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View Full Version : Eric Kleefeld - Gary Howard C4L ad for buck interview. Collaborative response.




newbitech
01-29-2010, 12:52 PM
I am in contact with the reporter who published the article with the quote from Gary Howard on Jan 27th.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/pro-ron-paul-group-runs-ad-in-colorado-praising-senate-candidate-video.php#more

Eric linked to a blog published by the Denver Post author Lynn Bartels on Jan 26th.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/01/26/big-bucks-for-ken-bucks/

I'd like let everyone know that I am going to be talking with Eric about his article, sharing some facts that we uncovered in our big thread, and asking him about the interview with Gary Howard.

In the spirit of transparency and accountability, I just like to let everyone know what I am doing to uncover more information and clarify a few things in my mind. Also, as I haven't responded back to the author yet other than exchanging hellos and a request for me to contact him with information, I am hoping that this thread will help me focus my communications with this journalist.

newbitech
01-29-2010, 01:18 PM
Here is the draft.

I'll leave this up for a little bit for scrutiny. Thanks.



Hi Eric,

Thanks for taking the time to get back with me.

I am investing an article that you wrote that has set off a maelstrom within a group of grassroots political activist. This is the article you wrote.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/pro-ron-paul-group-runs-ad-in-colorado-praising-senate-candidate-video.php#more on Jan 27th 2009.

I am not a reporter or part of any media just an activist, so I have dug up some related pieces of information to your article to share with the activist community who are in a frenzy over wanting more details about your article.

The relevant pieces of information I have dug up are as follows.

1.) The blog post you linked, http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/01/26/big-bucks-for-ken-bucks/ the author says that "It’s unclear whether the “Campaign for Liberty” praising Buck is the same “Campaign for Liberty” behind Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential bid."

It looks like you clarified that by contacting and quoting Campaign for Liberty's Gary Howard to confirm the source of the ad. Indeed it has been independently verified that the ad was produced in part with resources from Campaign for Liberty. What is not clear is where the money came from. There has been a call from within the membership of Campaign for Liberty and the broader support from Ron Paul to disclose the source of the ad funds.

2.) It has been speculated that the funds for the ad were merely funneled through the Campaign for Liberty for the purpose of some type of backroom deal to get Campaign for Liberty Surveys exposure. In tracking down the source of the funds, the following article has been referenced http://coloradoindependent.com/46727/ken-buck-campaign-ad-stirs-up-supporters-and-speculation

Now there are a couple of different problems between what you have verified and what the author of the above article has verified. Your article seems to indicate and confirm that the source of the funding was the Campaign for Liberty, and indeed the ad itself says the ad was paid for by Campaign for Liberty. The above article speculates that the funding did not come from Ron Paul supporters or the grassroots support that launched the Campaign for Liberty, but rather the Campaign has abandoned some of it's core principles to partner with wealthy donors or powerful political interests in order to either pay off a favor or fight a proxy battle with neo-con funding.

I hope you find this information useful for future articles, and I would like to ask you if possible, to provide more specific details about the interview you had with Gary Howard of the Campaign for Liberty. The activist and grassroots who have largely funded Ron Paul's presidential bid with small individual donations during the various "money bombs" and spawned movements mimicking the grassroots such as the "Tea Parties" are demanding transparency and accountability from the organization.

Any further details you could provide regarding that interview including possibly questions you asked that were unanswered by Gary Howard would help in holding this organization accountable. Most of the grassroots behind this organization are expecting some type of spin to come out because of the legal status of the organization as a non-profit 501c4. Pretty much the spin that says this ad was not an endorsement for the candidate. Also in the coloradoindependent article, the author quotes a spokesperson from the Buck campaign as identifying the Campaign for Liberty as a 527 org. The Campaign for Liberty is in fact a 501c4 org and has stated that it does not endorse candidates on its missions statement.

Thanks for Eric and your response with additional details would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

John in FL
Ron Paul 08' Grassroots Activist

On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 7:01 AM, Eric Kleefeld <eric@talkingpointsmemo.com> wrote:

Yes?



Eric Kleefeld
TPM






On Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 11:50 PM, john busciglio <newbitech@gmail.com> wrote:

I have some more info to share on an article he reported.

Thanks