Posted on 09/03/2007 9:46:58 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES
Lawyers behind a California ballot proposal that could benefit the 2008 Republican presidential nominee have ties to a Texas homebuilder who financed attacks on Democrat John Kerry's Vietnam War record in the 2004 presidential campaign.
Charles H. Bell and Thomas Hiltachk's law firm banked nearly $65,000 in fees from a California-based political committee funded almost solely by Bob J. Perry that targeted Democrats in 2006. Perry, a major Republican donor, contributed nearly $4.5 million to the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that made unsubstantiated but damaging attacks on Kerry three years ago.
The Perry-financed committee in California, the Economic Freedom Fund, continued to spend money this year, mostly on legal expenses tied to an ongoing legal dispute in Indiana over phone calls made to voters in 2006. It lists the Sacramento law office's address as its home and its Web site directs contributions to the firm, Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk. In addition, Bell serves as the committee's treasurer.
Hiltachk has been pushing a proposal to revamp the way California awards its electoral votes, a change Democrats claim would rig the 2008 race. He and Bell are the sole officers of a new political committee, Californians for Equal Representation, that is raising money to place the plan on the ballot in June.
Their success could hinge on whether they get the financial backing to collect more than 400,000 petition signatures needed to qualify the proposal for the ballot. And while Perry has not donated to their cause, his wealth and connections make him a potential financier for a drive that could cost more than $1 million. Running a statewide campaign would cost millions more.
Democrats are working to defeat the effort and already have lined up supporters such as Hollywood producer Stephen Bing, whose credits include the 2000 "Get Carter" remake with Sylvester Stallone.
Supporters say the vote-change plan could open a new era of fairness in presidential contests. But the law firm's link to Perry and other Republican candidates and causes will make it difficult to separate the proposal from partisan politics.
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk is one of the most politically involved law firms in the state. According to a news story on its Web site, Bell keeps a life-sized cardboard image of President Bush in his office. Federal records show the firm does legal work for a host of political committees, most with Republican or business ties.
"It comes across as a power grab," said Republican analyst Allan Hoffenblum, who predicted the proposal would likely fail in the Democratic-leaning state. Even Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered a lukewarm assessment of the idea.
But without money, from Perry or other sources, the proposal will never take off. To get on the ballot "it needs money," Hoffenblum said. "I'll be very surprised if they are able to raise the funds."
Perry spokesman Anthony Holm said it was unlikely the Texan would get involved or donate to the effort, but he didn't rule it out.
Kevin Eckery, a spokesman for Californians for Equal Representation, said Perry has no connection to the group and "as far as I know, Perry has not been solicited for any donations."
He said the law firm which represents the state Republican Party and has worked for Schwarzenegger provides legal services for numerous political groups and their office is usually listed as the official address for legal purposes.
"Cherry picking one ... is kind of a cheap shot," Eckery said.
A spokesman for the state Democratic Party said the firm's link to Perry was troubling, given his involvement with the Swift Boat group.
The push to alter the division of electoral votes in California a change with national implications "is nothing more than an attempt by right-wing Republicans to change the rules in ways that benefits them," said the spokesman, Roger Salazar.
Perry, who is close with former White House adviser Karl Rove, donated $5 million to the Economic Freedom Fund in 2006. His contribution provided virtually all of the group's budget for advertising, automated telephone calls and other expenses for races around the country.
Most of the fund's political work was handled by another Sacramento firm, Meridian Pacific, records show.
The fight over California's electoral votes is shaping up as an important subplot in the national campaign.
Like most states, California awards all its electoral votes to the statewide winner in presidential elections. But in the most populous state that amounts to 55 votes the largest single prize in the nation.
Under the ballot proposal, the statewide winner would get only two electoral votes. The rest would be distributed to the winning candidate in each of the state's congressional districts.
In effect that would create 53 races, each with one electoral vote up for grabs. President Bush carried 22 of those districts in 2004, while losing the statewide vote by double digits.
The so-called Presidential Election Reform Act, if it qualifies for the ballot and is approved by voters, could shift those votes into the GOP column in 2008 and potentially alter the outcome of the race.
Only Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral votes by congressional district.
When I was a kid...my pop and I would drive thru Coachella Valley...on our fishing trips to the Salton Sea. Boy we used to have some great fishing there....Corvina and Sargo...
I know that fishery is not so healthy these days....Too bad.
Subscribe? Heck no! I live in Springfield Missouri. Until I went looking on Wikipedia (after your post) I didn’t even know it was a rag newspaper. I figured it was some rag left wing news agency.
>>Unsubstantiated?? What a load of dung.
Bingo.
If it was so damaging, why didn’t Kerry sue them for libel/defamation? Perhaps he didn’t want to undergo discovery, to sign an unconditional release of complete military records, and to have to testify under oath?
The last statute of limitations for him to do this, just ran out.
ping to thread.
I agree with you. This has nothing to do with any activity that is not legal, moral or ethical. The thing the article wtiter doesn’t like is that, as many veterans know, kerry is a self-agrandizing, useless SOB and was outed by the Swiftboat veterans.
I read Unfit for Command and AFAIK every bit of rebuttal thrown at it, which I found unconvincing. Even more important, I believe the evidence points to a less than honorable discharge for Kerry prior to the Carter amnesty. If the MSM werent so protective of its own, this issue would have been settled beyond any doubt by now.
Agreed.
Ya gotta be kidding - the SBV attacks were substantiated by the observable facts, short term service, tiny injuries for purple heart awards, insisted on by the awardee, notorious traitorous activity on return. Opportunistic character exhibited throughout his life. You don't have to be a genius to see the nature of Kerry.
And Kerry's rise to prominence - from a sad sack state whose populace revers a scumbag who left a young lady to drown in an effort to avoid involvement with a drunk driving problem.
The same thing John Kerry did! Pretty much nothing! :-)
The Swift Boaters’ reputations speak for themselves, as does JK’s.
BUT...but...but...HE SERVED IN VIETNAM!!
/sarc
Really! I think that I may have heard that from someone before, like kerry and kerry and, oh yea, kerry. He is a real richard cranium.
So what?
If this passes, both voters and the courts, you can be assured (for now) that 18-25 EV's will go to the Republicans (Bush would have gotten 22 in '04, under this law).
The Democrats will pull no punches to defeat this including denying that they were sponsoring a similar effort in North Carolina (or is it South Carolina?), which would have benefitted themselves.
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that made unsubstantiated but damaging attacks on Kerry three years ago.
“unsubstantiated but damaging attacks”
WHAT ....????
Eyewitness reports from his peers in the field WITH HIM is considered “unsubstantiated” ..??
Still, "if we use the right buzz words, the fools that think we are producing news will take us seriously and buy our crap."
Does that about get it? Did I miss anything?
Congressman Billybob
Latest article, "Enemies of America, in a Courtroom Near You"
It was all substantiated. Just because they didn't want to believe it does not make it false. But then again, that is the way of the liberal mind.
An illustration of the reason that usually I do not read AP stories published by my local daily rag, especially articles that pertain to political matters.
“So, what’s their point?”
That’s all I said.
Congressman, As always, you get it.
Hope you had a great holiday.
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