Clinton Operatives Behind Anti-Bush Ad Campaign

Newsmax.com ^ | July 10, 2002 | Carl Limbacher

[Paul Atreides]

Former Clinton political hitman James Carville, who recently touted New York Sen. Hillary Clinton for a 2008 presidential run, is reportedly behind an advertising campaign attacking President Bush for his 1990 sale of Harken Energy stock as well as his ties to the oil industry in general.

American Family Voices, a group described by the New York Times as "secretive," has paid to run a 30-second commercial on cable news programs in Washington, D.C., and in New York through Thursday.

The ad blasts President Bush as "sly like a fox" for talking down his dealings with Harken Energy, which Democrats claim amounted to insider trading.

Under questioning from the Times, Democratic Party spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri, who served as a senior aide to ex-President Clinton, confessed that Carville has significant ties to American Family Voices.

The secretive group is headed by another former Clinton aide, Michael Lux, who told the Times that the AFV commercial was timed to coincide with President Bush's speech on corporate responsibility.

Additional AFV ties to the Clinton administration include its advertising agency, the Glover Park Group. Former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart is a partner at Glover, as are Carter Eskew and Michael Feldman, who were top advisers in former Vice President Al Gore's 2000 campaign.

American Family Voices also sponsors a Web site called "The Daily Enron," which argues that the Bush administration is responsible for various corporate scandals.

Yet another former top Clinton staffer, Stanley Greenberg, serves on the board of Democrats.com, which in July began touting an analysis claiming that President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are "personally and directly responsible" for the deaths of the passengers and crew of 9-11 hijacked airliner Flight 93.

The involvement of Carville and other Clinton aides in the overt assault on the Bush White House belies the conventional wisdom that the Clintons have removed themselves as players in the realm of presidential politics.

Though the White House has basically ignored their attacks, both Mr. Clinton and his wife have hinted that President Bush is at least partially responsible for leaving the U.S. vulnerable to the 9-11 attacks.

On Monday, Mrs. Clinton began touting the theme of the AFV ads, telling an upstate New York audience that Bush "hadn't shown much leadership" during the wave of recent business scandals that have sent the stock market reeling.

[Eva]

Insider trading? I don't think that the pork belly futures queen has any right to be accusing anyone of insider trading.

[kcvl]

Staff Bios...

Nick Jacobs has been a Senior Associate with Progressive Strategies since September, 1999. Prior to joining the firm, he was Deputy Press Secretary at the Democratic National Committee. He also worked on the finance staff and as Deputy Press Secretary for Rep. Tom Allen's successful 1996 Congressional race. Nick also spent several years in jounralism working at what was then the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, CNN, Fox Morning News, and the sports section at The Washington Post. When he is not busy saving the Republic from the GOP Congress and President-select George W. Bush, Nick spends his time on his bike, training for the Washington, DC AIDS Ride.


Ken Nickell

Prior to joining the firm as a Senior Associate in April 2000 Ken served in various capacities for the AFL-CIO sponsored Accountability Project. His focus was on building coalitions, and designing and implementing issue education, grassroots lobbying and congressional accountability campaigns.

He is a veteran of the 1998 "Paycheck Protection" battles. He served as Political Director for Oregonians for Open and Fair Elections, and he directed volunteer phone bank operations for the LA County Federation of Labor during the Proposition 226 campaign.

While in graduate school he gained political experience in the office of U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd, the National Journal political consulting desk and behind the bar and tableside at the Dubliner Irish Pub, Washington's center of Irish hospitality.

Ken is a native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire who received his BS in Political Science from Northeastern University and his MA in Political Management from George Washington University.



Jennifer Whelchel has been with Progressive Strategies since July, 2000. An Associate with the firm, she assists president Mike Lux by coordinating and scheduling meetings, conducting research on specific issues and drafting correspondence.

Jennifer is originally from a town near Cedar Rapids, Iowa where her prior experience included research for television stations, Internet companies, educational policy, community development and political initiatives. While in college, Jennifer interned with a media consulting firm in Washington, DC where she gained experience in editing campaign advertisements and media buying for candidates and state referenda.

Jennifer graduated in 1999 with a Bachelors degree in Political Science and Communication Studies from the University of Iowa and is currently a Masters candidate at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.

[kcvl]

Strategic Alliances...

Part of being a full-service strategy team is having the partners in place to put our strategies into action. We have formed strategic alliances with leading firms to deliver full research and production firepower on anything we don't do in-house.

The Carol-Trevelyan Strategy Group (CTSG)
The Carol/Trevelyan Strategy Group specializes in political research and strategy, and also in Internet strategy. Working with CTSG, we will craft effective and aggressive Internet strategies, including Web site design, list building, and Internet petitions.


Voter Link


Voter Link is a leading grassroots voter contact firm. We will be working with Voter Link to offer our clients voter contact programs that will enhance grassroots organizing.
Winning Connections
Winning Connections is one of the leading phone vendors in the nation, helping their clients decide who to call, what to say, when to call , how to follow up and leverage the results.



Axelrod Associates


Axelrod Associates is one of the top media firms in the country. They are one of the leaders in developing clear, concise, winning messages, as well as the strategies and the commercials to deliver that message.



Ambrosino, Muir Hansen


Ambosino Muir Hansen has been one of the leading direct mail firms in the country for years. Working with them provides yet another means by which we can deliver your message to the people who you want to receive it.

[Bagehot]

Mrs. Clinton could resolve all these corporate scandals, simply by explaining to each and every CEO how to take $1,000 and turn it into $100,000 overnight - with that level of return available, who would resort to fraud?

[kcvl]

Our Kind of Clients...

Issue advocacy organizations (including foundations, lobbying groups, PACs, trade associations and coalitions) who want to build comprehensive campaigns around major issues related to the economy, education, the environment, health care, gun safety or civil rights
Institutions or individuals who are substantial donors to the above mentioned causes and/or to progressive candidates

Socially responsible businesses who are working to make the world a better place even while they are working to be successful businesses

Clients in our first couple of years in business have included:

People For the American Way/PFAW Voters Alliance
Handgun Control, Inc
NAACP/National Voter Fund
American Family Voices
Mainstreet USA
AIDS PAC

Other pro bono projects we have worked on include:

US Action
Florence Crittenton Services
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center

[jumpstartme]

The Sheridan Group & American Family Voices share the same address. Suffice to say that Mr. Lux has set up many shadow groups to launder DNC bux. Lux & the bux is what we should focus on, IMHO.

A search on opensecrets.org is in order. I've got to run. If no-one else gets to it, I'll check it out later.

[Samwise]

What's next, Bush's 4 beer night out 20 years ago again?

That smear attempt, more than anything else, convinced me that Dubya was the real deal, a decent good man. If that was the worst dirt they could throw at him right before the election, he must be one terrific guy. The most revealing part of the whole drunk-driving episode was that his dad didn't cover his behind or have the records destroyed. He could've done both. You build character in your kids by making them accept responsibity for their actions.

[pgkdan]

Personally, I don't like the idea of Carville's wife working in the VP's office.

Me either...even worse she's a special assistant to W too. Gives me the creeps just thinking about her and carVile together!

[kcvl]

Problems & Solutions...


Can't get those pesky Congresspeople to return your call?

Can't find those grassroots you're always threatening to rain down on Capitol Hill?

Keep having your best friends in Congress replaced by troglodytes?

Haven't added new names to your membership rolls since the last millennium?

Your direct mail donations are drying up because those Social Security checks just don't go as far as they used to?

Keep having your most loyal donors flee the country whenever you leave a message?

Keep calling meetings of your broad based coalition where the only ones who show up are you and the guy who lives down the street whose name you can never remember?

At Progressive Strategies, we can provide real answers to all of these problems. Give us a call, e-mail us, or fax us so that we can sit down and come up with a solution that is right for you or your organization.

Progressive Strategies
1224 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 628-7771
(202) 628-7773 (f)

Mike Lux
mlux@progressivestrategies.net

Tom Sheridan
tsheridan@sheridangroupdc.com

Nick Jacobs
njacobs@progressivestrategies.net

Ken Nickell
knickell@progressivestrategies.net

Jennifer Whelchel
jwhelchel@progressivestrategies.net

[Samwise]

I never did trust her, never will--but I've been creamed for saying that before.

[kcvl]

Victories We've Been Part Of...

While we haven’t won every battle - hey, we’re Democrats, we can count 4 losing Presidential campaigns and the Clinton health care fight as part of our track record – we’ve been involved in a lot of exciting victories over the years:

1999 Forced Investigation of the Centers for Disease Control. The Sheridan Group led efforts resulting in an Inspector General's audit of the Centers for Disease Control's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome program, as well as restoring the misappropriated funding.

Impeachment fight. While at People For the American Way (PFAW), Mike Lux managed the major advertising, grassroots and Internet campaign against the impeachment of President Clinton.

1998 Election victories. Lux oversaw the new PFAW Voter's Alliance, which won every Congressional race that it was a top tier priority. Also won 93% of our targeted school board races.

California Paycheck Protection Initiative. Lux led PFAW's and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center's efforts to rally non-union progressive groups in opposition to the anti-union paycheck protection act in California.

1997 New York Constitutional convention referendum. Lux helped direct PFAW's efforts as a major partner in the coalition that defeated the Constitutional convention ballot question in New York.

1996 Clinton-Gore re-election. Lux was a vice-chair of the Clinton-Gore finance committee, and a vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee's Business Council.

Colorado parental rights initiative. Lux was one of the key national players working to defeat the parental rights initiative in Colorado.

1993-1995 White House victories. While serving in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison, Lux served as a key staff member on the following legislative victories:

Saving the school lunch program when it was threatened by the Republicans' budget axe.

The Family Medical Leave Act
The Motor Voter Act
The 1993 Budget package

1992 Clinton-Gore campaign. Lux was national constituencies director.

1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Tom Sheridan played an instrumental role in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Harkin re-election. Lux served as AFL-CIO political director when Senator Tom Harkin (IA) beat back Tom Tauke's challenge.

Ryan White CARE Act. Tom Sheridan wrote the the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act and led the fight for its passage, and its re-authorization in 1996.

1985-1986 Superfund. While Lux served as Executive Director of Iowa Citizen Action Network (ICAN), ICAN played a key role organizing on behalf of the Superfund legislation with the Iowa delegation, especially key Energy and Commerce member Tom Tauke.

Election victories. ICAN targeted 10 tough state legislative races - all challengers or open seats - and won all 10 of them.

1983-1984 Natural Gas Decontrol. While field director of ICAN, Lux managed the fight to pressure Tom Tauke to oppose natural gas decontrol.

[kcvl]

Integrated Issue Campaigns...

What's Included...

---

Field organizing
Internet organizing
Fundraising
Political giving
Paid advertising
Earned media
Direct mail
Voter contact
Opposition research

We believe that more issue advocacy organizations can and should build fully-integrated issue campaigns with a political punch to them. Issue campaigns can be used to drive and shape political debate, defeat targeted opponents, and create fear among others who are hurting your cause.

An excellent example of what we mean by a fully-integrated issue campaign is the impeachment battle in 1998-99. When it became clear that the Republicans in Congress and the far right were dead-set on impeaching President Clinton rather than taking care of the nation's business, People For the American Way launched a major advertising, grassroots and Internet campaign against the impeachment was launched. This campaign included both paid and earned media, rallies and Congressional meetings, as well as a 1-800 number for people to call. And working with www.moveon.org, we promoted an on-line petition that ultimately signed up more than 500,000 Internet petition signers.

[kcvl]

The group's D.C. conference included

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe;

Ralph Neas, president of the liberal watchdog group People for the American Way;

Kate Michelman, president of NARAL;

Ellen Malcolm, president of Emily's List;

House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt, Missouri Democrat;

former Clinton administration officials James Carville, Paul Begala and Joe Lockhart;

former Gore 2000 campaign manager Donna Brazile; and representatives of several labor unions.

[kcvl]

Mr. Lux said Republicans have been successful for years by "moving money" to groups such as the National Rifle Association and the Christian Coalition.

The Progressive Donor Network's goals also include forming "rapid-response teams" to plant news stories critical of Republicans and the Bush administration. Its leaders cited several negative news stories recently about the collapse of Enron, the Texas-based energy giant with ties to the White House.

Mrs. Boxer said the organization's real value for Democratic candidates could come from its grass-roots efforts.

"They can help get out the vote, organize, register," she said. "Progressives need to have, just as conservatives have, a really good grass-roots network. And I think we've fallen down on that job.

[nimc]

My (Sacramento area)Tom Sullivan is covering this evil Poli-thug syndicate on Rush now.

See his site at www.tomsullivan.com

[kcvl]

Liberal activist Michael Lux has created the Progressive Donor Network, aimed at steering donors toward several groups, including the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.


Another prominent Democrat -- Joseph J. Andrew, who joined the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft after chairing the Democratic National Committee last election -- has urged some clients to give generously to the New Democrat Network.


Joe Carmichael, president of the State Association of Democratic Chairs, said he has spoken to veteran political adviser Harold Ickes on the subject and is seeking advice from Steve Rosenthal, political director of the AFL-CIO.

[kcvl]

THANKS!!!

www.tomsullivan.com

[kcvl]

Statement by Ralph G. Neas,
President of People For the American Way

People For The American Way

February 25, 2002 In our last national election, millions of Americans were prevented from having their votes counted. It is unthinkable that the response of the U.S. Congress could be no response.

We must fix our election system. And since we won't get many chances, we must get it right the first time. Congress must pass comprehensive election reform legislation that encourages civic participation and protects all voters.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I agree 100%

[kcvl]

Ralph G. Neas began his public service career as Chief Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-MA) in 1973, then worked in the same capacity for Senator Dave Durenberger (R-MN). From 1981 through 1995, Ralph served as Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation's oldest and largest coalition. During that time, he directed the national campaigns that strengthened every major civil rights law, in a political climate not particularly hospitable to civil rights. Landmark laws enacted, with huge bipartisan majorities, included the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988, the 1988 Fair Housing Act Amendments, the Japanese American Civil Liberties Act, and the 1982 Voting Rights Act Extension.

In 1987, he led the successful effort by LCCR and its members, including People For the American Way, to block the nomination of Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court. Senator Edward Kennedy, in a 1995 Senate floor statement, described Ralph as the "101st Senator for Civil Rights."

He has been honored many times by organizations representing the spectrum of issues to which he's devoted his career, including the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award from LCCR; the Benjamin Hooks "Keeper of the Flame" Award from the national NAACP; the Flag Bearer Award from Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; the Public Service Achievement Award from Common Cause; the Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; the Isaiah Award for the Pursuit of Justice from the American Jewish Committee; the Edison Uno Memorial Civil Rights Award from the Japanese-American Citizens' League; the University of Chicago Alumni Public Service Citation; "Citizen of the Year" from the Guillian-Barre Syndrome Foundation International; and the National Good Guy Award from the National Women's Political Caucus.

Ralph has been interviewed many times on ABC's Nightline; CBS Sunday Morning; NBC's Today Show, ABC's This Week; PBS Lehrer News Hour; the nightly news shows of ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and Fox; National Public Radio; and cable television talk shows. He has been profiled several times in the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. In October 1987, Ralph was named ABC's "Person of the Week" for his efforts on the Bork Supreme Court nomination.

Ralph G. Neas, a native of Brookline, Massachusetts, earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. Ralph has taught at Georgetown University Law Center, the University of Chicago Law School, the University of Iowa Law School, and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. From 1995 through 1999, Neas was president of The Neas Group. In 1998, he was the Democratic candidate for Congress from Maryland's 8th Congressional District.