Posted on 05/03/2005 10:13:08 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A veteran GOP operative launched an anti-Hillary Rodham Clinton Web site Tuesday, complete with an unflattering photo and a warning that she and her husband are trying to "pull the wool over America's eyes once again."
Meanwhile, Clinton was out with a fundraising letter claiming Arthur Finkelstein's "Stop Her Now" effort is part of a growing mound of evidence that Republicans "are prepared to do anything to defeat me."
"We know one thing for sure, the Republicans and their right-wing allies are going to be hitting us hard with false charges," the former first lady wrote to potential donors, calling herself "the Republicans' number one target in 2006."
Clinton is seeking re-election next year to the New York Senate seat she won in 2000 and Republicans claim she wants to use that race as a stepping stone to a 2008 presidential run. She insists her sole focus is on getting re-elected.
Finkelstein's Web site appeals for donations. On Friday, Finkelstein aide William Black said the "Stop Her Now" effort was hoping to raise $10 million this year.
"All of America has a tremendous stake in this effort, especially our courageous soldiers overseas," the Web site said. "The Clintons national defense policies left us weak and vulnerable in a dangerous and hostile world."
Finkelstein has long been a top adviser to New York Republican Gov. George Pataki and worked on the campaigns of former Sens. Alfonse D'Amato of New York and Jesse Helms of North Carolina.
New York Republicans have yet to come up with a Clinton challenger for 2006. Neither Pataki nor former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has expressed any interest.
In another development, The New York Times reported Tuesday that Peter Paul, a former Clinton supporter whose claims are behind the recent indictment of her 2000 campaign finance director, has joined forces with a conservative California group to launch the "Hillary Clinton Accountability Project."
Paul hosted a major fundraiser in Hollywood for Clinton's first Senate campaign and finance director David Rosen has been charged with underreporting costs associated with the event. He is scheduled to go on trial next week. Paul also has a civil lawsuit against the Clinton campaign.
"Peter Paul is a man with an impressive record of felony convictions," David Kendall, a lawyer for the Clintons, said when asked about Paul's new anti-Clinton effort. "Most of his civil suit has already been dismissed and the remainder has no merit."
So how does a site like this manage to ask for $10million and JimRob has to go begging each quarter.
With $10million FreeRepublic could 'stop her now'
Hillary, wife of an IMPEACHED president: A FACT!!!
"Republicans and their right-wing allies are going to be hitting us hard with false charges."
Sorry Hillary .. but the democrats are the people who level "false charges" against people.
Take for instance, Tom DeLay - it seems the person (Abramhoff) whose credit card was used for a trip by Tom DeLay - WAS ALSO THE VERY SAME PERSON WHO PAID FOR TRIPS BY 2 DEMOCRATS. Hmmmm?? I don't hear anybody complaining - except Rush Limbaugh.
But .. when the repubs level CHARGES against Hillary - it will be backed up WITH FACTS.
I won't give one red cent to Finkelstein. It's his advice that turned Pataki into a pro-death penalty, cut taxes semi conservative to a extreme liberal Republican.
BTTT
The volume of evidence of malfaesence and key witnesses to oppose Hillary greatly exceed what we had against Kerry.
There will be too many holes in the dike (pun intented) for Hillary to plug.
They did not have to contend with the Internet and FOX news back then
If she means anyting 'LEGAL' then she is correct.
If she means anything 'LEGAL' then she is correct.
"the Republicans and their right-wing allies are going to be hitting us hard with false charges,"
That was a good move on her part. Now anything anybody says about her, she can say, "See, I told you this was going to happen. The old vast right wing conspiracy is at it again."
She and Bubba are nothing if not cagey.
And sadly, too many of the electorate are easy pickins' for celebrity, name recognition, etc. Unless we have a candidate on equal footing in that category, along with better ideas, and she isn't able to split the conservatives into a third party, there is as much chance as any that Hillary could prevail. Remember, we've been down this path with a Clinton before....and he was elected....twice.
BTTT
Anti-Clinton Group Joins With Former Clinton Donor
By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
Published: May 3, 2005
WASHINGTON, May 2 - The man whose claims are behind the recent criminal indictment of Hillary Rodham Clinton's former fund-raising director is collaborating with a conservative group in California on a project to publicize potentially damaging information about the Clintons.
The man, Peter Paul, has enlisted the support of the United States Justice Foundation, a conservative legal advocacy group, to start the Hillary Clinton Accountability Project, a venture meant to focus public attention on a 2000 fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton that is at the center of the federal government's criminal case.
Once dismissed as yet another anti-Clinton gadfly, Mr. Paul has suddenly become a major source of problems for the Clintons and their political associates.
A well-connected figure with a criminal history that dates back to the 1970's, Mr. Paul says he organized the star-studded fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton in 2000 to win Mr. Clinton's support on a business venture he was undertaking. But when his relationship with the Clintons soured after the event, he turned on them.
He has accused the Clinton campaign in a civil suit of falsely reporting that the August 2000 gala cost far less than the nearly $2 million he claims to have spent to organize the event. This January, federal authorities produced an indictment charging that David Rosen, the finance director of Mrs. Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign, had underreported the cost of the affair.
Responding to Mr. Paul's latest endeavor, David E. Kendall, a lawyer for the Clintons, called Mr. Paul's character into question. "Peter Paul is a man with an impressive record of felony convictions, currently in federal custody," he said. "Most of his civil suit has already been dismissed and the remainder has no merit."
The anti-Clinton project that is being undertaken by Mr. Paul and his conservative allies in California will make use of documents and other materials that Mr. Paul says stem from his role producing the 2000 event, including bank statements, canceled checks and film of him with the Clintons.
Gary Kreep, the executive director for the justice foundation, said it had established a Web site, www.hillcap.org, that would provide updated information concerning the criminal case against Mr. Rosen, as well as updated information about a civil suit that Mr. Paul has filed against the Clintons. (The site was still under construction on Monday.) He said the foundation planned to use its existing direct-mail operation to both raise money and disseminate information about those cases.
Mr. Kreep also said the foundation planned to cover the legal costs from the civil suit, in which Mr. Paul claims he gave close to $2 million in services and donations to Mrs. Clinton's Senate campaign based on promises that Mr. Clinton would join an Internet venture of his. Mr. Paul claims these promises were never fulfilled.
"We want to get to the truth of all this and make sure the public knows about it," Mr. Kreep said.
In a separate interview, Mr. Paul went even further, predicting that the case could thwart any political aspirations that Mrs. Clinton has beyond New York. "This fund-raiser will ultimately be viewed as her Chappaquiddick and cost her the presidency," he said. "I've already got her campaign finance director indicted."
The timing of all this is troublesome for Mrs. Clinton, the junior senator from New York, who is up for re-election next year. While Mrs. Clinton is apparently not a subject of the investigation, questions about the 2000 fund-raiser have given her political enemies plenty of ammunition.
In fact, Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group that repeatedly sued the Clintons during their White House years, initially championed Mr. Paul's case. But a few months ago, Judicial Watch abruptly severed ties with Mr. Paul, who, in turn, accused the group of merely using his case to raise millions of dollars from people who dislike the former president and first lady.
The attention being given to Mr. Paul's charges underscore the growing concerns within the Clinton camp that Mrs. Clinton will be a primary target of national Republicans in 2006, despite her overwhelming popularity among voters in New York.
Mrs. Clinton's advisers have good reason to harbor such concerns. Republicans in New York and elsewhere around the country are warning their supporters that Mrs. Clinton will be in a position to run for the presidency in 2008 if she is not defeated in New York next year.
But that said, Republicans are having trouble recruiting top-tier candidates like Rudolph W. Giuliani or George E Pataki to run against her. Instead, the list of possible challengers being mentioned include Edward F. Cox, a lawyer who is the son-in-law of Richard M. Nixon, and Dr. Antonia C. Novello, New York's state health commissioner, who was previously United States surgeon general.
Click on the pic for the FR article. :)
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