and skyrocketing health care costs for everyone else. The president promised to address America's health care crisis during the 2000 campaign. Yet he did nothing. Now, 45 million Americans lack basic health coverage; health care costs are up nearly 60 percent; and those with coverage face double-digit increases in premiums and deductibles. The president continues to deny Americans the opportunity to import cheaper prescription drugs, choosing to favor the profits of the drug industry over the needs of the elderly.

Fiscal record : $5 trillion in projected budget surpluses turned into $5 trillion in projected debt over the next ten years. Trillions of dollars in tax cuts geared primarily to the wealth have blown a hole in the federal budget that threatens economic growth. When America's foreign creditors decide to pull the plug, average Americans will face steep declines in living standards, steep increases in interest rates, and few good job prospects.

GOP Backed Voter Registration Fraud

October 13, 2004

Voter Registration Fraud

By Nick Voll

Eugene - The state is investigating allegations that a Portland canvasser may have destroyed completed voter registration forms. A recent report says that a man paid to register voters was instructed to only accept Republican registration forms.

"Voters Outreach of America," the company he claims to work for, is largely bankrolled by the GOP. But the Oregon Republican Party says the man never worked for them.

This is the second complaint in one day against the company. In Las Vegas, Nevada the company's one-time registrar says his former employer only paid workers to collect Republican registrations.

Talking about his former boss, Eric Russell said, "We caught her ripping up the registration of Democrats, ripped them up right in front of us."

Russell saved some of the torn-up documents, and the county elections chief confirmed those registrations never made it onto Las Vegas voter rolls.

GOP Backed Voter Registration Company engaged in fraud

George Knapp, Investigative Reporter

Voter Registrations Possibly Trashed

(Oct. 12) -- Employees of a private voter registration company allege that hundreds, perhaps thousands of voters who may think they are registered will be rudely surprised on election day.

The company claims hundreds of registration forms were thrown in the trash.

Anyone who has recently registered or re-registered to vote outside a mall or grocery store or even government building may be affected.

The I-Team has obtained information about an alleged widespread pattern of potential registration fraud aimed at Democrats. The focus of the story is a private registration company called Voters Outreach of America, AKA America Votes.

The out-of-state firm has been in Las Vegas for the past few months, registering voters. It employed up to 300 part-time workers and collected hundreds of registrations per day, but former employees of the company say that Voters Outreach of America only wanted Republican registrations.

Two former workers say they personally witnessed company supervisors rip up and trash registration forms signed by Democrats.

"We caught her taking Democrats out of my pile, handed them to her assistant and he ripped them up right in front of us. I grabbed some of them out of the garbage and she tells her assisatnt to get those from me," said Eric Russell, former Voters Outreach employee.

Eric Russell managed to retrieve a pile of shredded paperwork including signed voter registration forms, all from Democrats. We took them to the Clark County Election Department and confirmed that they had not, in fact, been filed with the county as required by law.

So the people on those forms who think they will be able to vote on Election Day are sadly mistaken. We attempted to speak to Voters Outreach but found that its office has been rented out to someone else.

The landlord says Voters Outreach was evicted for non-payment of rent. Another source said the company has now moved on to Oregon where it is once again registering voters. It's unknown how many registrations may have been tossed out, but another ex-employee told Eyewitness News she had the same suspicions when she worked there.

It's going to take a while to sort all of this out, but the immediate concern for voters is to make sure you really are registered.

Call the Clark County Election Department at 455-VOTE or
click here to see if you are registered.

The company has been largely, if not entirely funded, by the Republican National Committee. Similar complaints have been received in Reno where the registrar has asked the FBI to investigate.

Bush Campaign/GOP Backers: Sinclair Broadcasting

You May Be A Sinclair Stockholder

Sinclair Broadcast Group is a publicly owned company that trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market. As a public company, Sinclair's board of directors represents the interests of Sinclair's shareholders. Sinclair's directors have a responsibility to ensure that Sinclair takes actions consistent with enhancing shareholder value. Sinclair's decision to air the anti-Kerry documentary Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal places partisan political interests ahead of shareholder value by jeopardizing the renewal of FCC licenses, stimulating grassroots advertiser boycotts, and triggering potential investigations into the company's misuse of its licenses to use the public airwaves.

You may be a shareholder in one of 20 mutual funds or six pension funds, listed below, that hold Sinclair stock. If that's the case, you can express your concern that Sinclair's management has placed partisan political interests ahead of its financial obligations to the company's shareholders, and request that your fund manager immediately divest from any Sinclair investments that may be held in your mutual fund.

Mutual fund contact information:

Management Company
% of Sinclair /value of stock
telephone number

EARNEST PARTNERS, LLC
5% / $36M
800-322-0068

GABELLI ASSET MANAGEMENT CO
5% / $30M
914-921-5100

WESTFIELD CAP MGMT CO, INC.
3% / $19
617-428-7100

MORGAN STANLEY INV MGMT INC.(U
3% / $18M
212-761-4000

NEUBERGER BERMAN, LLC
3% / $17
212-476-9000

COLUMBIA MGMT ADVISORS, INC.
3% / $16M
800-345-6611

PUTNAM INVESTMENT MGMT, L.L.C.
2% / $15M
617-760-1000

BARCLAYS GBL INVESTORS, N.A.
2% / $13M
415-597-2000

JANUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC
2% / $10M
303-333-3863

VANGUARD GROUP, INC.
1% / $8M
610-669-1000

INVESCO CAPITAL MGMT INC.
1% / $8M
404-892-0896

ARTISAN PTNR L.P.
1% / $7M
414-390-6100

J.P. MORGAN INV MGMT INC. (NY)
1% / $6M
212-483-2323

BLACKROCK FINL MGMT (VALUE)
1% / $6M
617-386-2500

BLACKROCK FINL MGMT (GROWTH)
0.8% / $5M
302-797-2000

LIBERTY RIDGE CAPITAL, INC.
0.7% / $4M
610-647-4100

KIRR, MARBACH & COMPANY, LLC
0.7% / $4M
812-376-9444

MFS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
0.6% / $4M
800-637-2929

VAN KAMPEN
0.6% / $3M
713-438-4000

DREYFUS CORPORATION
0.5% / $3M
212-922-6000

Pension fund contact information:

Management Company
% of Sinclair /value of stock
telephone number

COLLEGE RETIREMENT EQUITIES (TIAA-CREF)
0.3% / $2M
212-916-4000

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMP' RET SYS (CALPERS)
0.3% / $2M
916-795-3400

NEW YORK STATE COMMON RET SYS
0.3% / $2M
866-805-0990

OHIO PUBLIC EMP RETIREMENT SYS (OPERS)
0.2% / $1M
614-222-6705

CALIFORNIA STATE TEACH'RET SYS (CALSTRS)
0.1% / $1M
800-228-5453

FLORIDA STATE BD ADMINISTRATIO
0.1% / $1M
850-488-4406

Gop Tobacco Two-step

Gop Tobacco Two-step
by Robert A. Levy

Robert A. Levy is a Cato Institute senior fellow. His book "Shakedown: How Corporations, Government and Trial Lawyers Abuse the Judicial Process" is out next month.

Republicans love to criticize judicial shakedowns — using the court system to redistribute income from unpopular industries to "more deserving" plaintiffs. So why has a Republican-run Justice Department embraced the mother of all baseless lawsuits — the crusade against tobacco? If ever there were an appalling example of government's addiction to litigation (and a waste of $136 million in taxpayer money as the trial began), this lawsuit is it.

Basically, the executive branch is trying to bypass Congress and legislate via the courts — a tactic the Bush administration denounces whenever it's used by the reviled trial lawyers.

Continue

American Family Association: Campaign against Proctor & Gamble for supporting homosexual rights

This is the latest campaign that American Family Association is taking up against Proctor & Gamble for their inclusion of homosexuals in their advertisments:

_________________________________________

Crest, Tide, Pampers maker gives money, clout to repeal law forbidding special rights for Homosexuals

P&G policy leads to support for homosexual marriage

Yes, I’m supporting the boycott until P&G stops supporting the homosexual political agenda, including homosexual marriage.

Become one of 257,172 people that have already shown their support!

(online form)

Procter & Gamble, makers of Crest toothpaste, Tide detergent, and Pampers diapers, has publicly thrown their support and money behind the homosexual political agenda.

The company recently wrote to all their Cincinnati employees urging them to support the overturning of a city law which forbids giving special rights to homosexuals. In 1993, the citizens in Cincinnati refused to give special rights to homosexuals by a vote of 62% to 38%. P&G is now working to get that law repealed. The company has given $10,000 to help repeal the law.

To our knowledge, Procter & Gamble is the first company to support the political agenda of the homosexual movement.

P&G is one of the leading corporate promoters of the homosexual agenda.
For a Short List of P&G's support for the homosexual agenda, Click Here. (Includes a link to the gay magazine ad)

While not explicitly saying so, in their public announcement supporting the repeal P&G clearly showed their support for homosexual marriage. P&G said they "will not tolerate discrimination [against homosexuals] in any form, against anyone, for any reason." To keep homosexuals from being legally married is discrimination for good reason, which P&G says they will not tolerate. Taking them at their word, P&G supports homosexual marriage.

American Family Association is asking pro-family groups and individuals to:

(1) Boycott three products of P&G — Crest toothpaste, Tide detergent, and Pampers diapers. (Make sure your replacement is not a P&G product.)

(2) Call Chairman A.G. Lafley at 513-983-1100 and politely let him know that you are participating in the boycott and will ask others to do the same.

(3) Please register your support for the boycott in the form above.

(4) Please forward this to your friends and family.

(5) Print out this page and distribute at Sunday School, church, etc.

(6) Click here for more information regarding this issue.

NOTE: For a partial list of P&G products, click here.

Bush's 'Ownership Society' is a Sham

'Ownership Society' is a Sham

President Bush's domestic agenda was once based on "compassionate conservatism" (i.e. giving lavish tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy while cutting health, education, and job opportunities for the middle class). Now his domestic principles are grounded in the "ownership society" (i.e. privatizing critical public needs and shifting retirement and health care risks onto individuals while ensuring that the financial services and health care industries get billions in new fees and services). Either way, America will experience more economic inequality and rising economic burdens for middle-class families.

President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent – those making $1 million or more – will total $148 billion this year alone. As the Detroit News reports, "That is twice as much as the government will spend on job training, $6.2 billion; college Pell grants, $12 billion; public housing, $6.3 billion; low-income rental subsidies, $19 billion; child care, $4.8 billion; insurance for low-income children, $5.2 billion; low-income energy assistance, $1.8 billion; meals for shut-ins, $180 million; and welfare, $16.9 billion."

The president's plan to privatize Social Security will leave Americans less secure in old age while Wall Street investment firms rake in billions. Let's be candid about the "ownership" of retirement: the elderly are the only ones who will take on new risks. If the market takes a downturn, there's no guarantee of a secure retirement. But regardless of whether the market is up or down, big investment firms will collect an estimated $9 billion in new fees under the president's plan.

President Bush's message to Americans is clear: "When hard times hit, you're on your own." The entire privatization agenda of President Bush and his conservative allies rests on shifting collective obligations and duties away from government and corporations and onto individuals. The shrinking middle class will shoulder more of the burdens and risks while the wealthy and big business will pocket more of the benefits. This is not the way to a more equitable and prosperous America that provides opportunities for all citizens.

_______________________________________________

GOP Talking Points

Monday, August 09, 2004

America's Ownership Society: Expanding Opportunities

"...if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of our country. The more ownership there is in America, the more vitality there is in America, and the more people have a vital stake in the future of this country."-President George W. Bush, June 17, 2004

The Challenge: America's Changing Society

Life in America is changing dramatically, and President Bush believes that the Federal government should change too to help meet the challenges of our times. American families should have choices and access they need to affordable health care and homeownership; Americans should have the option of managing their own retirement; and small businesses, which employ over half of all workers, need lower taxes and fewer government mandates so they can grow. continue

Conservative TV Group to Air Anti-Kerry Film

Conservative TV Group to Air Anti-Kerry Film
By Elizabeth Jensen
The Los Angeles Times

Saturday 09 October 2004

Sinclair, with reach into many of the nation's homes, will preempt prime-time shows. Experts call the move highly unusual.
New York - The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose television outlets reach nearly a quarter of the nation's homes with TV, is ordering its stations to preempt regular programming just days before the Nov. 2 election to air a film that attacks Sen. John F. Kerry's activism against the Vietnam War, network and station executives familiar with the plan said Friday.

Sinclair's programming plan, communicated to executives in recent days and coming in the thick of a close and intense presidential race, is highly unusual even in a political season that has been marked by media controversies.

Sinclair has told its stations - many of them in political swing states such as Ohio and Florida - to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," sources said. The film, funded by Pennsylvania veterans and produced by a veteran and former Washington Times reporter, features former POWs accusing Kerry - a decorated Navy veteran turned war protester - of worsening their ordeal by prolonging the war. Sinclair will preempt regular prime-time programming from the networks to show the film, which may be classified as news programming, according to TV executives familiar with the plan.

Executives at Sinclair did not return calls seeking comment, but the Kerry campaign accused the company of pressuring its stations to influence the political process.

"It's not the American way for powerful corporations to strong-arm local broadcasters to air lies promoting a political agenda," said David Wade, a spokesman for the Democratic nominee's campaign. "It's beyond yellow journalism; it's a smear bankrolled by Republican money, and I don't think Americans will stand for it."

Sinclair stations are spread throughout the country, in major markets that include Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas; its only California station is in Sacramento. Fourteen of the 62 stations the company either owns or programs are in the key political swing states of Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where the presidential election is being closely fought.

Station and network sources said they have been told the Sinclair stations - which include affiliates of Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, as well as WB and UPN - will be preempting regular programming for one hour between Oct. 21 and Oct. 24, depending on the city. The airing of "Stolen Honor" will be followed by a panel discussion, which Kerry will be asked to join, thus potentially satisfying fairness regulations, the sources said.

Kerry campaign officials said they had been unaware of Sinclair's plans to air the film, and said Kerry had not received an invitation to appear.

No one familiar with the plan was willing to criticize it publicly, some because they said they don't know all the details of what Sinclair plans for the panel that follows. But a number of people privately expressed outrage at the seemingly overt nature of the political attack, which comes during a tight election and at a time when the media are under assault as never before. Cable's Fox News Channel was attacked in the summer by a coalition of liberal groups for what they said were its efforts to boost Republicans; in recent weeks, CBS' Dan Rather has been criticized by conservatives, as well as some nonpartisan journalists, for a "60 Minutes" broadcast that used now-discredited documents in a report saying President Bush received favorable treatment when in the Texas Air National Guard in the 1970s.

Democrats have for some time accused Sinclair, a publicly traded company based in Maryland, of a having a right-wing agenda.

The company made headlines in April when it ordered seven of its stations not to air Ted Koppel's "Nightline" roll call of military dead in Iraq, deeming it a political statement "disguised as news content." Sen. John McCain, the Republican from Arizona who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, was among those who criticized Sinclair's decision not to air the "Nightline" program, which featured the names and pictures of more than 700 U.S. troops.

Even before the "Nightline" controversy, Sinclair drew criticism because of the combination of its highly centralized news operations, which often include conservative commentary, and its almost exclusively Republican political giving. In the 2004 political cycle, Sinclair executives have given nearly $68,000 in political contributions, 97% to Republicans, ranking it 12th among top radio and TV station group contributors, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group.

The upcoming "Stolen Honor" will probably bring fresh attention to Sinclair. "I can't think of a precedent of holding up programming to show a political documentary at a point where it would have the maximum effect on the vote," said Jay Rosen, chairman of New York University's journalism department. But the program will only be the latest in a string of politically charged media events in this campaign. Representatives of Michael Moore's anti-Bush "Fahrenheit 9/11," which has grossed $214 million worldwide, are in talks for a deal to make the film available on pay-per-view cable the night before the election. The Sundance Channel plans to air live clips Monday from the anti-Bush "Vote for Change" rock concert.

Cable, however, doesn't have the reach of broadcast stations like Sinclair's, nor is it subject to the same federal regulations. Still, although broadcast stations are required to provide equal time to major candidates in an election campaign, the Sinclair move may not run afoul of those provisions if Kerry or a representative is offered time to respond. Moreover, several sources said Sinclair had told them it planned to classify the program as news, where the rules don't apply.

Calling it news, however, poses its own problems, said Keith Woods, dean of the faculty at the Poynter Institute, a journalism school in St. Petersburg, Fla., that teaches professional ethics. "To air a documentary intended to provide a one-sided view of Kerry's record and call it news - it's like calling Michael Moore's movie news," he said, adding that the closer to an election that a controversial news report is aired, the "higher the bar has to go" in terms of fairness.

Clearly, Sinclair's reach will bring a much wider audience to the film. The 42-minute film has only been available on DVD or for $4.99 through an Internet download, although fans had been mounting an Internet campaign to get it wider exposure.

"Stolen Honor" was made by Carlton Sherwood, a Vietnam veteran and former reporter for the conservative Washington Times who is also the author of a book about the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. On the website for the film, he tells viewers, "Intended or not, Lt. Kerry painted a depraved portrait of Vietnam veterans, literally creating the images of those who served in combat as deranged drug-addicted psychopaths, baby killers" that endured for 30 years in the popular culture.

Sherwood did not return calls seeking comment.

Republicans Resign Over Questionable Absentee Ballot Applications

Tonight six people connected with the South Dakota republican party have resigned over questions surrounding absentee ballot applications.
The state director of the Republican Victory Program, Larry Russell is one of them, along with state republican party employee Eric Fahrendorf. Four independent contractors involved with the absentee ballot applications also resigned. They are Joe Alick, Nathan Mertz, Todd Schlekeway and Rachel Hoff.
Hoff was the notary whose signature and seal appeared on many applications from KELOLAND college students. But several students say only men were there when they filled out the forms.
Mount Marty student Cassandra Herout says, "All I know is they were gonna have the form notarized or audited or something before they sent it in. She was never present at all."
Now the party has a lot of paperwork to sort out.Many absentee ballot applications are what led to a half dozen resignations. The people involved in securing the forms may not have always made sure a commissioned notary witnessed the voters' signatures.
In a statement, party executive director Jason Glodt says, "The South Dakota Republican Party has a zero tolerance policy regarding such matters, and on Friday and Saturday of last week accepted the resignations of the four independent contractors who were involved in the handling of absentee ballot requests"
The party also accepted Larry Russell's resignation. Russell was defeated by Larry Diedrich in the republican primary this winter in the race for Congress. Since then he's been directing the party's "get out the vote" efforts.
But the party says students who filled out these applications should still be able to vote.
Glodt says, "It is our understanding that because all of the information submitted by the voters is true and correct, all of the ballots will be counted. We are taking additional steps to ensure that each of these legitimate requests are counted."
In the next few days, GOP party members will contact each voter who requested an absentee ballot through the party. They will ask for photocopies of their IDs as a legal alternative to notarization.
Glodt says, "Because absentee ballots do not require notarization, it is unfortunate that these questions have diverted attention from legitimate requests by qualified voters."
Glodt says the party has been in contact with the secretary of state and attorney general and will cooperate with their investigation.

Jodi Schwan© 2004 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.

U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS ASSAILS BUSH ADMINISTRATION RECORD ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Washington, DC - In an assessment of the civil rights record of the Bush administration, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a draft report that concludes the administration has failed to exhibit leadership or define a clear focus, relegating civil rights to a low priority.

The report, Redefining Rights in America-The Civil Rights Record of the George W. Bush Administration, 2001-2004, analyzes scores of policy reports, scholarly papers, briefs and executive orders to chart the administration's responses to a broad spectrum of civil rights issues. Similar criteria have guided evaluations of previous administrations, including the civil rights review on former President Clinton released in 2000.

Some highlights of the report include:

-Voting Rights: The Bush administration did not provide leadership to ensure timely passage and swift implementation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. As a result, Congress did not appropriate funds for election reform until almost two years into the administration.

-Equal Educational Opportunity: The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) does not sufficiently address unequal education, a major barrier to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students.

-Affirmative Action: Instead of promoting affirmative action in federal contracting and education, the administration promotes "race neutral alternatives," in many instances not applicable and in others not overly effective at maintaining diversity.

-Environmental Justice: EPA has taken few actions to ensure disparate impact of minority communities to environmental contamination.

-Racial Profiling: The administration responded to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by instituting regulations that facilitate profiling rather than prevent it. Immigrants and visitors from Arab and Middle Eastern countries were subjected to increased scrutiny, including interviews, registration, and in some cases removal.
For a full draft of the report titled Redefining Rights in America - The Civil Rights Record of the George W. Bush Administration, 2001-2004, visit www.usccr.gov.

CONTACT: LAURA HART 202.833.9771

10/05/04

Bush's Civil Rights Record Is Criticized, Silently

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 10, 2004

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (AP) - The United States Commission on Civil Rights voted on Friday to wait until after next month's election to discuss a report critical of the Bush administration's civil rights record. Republican members had objected to the report's timing.

The report remains posted on the commission's Web site (http://www.usccr.gov/), despite objections from Republican commissioners.

The report says Mr. Bush "has neither exhibited leadership on pressing civil rights issues, nor taken actions that matched his words" on the subject. It finds fault with Mr. Bush's funding requests for civil rights enforcement; his positions on voting rights, educational opportunity and affirmative action; and his actions against hate crimes.

The report said, however, that Mr. Bush is committed to help people with disabilities and praised him for "a commendably diverse cabinet and moderately diverse judiciary."

A White House spokesman, Ken Lisaius, said, "President Bush is fully committed to making a real difference in the lives of all Americans, and his record reflects that goal."

The commission chairwoman, Mary Frances Berry, who lists her political affiliation as independent, said that the report's timing had nothing to do with the election, a view disputed by a Republican commissioner, Jennifer C. Braceras.

Suit says politically linked firm defrauded U.S. of millions

Sun, Oct. 10, 2004

By Seth Borenstein
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON - A politically connected start-up firm, awarded a no-bid contract to provide security for Baghdad's airport, defrauded U.S. taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars, two top former workers charge in a lawsuit unsealed Friday.
The Bush administration decided not to join the whistle-blowers' civil suit alleging fraud against the company, run by a former Republican congressional candidate.
The whistle-blowers' attorney said a Justice Department lawyer told him the reason was that the alleged victim was the U.S.-financed and led Coalition Provisional Authority, not the U.S. government.
Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo said the department didn't comment on why it declined to join such suits.
It's unusual for the Justice Department to decline to join a suit that has a load of documents and when criminal prosecution is likely, said Patrick Burns, a spokesman for Taxpayers Against Fraud, a group that monitors citizen suits.
On Sept. 30, the Defense Department put the firm, Custer Battles LLC of Fairfax, Va., on a list that bans it from getting federal contracts, citing "adequate evidence of the commission of fraud, antitrust violations, embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, false statements or any other offenses indicating a lack of business integrity."
The two whistle-blowers said they'd been in contact with Justice and Defense Department investigators about an ongoing criminal investigation. Both agencies said they don't comment on or confirm the existence of ongoing investigations.
"We don't think the allegations have any merit," Custer Battles attorney Richard Sauber said late Friday.
He blamed them on "a disgruntled employee and a competitor" and said the government's not joining the case was a sign of "no credible evidence."
He said Custer Battles wasn't given a chance to explain what happened before the Defense Department suspended it and that the firm disputed the charges.
The whistle-blowers -- Robert Isakson, a former FBI agent who investigated white-collar crime and was managing director for a Custer Battles partner, and W.D. "Pete" Baldwin, Custer Battles' former in-country manager -- charged that Custer Battles set up four shell companies in the Cayman Islands, Beirut, Lebanon and Cyprus to help inflate bills that were passed on to taxpayers.
"It's a crying shame for somebody to go into fraud against the United States in the middle of a war," Isakson told Knight Ridder on Friday.
Experts in contracting said the firm had little business and few employees until it got the Iraq contract in 2003, then it exploded into more than $100 million a year in revenues. Its founders are Scott Custer, a former Army Ranger and defense consultant, and former CIA officer Michael Battles, who ran for Congress from Rhode Island in 2002 as a Republican.
The Federal Election Commission fined Battles for misrepresenting campaign contributions.
He's a Fox News Channel commentator and is writing a book called "Blood in the Streets: Seizing Opportunity in Crises," according to the company.
"This is corruption at its worst, perpetrated by Bush cronies and protected by the Bush administration," charged Isakson's attorney, Alan Grayson of Orlando, Fla.
Isakson said politics had nothing to do with this.
"I'm a hard and fast Republican," Isakson said. "This has nothing so far to do with Republicans or Democrats or anything. This has to do with thieving and government and fraud."
Even though it was a new company, Custer Battles got a no-bid $16.8 million contract on July 1, 2003, to secure Baghdad's airport, according to the CPA's inspector general.
The contract was cost-plus, meaning the firm passes along all its costs, plus a percentage profit.
Isakson and Baldwin said -- and provided lease documents as proof -- that Custer Battles set up shell companies to inflate the costs of cabins, trucks and other items to get more money from the government.
Isakson, at the time the managing director for Custer Battles' partner DRC Inc., helped Custer Battles set up operations in Iraq.
When he told the company that a cost-plus contract wouldn't bring much profit in a war zone because such contracts generally are capped at around 5 percent, he said, the firm's officials told him they planned to form shell companies and buy or lease products from them to Custer Battles at higher prices.
Isakson said he was isolated after he objected. In July 2003, when he'd finished setting up the company's camp at the airport, he said, two men armed with submachine guns, whom he's identified as top company officials, detained him, his 13-year-old-son and his brother.
He said they took his money, identification and gun, and left them on their own to get out of war-torn Iraq.
Days after Isakson left, Baldwin showed up and soon was hired to be Custer Battles' in-country manager.
"It was quite a nightmare," Baldwin said in a phone interview from Baghdad, where he started his own firm after quitting Custer Battles last March.
Baldwin said setting up shell companies in themselves wasn't wrong, but that inflating prices and telling the government that Custer Battles couldn't get receipts to justify the higher prices was, and that he refused to do it.
Baldwin and Isakson sued in August to try to recover for the government what they said was tens of millions of dollars in defrauded money.
If they win, they get a percentage of the recovered money and fines.
When the government joins such suits, the whistle-blowers win or settle about 95 percent of the time, but they win only 25 percent of the time when the government passes.
No reason was listed in the document the Justice Department filed with the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va.