Exposing Karl Rove's Swift Boat Operation

Yesterday's decision by the House Judiciary Committee to cite Karl Rove for contempt of Congress was an important step forward in holding this White House accountable to the rule of law. Unfortunately, we have not seen the last of Karl Rove and his political tricks.

We have recently learned that Rove has signed a mid-six figure consulting deal with billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson to oversee the activities of the right-wing shadow group Freedom's Watch. With the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) underfunded and in disarray this cycle, it has outsourced its work to Freedom's Watch, a shady soft money group with ties to President Bush and Senator John McCain.

If you ever wondered what the Bush political team is up to this campaign season, you need look no farther than the team behind Freedom's Watch. Rove, along with former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, former White House Political Director Tony Feather, and a slew of Bush cronies have teamed up with the third richest man in the country, Freedom's Watch's sugar daddy Sheldon Adelson - to form this unprecedented swift-boat operation. Their goal is clear -- to preserve Bush's legacy by delivering a third Bush term.

When you consider the infamous swift-boat attacks against John Kerry were financed with less than one-tenth the proposed budget for Freedom's Watch, our challenge becomes clear. We can not allow shadowy outside groups steal our Big Change election. Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched "The Real Freedom's Watch" to expose the connections between Freedom's Watch, Karl Rove, President Bush, and John McCain.

Please take a moment to visit www.TheRealFreedomsWatch.org and sign our petition demanding the National Republican Congressional Committee and Republican campaigns nationwide denounce Karl Rove's new attack shop. Together, we can shut the door on Karl Rove-style politics once and for all.

Comments

[scooperss]

When congress (you and your buds) start doing your jobs and arrest rove for failing to answer his subpoena, then I'll look into signing your petition.

[Outsideadog]

I saw the name Sheldon Adelson and it sounded an alarm bell. Then I checked and discovered that he is one of the billionaire backers of Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future group (ASWF). Gingrich cites a paper from the American Enterprise Institute as well, so seems like a big Republican strategy (keeping the details away from regular media, obviously)

See http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/07/29/newt-aswf-billionaires/

Another one of the top funders is Peabody Energy, one of the world's largest coal producers.
See http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/07/30/aswf-peabody-coal-cash/

Of course, Gingrich makes out his group is 'non-partisan' and just wants to cut the price 'the people' pay at the gas pump, but why isn't he up-front about his backers?

Here's another link from a page in 2006, where Gingrich sees himself as the great hope for America, likening himself to Lincoln and saying it might be 'necessary' for him to be President!!!! What a heinous level of hypocrisy, given that he berates Sen. Obama for assuming a Presidential level of confidence.

See http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/20/magazines/fortune/newt.fortune/

I wondered, with this and the new 'attack strategy' given force today by Sean Hannity, that is, the 'Swiftboat' book 'Obamanation' by 'Dr' Jerome Corsi, whether Gingrich might be the new GOP nominee by Labor Day, or perhaps be the next Cheney-style VP.

[lisakaz2]

Isn't the better move to expose this group to the light of day versus think campaigning to a party to change their DNA is going to work?

[LeonBNJ]

Most important is for all good Democrats to make sure their family and friends know of the lies and junk behind the anti-BO ads and enourage open minds.

[kimk3]

Dems -- or anyone and everyone - need to start speaking out and doing something about VOTER SUPPRESSION against Democrats that is occurring. As fast as we can sign up new voters, they're being challenged and taken off -- not to mention all the other people of color who have already been taken off. It's really bad.

[UnbiasView]

"VOTER SUPPRESSION against Democrats that is occurring"

Feel free to cite examples, the drivers license thing is not supression.

[FunkyP]

50,000 persons wrongly stripped from the voting rolls in Florida in 2000; this same tactic, as well as voter caging, admitted to during Goodlings' testimony, are excellent examples of voter supression. Read some Greg Palast or Bradblog IF you really want the truth.
If you can handle the truth!

[JScott]

So what casinos are his, let it be known on the strip so folks will NOT patronize them.

[yorkie]

BARRING deportation to a rudderless boat on the high seas without communication devices for Rove and his awful ilk, we and the DNC etc must thwart their efforts as much as possible. We must alao insist the press expose thse bad people and the destructive nature of not only the ads but such groups and tactics in general. THE NEED FOR PUBLICLY FUNDED US ELECTIONS IS CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!! GET OUT THE VOTE FOR DEMS,OBAMA IN EVERY PRECINCT NATIONWIDE­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

[Allablaze]

Employing dirty tricks to influence elections is not new to GOP politics. Karl Rove has a long history of political chicanery during the current Bush administration. Before Rove, Lee Atwater did similar work for Bush's father and who could forget Donald Segretti, Nixon's dirty trickster. It;s what Republicans do.

[certainot]

the most important part of their operation will be the coordinated uncontested repetition only possible on the GOP's talk radio monopoly. the best way to get Obama's back may be to picket and boycott LOCALLY at the local radio stations that fill America's airwaves with lies. until America get some new kind of Fairness Doctrine to demonopolize talk radio ( it is NOT a free market situation) democracy and bipartisanship are impossible.

[SpectCon]

I'm in total agreement. The antitrust division of Justice, tied with new, stricter ownership requirements limiting number of stations/papers owned is a Democratic issue. We need Obama in the White House to make it happen. ...And it should happen in the first 100 days.

[UnbiasView]

Your post makes sense and has nothing to do with the fairness doctrine . . .

[ofbbg]

Why don't you NeoComs start your own lefty stations? Oh, wait - you DID - Air America, listened to by about 300 people per day and rife with corruption. Typical NeoCom thinking - if you can't succeed in the market place, force your message down everyones throat using the government. Good Grief!

[certainot]

it's a monopoly, and if you remember your business 101, normal market forces don't apply. the talk radio monopoly will continue to be subsidized and protected from normal market forces as long as it pays back trillions in war profiteering, tax breaks, deregulation, and ring kissing politicians and media talking heads who wouldn't dare cross limbaugh and co.

[certainot]

PS----- thom hartman, randi rhodes, ed scultz and others have beaten limbaugh hannity oreily on an even playing field. after all, limbaugh and co have been proven wrong on EVERYTHING of importance- you'd have to calling America the land of idiots if they kept choosing to listen to the guys who were always wrong on bush, iraq, the economy, etc. the real problem is market forces aren't working- it's a monopoly!

[reshas1]

WHAAAAAA WHAAAAAA WHAAAA

Don't you all have Air America????

[UnbiasView]

So because people want to listen to Republian radio and don't want to listen to Liberal radio we need a law put in place?

The people have decided, Air America doesn't work, Rush does . . . you want to force private companies to hire people that won't be profitable for their companies?

[certainot]

rush was heavily subsidized to start his career and once they bought up all the stations it was easy. he is a very talented whiner though- a genius at making excuses for everything republican.

no one will ever get a 1/2BIL$ contract for telling the truth, or for wit and wisdom. the beauty of it is that limbaugh and hannity have done more than anyone to destroy the GOP as a legitimate party and make 'republican' into an epithet to hurl at the jerk who cuts you off in traffic.

[certainot]

progressive radio, despite its growing pains against a well entrenched monopoly that will spend millions to protect a monopoly that worth billions in war profits, tax breaks, and deregulation, has has shown good growth against the monopoly withut the kind of subsidies used to spread limbaugh around the country.

[Turophile]

The Libs not only have Air America, but they've had PBS and CPB for DECADES! They've also had CBS,NBC, ABC, CNN and MSNBC for many years. Their problem is that they now have competition and people are choosing the competition. It's a little like what President Reagan said about the U.S.S.R., "if they ever allowed another political party, the Soviet Union would still be a one party state because everyone would join the other party." Talk radio and Fox News are big because everyone joined the "other party" in this country.

[dmb]

What, exactly is the difference between Freedom's Watch, and Moveon.org? If you want to go after these groups, then you should not be selective.

[mimsnpips]

For one thing Moveon is up front about their intentions.

[ofbbg]

If this guy could discern their "real intentions", then I guess they're not that hidden, eh?

[reshas1]

They are up front about smearing anyone that gets in their way, and doesn't vote or say or do what they want.. YEAH RIGHT!!!

That's OK isn't it...

[captainigor]

And Freedom's Watch just outright LIES!!!!

MoveOn.org exists in a fact-based world, not the Rethug's fantasy/projection land.

[Sanity01]

AMEN, dmn

[Snerdgronk]

Well there 'dimb', for one thing, MoveOn is smart and Freedom Watch (phonetically "f(R)ee-dumb"), is (R)ich. It is the classic battle between, "Knowledge is Power" and "Powe(R) is Knowledge" ...

Snerd

[druidlady42]

The difference is: "MoveOn" operates on the basis of getting the factual TRUTH out to the public and is a grass-roots organization made up of small contributions by "little" people; "Freedom's March" operates by propagating unfounded rumors, innuendos, and baseless smearsagainst their opponents, and is funded by big contributions from those who have profited by the corrupt policies of the Republican Party machine! BIG DIFFERENCE!

[UnbiasView]

You my friend are relating the truth to your point of view which is not always the truth. Moveon.org is an opinion organization just like any other 527.

[EgbertSouse]

The difference is simple: moveon doesn't lie.

The end does not justify the means. I expect that you don't comprehend this thought.

[UnbiasView]

Really?

When did Gen. Petrayus Betray Us then?

[SpectCon]

And, truthfully, although these guys are only half the problem. Obama better be picking a more liberal VP than himself or these military/oil thugs will do what it takes to see he never gets a chance to take us out of Iraq, change oil policy or healthcare.

These same powers started overthrowing governments back in the 50s, and don't you doubt for a second that things have changed that much. When you've sent 4000 Americans to their death for Iraq's oil and killed 100,000 Iraqis, suddenly getting rid of one guy isn't exactly a moral conundrum.

Don't be suckers. We need to counter the political hacks like Rove (and the Dems don't seem to have even the stomach for that) but Obama needs to make himself unassailable by choosing a VP QUICK. Anyone can see he's likely to win this. I hope his advisers aren't naive.

We all need insurance. Obama needs to pick someone from the left. Not someone middle of the road.

[ofbbg]

And just who might he find that's more liberal than he is - Noam Chomsky??

[Snerdgronk]

A VP as a Life Insurance policy ... How 'aboot':

* Denis Kucinich
* Al Franken
* Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez
* G. Soros
* Keith Olberman
* etc.

Snerd

[UnbiasView]

If Obama picks any of those guys, expect to see McCain take over the White House.

[James Boyce - Huffpost Blogger]

Many months ago, Dave Johnson and I started writing about these guys, we also have built out an aggregator news site just to try and expose them, www.watchingfreedomswatch.newsladder.net

they are a very dangerous group indeed, and with Rove on board, their intent is clear

[EgbertSouse]

Your link is broken....

[certainot]

rove may be an architect but limbaugh does the gruntwork

[SpectCon]

Yeah, they'll get on that real quick I'm guessing...because of a petition.

No. Hell no! The ONLY way to stop these thugs is to BEAT them. I don't care if it's MoveOn.org or someone else (probably someone else as MoveOn.org hasn't shown the willingness) but the Dems need to a group to counter them.

It isn't hard to do. Anytime these cheese balls release some dirt you protect your candidate (Barack and the rest of the Dems) by putting out something more sensational for the media coverage.

Rove knows you beat the media by controlling the story. You don't answer charges, (engaging) you don't rebut them (another form of engaging) because that only gives the story more traction. It also does no good to ignore a good story as it will just get accepted as fact.

The solution is put out your own story about sex, drugs, nukes, bin Laden, being a traitor, Vietnam, race, someones family or the Clintons.

If you don't give the media a story, the other guys will. You have to be ruthless. Go viral, phonebank, email, have spokesmen lie.

Who the F*ck is doing this for the Dems??? I keep asking and get no answers. Looks like another year of swiftboating and no response. Am I wrong?

Amazing. Anyone want to organize? A war, healthcare and host of other problems hang in the balance. How long until you start seeing Obama cocaine commercials????

[shadowgm]

As of 0626 PDT, the link has no content.

And, frankly, I'm immediately suspicious of any group presenting itself as some noble guardian of freedom, especially when we've had our plates full of snappily named legislation like USA PATRIOT, Protecting America, and our newfound fascination with calling our country 'The Homeland.'

It's time to recognize that these scam artists have nothing but fear to offer a once-proud nation, and aren't in it to protect you or me - they're in it to preserve their power base. We're always being told that if we haven't done anything wrong, we have nothing to hide (a flawed argument to begin with), but this administration runs and hides at every turn. Defying subpoenas, forgetting key events and decisions, hiding behind executive privilege, violating federal law.

THESE are the people telling us they're watching out for OUR freedom? Laughable.

But it's not enough for Americans to question these claims, we need a media that understands it's not 'partisan' to report dishonesty and won't flinch when these Chekists accuse them of impropriety.

We need elected representatives who won't table impeachment and contempt charges.

Because our freedom is worth exactly what we're willing to put into it. If we invest nothing but fear and hand control over to a bunch of idealogues and thieves, well, you can see what kind of country we'll reap.

[missionimpossible]

A strong attack deserves a counter attack. Obama should hit hard when attacked, if not he will not be POTUS.

[SpectCon]

No. Not Obama. Don't be foolish. That destorys Obama's message. He needs outside help that he can have nothing to do with. All he can do is engage attacks..that prolongs the story.

You need to change the story by creating new stories about the other guy. Sex, race, nukes, 9/11, terrorism, drugs, attacking family, charging traitorous activity.

That's what the press covers. They need 30 second ads, professionally cut, with someone juiced so they can get them to the networks.

[HBeachbum]

Yeah, as soon as you liberals shut down MoveOn.org.

[Synoia]

You just pursuaded me MoveOn is really effective. The subject twice in a few posts, Bill O is feeaturing then on his Talking Points show, so they must have you really concerned.

Biil O stated "We have a mixture of staff from both right & left, but a mjority of our commentators ae from the Right". As 7% of the air time is commentators, that's a clear statement of the obvious.

I'm now going to go & give MoveOn some money.

[UnbiasView]

I don't see Keith Olbermann having people with different points of view on during every topic . . .

[jmad]

Yeah, as soon as you wrong wings stop spreading filth an innuendo.

[cowboyjerkface]

Moveon.org doesnt publish lies, it only exposes the lies that you so-called "christians" put out, that is all they have ever done. Then you get offended when you have been told of the lying your President has done in the name of America. Everytime Moveon.org exposes a lie, the usual refrain is predictable.....

If you cannot see the difference between lies and rebuttal then you are lost. But then again we should really feel sorry for these people. They were played by the GOP and right wing christian groups and they did nothing to "Unite" Has anyone yet seen one piece of anything that even comes close to "Uniting"....I will listen to anyone who provides it!

[pcplz]

So far....Moveon has been truthful! Pointing out the truths in the Republican party and the White House. The ads that have been put out against Obama have had no substance or truth...just lies.

I have no problem with sensational ads that have truth to them but......LIES!

[UnbiasView]

They are only not lying in your view and you only think the other ads are lies because they are against your view.