The Pink Flamingo :: That Nasty Little Ad and It's Swiftboat, Morris, Novak, Bossie, & Romney Connections

I’ve heard that the buy for this disgusting thing brought to you by Citizens United is the object of a $20 million ad buy. Yes it is legal. Is it moral? According to Raw Story, CUPVF (Citizens United Political Victory Fund) began its anti-McCain push last March. What is the Bob Novak connection? David Bossie is the President of Citizens United. Bob Novak wrote the forward of his book. Bossie is tight with Barbara Comstock, who is a senior Romney advisor. Bossie is infamous for his dirty tricks.
Citizens United is promoting Dick Morris’ anti-Hillary film. Citizens United is the one sponsoring the hit ad against John McCain. Citizens United is associated with Donatelli Avella which is a GOP strategy group.

THE SWIFTBOAT CONNECTION
Donetelli is connected to The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The strange thing is Donatelli has been known to raise money for John McCain. They also raise money for Donetelli. One of the movers and shakers of the whole swiftboat bunch is Sam Fox who has no love for McCain and also has deep pockets. The Swiftboaters have been very busy trying to take out John McCain this past month, especially in South Carolina where McCain deployed his now famous Truth Squad.

“…Vietnam Veterans Against McCain is led by Gerard W. Kiley, who led a similar effort against Senator John Kerry’s Democratic presidential campaign in 2004. Reached Wednesday at his home in Garnerville, N.Y., in Rockland County, Mr. Kiley said that he was effectively the only member of his group and that “we really don’t have any money to speak of.” Mr. Kiley said he thought Mr. McCain gave up too much information to the North Vietnamese and was wrongly claimed as a war hero. Mr. Kiley, 61, a Vietnam veteran, said that he had worked for the past four decades for a major New York corporation that he declined to name. Mr. Kiley said that his flier had been distributed by U.S. Veteran Dispatch, an online newspaper published by Ted Sampley, who did not return a telephone call on Wednesday afternoon. It was unclear how widely the flier was distributed….”

From the BBC

“…"A shadowy group calling itself Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain has been busy," reports Kevin Connolly, "handing out flyers implying that in Mr. McCain's long spell as a prisoner of war in Hanoi, during which he was tortured, he gave information to America's enemy. The evidence? Well, there isn't any. It's a straightforward attempt to take one of Mr. McCain's best cards -- his status as a war hero -- and use it against him." VVAJM's members include Ted Sampley, who previously attacked other U.S. veterans in Congress including 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry and Pennsylvania Representative John Murtha. In addition to VVAJM, attacks on McCain and several other Republican presidential candidates have been launched by "Common Sense Issues," a group working on behalf of candidate Mike Huckabee. In response to the current attacks, McCain has "mobilised a group of volunteers called 'the Truth Squad' to lead his rebuttal of the rumours," Connolly reports. "We shall see how they fare."…”

Vietnam Vets Against John McCain leads right back to Jerry Kiley and his irrational hatred of John McCain. Kiley also speared Vietnam Vets Against John Kerry. Raw Story has more information including the Ted Sampley connection.

“…"It was Republican McCain who called Sampley 'one of the most despicable people I have ever had the misfortune to encounter' and said 'Sampley has a nose for publicity and knack for making money from invented controversies'," Geiger wrote….”

Media Matters links the whole tawdry bunch. The Ted Sampley attacks on McCain Even Debbie Schlussel disputes their claims and repudiates them.

ADDITIONAL ASSOCIATES
From Source Watch

“….Primary projects have been: their www.swiftvets.com website, the book Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry (released by the conservative Regnery Publishing), and a series of television advertisements challenging John Kerry's military record and activism against the Vietnam War. The group's credibility has been challenged due to misleading, false or inconsistent statements. [2][3] A detailed review of the claims in their book is also available. [4] The SBVT propaganda smear campaign was financed by Sam Fox, a billionaire and hardline rightwinger.[5] The fact that Fox financed this project was revealed during his Senate confirmation hearings to become US ambassador to Belgium. Although the Senate blocked his confirmation pointing out Fox's pernicious activities, George Bush appointed Fox over the authority of the Senate during a "Senate recess". Furthermore, the PR company responsible for the SBVT (and whose bill Fox paid) was Arthur J. Finkelstein and Associates run by Arthur J. Finkelstein, the "dirty-tricks guy for the Republicans". [6] Finkelstein is best know for his black-propaganda campaigns that are primarily character assassinations or smearing -- as the SBVT campaign demonstrates….”

Regnery Publishing company is a front group for Sun Myung Moon, the cult leader who owns the Washington Times.

THE CITIZENS UNITED FOUNDATION
Cliff Kincaid who absolutely despises John McCain is on the board of the foundation.

DEBUNKING
Even Captain Ed who doesn’t support McCain says there probably is no truth to that rumor. He has a run-down on that tale today. Robert Robb’s RCP rundown on the truth about McCain.

THE ANTI-IMMIGRATION CONNECTION
Media Matters on the David Bossie “documentary” Border War. I can find no overt connection between the Tanton groups and the documentary. I think we can safely say that the usual suspects were involved in the project, While no anti-immigration groups are credited the following individuals receive screen credits:
Barbara Coe
Gustavo Soto (US Border Patrol)
J. D. Hayworth
Jim Gilchrist
Film links include the Gilchrist Minutemen

WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen any political figure with as many powerful and well connected enemies as John McCain. It’s like an onion. I’ve also never seen so many people who have nursed so many grudges against anyone like this. It is rather remarkable. The worst problem is the people who hate him either have very deep pockets or know people with deep pockets. I also find fascinating the fact that all of the hatred goes into those tawdry alliances I’ve been tracking for months.

There is no doubt the Washington Times ( it’s recently departed White Supremacist editor and associates) and it’s cult-leader owner, Sun Myung Moon intensely dislike McCain. There is no tolerance for his immigration policy. It is also no surprise that John Tanton and his anti-immigration empire would rather see McCain removed from the face of the Earth.

Add to this the onion of the hard core far right multi-millionaire and billionaire foundations and donors, many if not most of them connected in with Moon in some way (political) or connected with Tanton and it makes things even more interesting.

Who had the money to pay for what is reported to be a TWENTY MILLION DOLLAR package?

How involved is the Romney Campaign?

Did Bob Novak plan his most recent “hit” on McCain in conjunction with this ad buy?
How involved is Barbara Comstock?

What connection is there between Novak and David Bossie?

The beautiful irony of all of this is the fact that, when one considers all of Mitt Romney’s Inside the Beltway connections he is far from the “outsider” he claims to be. He has what can only be described as snuggly, sleeping-bag close ties to the anti-immigration status quo; the conservative hierarchy; and Sun Myung Moon’s associates. Conservative talk and punditry which is funded by the multi-millionaire ultra conservative is embracing Romney to the point where they are endangering their own personal credibility. While there are some very juicy rumors of money changing hands, those are only lovely, juicy rumors.

Even more fun is the claim of Barack Obama to be an agent of change and an outsider. Obama is the reincarnation of the tried and true Chicago political machine, the same one that put JFK into power. I’m sure anyone who knows anything about the Illinois vote in 1960 and how Joe Kennedy purchased it for his son. The Kennedy endorsement of Obama is – well – beautiful.

Hilary Clinton is the ultimate insider. With the exception of Mike Huckabee, who is a true outsider, it is rather obvious the Washington establishment does not want John McCain in office. This alone is interesting and speaks volumes about his much valued ‘Maverick” independence.

Why are Washington conservatives so afraid of John McCain?

Why does he threaten them?

What is the Romney connection to the entangled scene of conservative and anti-immigration organizations?

Who hates John McCain enough to spend what is alleged to be $20 million on advertising against him this weekend?