GOP Consultant: Koch Brothers Bought Ryan’s Nomination With $100 Million Promise

The National Memo
Jon Conason

Veteran Republican political consultant, unrepentant dirty trickster, and recently reborn libertarian Roger Stone yesterday published a startling accusation against Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney on his personal website, The Stone Zone. According to Stone, the billionaire Koch brothers purchased the Republican vice presidential nomination for Ryan from Romney in late July by promising to fork over an additional $100 million toward “independent expenditure” campaigning for the GOP ticket.

Any such transaction would represent a serious violation of federal election laws and perhaps other statutes, aside from the ethical and character implications for all concerned. Although Stone is not the most reputable figure, to put it mildly, he has been a Republican insider, with access to the party’s top figures, over four decades. His credentials date back to Nixon’s Committee to Reelect The President and continue through the Reagan White House, the hard-fought Bush campaigns, and the Florida fiasco in 2000, when he masterminded the “Brooks Brothers riot” that shut down the Bush-Gore recount in Miami-Dade. Peruse his site and you’ll see his greatest hits and the attention he has drawn from major publications.

I’ve known Roger personally for years and always considered him intelligent and amusing; also extremely dangerous and even erratic. Sometimes I’ve been surprised by how much he knows about the inner-most workings of his party – even when he is clearly persona non grata among the current power elite.

Here is how Stone led his latest post, headlined “The Paul Ryan Selection, “which also delivers an amusing swipe at a certain Fox News analyst:

I’ve waited a few days to lay out my analysis of the selection of Paul Ryan for the VP slot on the Romney ticket. Unlike politicos like Dick Morris who badmouths the selection privately and shills for it publicly, I’ll tell you what I really think. My sources tell me David Koch played a key role in Ryan’s selection and that Koch’s wife Julia had been quietly lobbying for Ryan. The selection was cemented at the July 22nd fundraiser Koch held for Romney at the former’s sumptuous Hamptons estate. Koch pledged $100 million more to C-4 and Super PAC efforts for Romney [in exchange] for Ryan’s selection.

When he mentions “C-4,” of course, Stone is referring to the tax-exempt non-profit groups recognized by the IRS under section 501-C-4 of federal tax law – such as Americans For Prosperity, a group largely backed by the Koch brothers that has so far spent nearly $20 million on this year’s campaign. The C-4 groups, including another known as Crossroads GPS run by Karl Rove, need not disclose their rich donors, while Super PACs do. This year, the right-wing C-4s are outspending all the SuperPACS combined, as Pro Publica reported recently.

As a declared supporter of Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, Stone is grinding a sizeable ax, as always. He goes on to denigrate the idea that Ryan is a libertarian, despite his declared idolatry of the late Ayn Rand.  Not much more can be said about Stone’s stark allegations, unless more evidence emerges to confirm them. But there is nevertheless a ring of candor in Stone’s story, tying the plutocratic Kochs to the plutocratic ticket of Romney-Ryan.

What he has written amounts to a gleeful felony indictment of everyone involved. Will any of them demand a retraction or even issue a denial?

Nervousness about Charles Barron Prompts a Flood of National Money for Hakeem Jeffries

Capital New York
Reid Pillifant

Hakeem Jeffries and Charles Barron.

The fear that Charles Barron might actually win next week's primary for a Brooklyn-Queens congressional seat has triggered a flood of contributions from all across the country to his opponent, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries.

Barron, a former Black Panther, has long been known in New York political circles for his racial rhetoric and his professed admiration for international-pariah dictators like Muammar Khadafy and Robert Mugabe, but particularly attention has been focused in the national media in the last couple of weeks on his anti-Israel rhetoric. Among other things, he has compared conditions in Gaza to those in Nazi concentration camps.

On Monday alone, Jeffries raised a combined $37,500 from donors in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Louisiana, Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio and California. Most of the donations were individual contributions of $1,000; the World Alliance for Israel PAC gave $5,000.
That one-day total is more than Barron had raised for his entire campaign through June 6, not counting Barron's own contributions.

Jeffries has also collected from Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas in recent weeks, adding tens of thousands of dollars to the $375,000 he reported having on hand in early June, and giving the campaign an unexpected surplus to spend down the home stretch.

The increase in donations to Jeffries, who had already put together a broad coalition of institutional supporters, coincided with the endorsement of Barron by the retiring Representative Ed Towns on June 4 and subsequent increase in the seriousness with which the media began treating his prospects ahead of the June 26 primary.

Only a handful of donations from outside the area appear on Jeffries' pre-primary filing, which covered donations from April 1 to June 6.

Barron has been trying to shift the conversation away from his controversial comments and focus on his constituent work, but national Democrats and newspaper editorials have been sounding the alarm, warning of what a Barron candidacy might mean for the party and the Middle East.

The scenario is somewhat reminiscent of one from 2002, when supporters of Israel rallied to defeat Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney in a primary one observer called "a little Middle East proxy war."


McKinney's opponent out-raised her by nearly two-to-one and, with some crossover help from Republican voters in the state's open primary, McKinney lost by a wide margin. (After the race, McKinney's father attributed the loss to "J-E-W-S" who "bought everybody.)

Pro-Israel donors rallied again in 2006 when, after winning her seat back two years earlier, McKinney found herself in a surprisingly competitive primary against the current congressman, Hank Johnson, who won soundly in the run-off.

I asked Jeffries after an event in Bedford-Stuyvesant last night how he felt about his campaign becoming a national cause.

"We're going to remain focused on the issues that are relevant to the people in the communities like Bedford-Stuyvesant, like affordable housing, safe streets and a strong economy," he said.

Israel should be stopped or all will be lost: Mark Glenn

PressTV

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) with Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

 An American author says Israel is a threat not only to the innocent people of the Middle East but the entire world and “if this evil is not stopped, all will be lost.”

“Christianity has been corrupted by Zionist interests and is now being used as a tool in infecting the rest of the world,” Mark Glenn, from the Crescent and Cross Solidarity Movement, wrote in a letter addressed to the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Glenn said the Zionists are trying to pit the Christians and Muslims against each other, in what has become the “clash of civilizations,” through corrupt media, corrupt culture, immorality, war, economic exploitation, and a whole host of other diseases.

“Their goal is obvious - to see these two peoples destroy each other so that like some vulture she can pick the carcasses clean for herself,” Glenn said.

He further asked for an extensive interview with the Iranian president on issues ranging from the Israeli plots for the Middle East and how it is trying to bring its “evil desires” about, such as war and terrorism etc., to the conspiracies that the US and Israel have committed against Iran since 1953 to the commonalties between Islam and Christianity.

Israel is widely known to be the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. Tel Aviv began building its first plutonium and uranium processing facility, Dimona, in the Negev desert in 1958.

Former US President Jimmy Carter said Israel has a nuclear arsenal that includes between 200 and 300 warheads. Decades of recurrent reporting and aerial footage have also established the possession of atomic arms by Israel.

Under its official policy of nuclear ambiguity, Tel Aviv neither confirms nor denies the possession of nukes and refuses to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.

“I am convinced that if the Christian world were made aware of the fact that their enemies are NOT the Muslims but rather the Zionists who have all but destroyed their religion and culture, that we will be able to eventually get a rope around the neck of this animal where it could be thrown back into the cage where it belongs,” Glenn concluded. 

GOP freshmen, big-bucks donors hobnob at resort

CBS News
Sharyl Attkisson




There are 468 congressional campaigns going on right now.

That means a lot of serious fundraising.

Much of it is behind closed doors, except on a recent weekend at a South Florida resort, where CBS News got an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes.

It was the first Campaign 2012 fundraiser for a group of freshmen Republicans. All face tough, well-financed races against Democrats, and need to come up with big dollars to buy TV time. They get that by wooing special interests willing to pay a lot of money for special access.

In 2010, many freshmen Republicans were swept into Congress on the promise of doing things differently.

But fast-forward to 2012, and the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla. -- an exclusive seaside resort and home to 54 holes of championship golf and a private marina full of luxury yachts.

Atkinson Congressional Vacation boarding boat

Rep. Cory Gardner, in yellow, joined a select group of Republican freshmen, big campaign donors, lobbyists and others at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., 2012.

Rep. Cory Gardner, in yellow, joined
a select group of Republican freshmen,
big campaign donors, lobbyists
and others at the Ocean Reef Club in
Key Largo, Fla., 2012.

That's where we caught up with a select group of Republican freshmen, engaged in business as usual. But they didn't come alone. They invited big campaign donors and lobbyists to join them - for a price. And we secretly sent our cameras along for a unique inside look at their first joint fundraiser, where special interests got the kind of access ordinary Americans can only dream of: on the golf course; over drinks at the resort bar; at a private beach lagoon.

"Book your Key Largo getaway now," reads the invitation, obtained by CBS News. The hosts are veteran congressmen Spencer Bachus, of Alabama, Pete Sessions, of Texas, "and 12 of your favorite Republican freshmen!"

The 12: Sandy Adams (Fla.), Quico Canseco (Texas), Rick Crawford (Ark.), Bob Dold (Ill.), Sean Duffy (Wis.), Stephen Fincher (Tenn.), Mike Fitzpatrick (Penn.), Daniel Webster (Fla.), Mike Grimm (N.Y.), Nan Hayworth (N.Y.), Jim Renacci (Ohio) and Cory Gardner (Col).

Rep. Quico Canseco of Texas (left) and
Cory Gardner of Colorado heading
in to host happy hour at the joint fundraiser

Congressmen Canseco and Gardner were seen on camera heading in to host happy hour. To get in, donors had to pay at least $10,000.

During his campaign, Gardner promised average voters would inspire his actions. One ad said, "I will always put Colorado families before the Washington special interests."

But in Key Largo, Gardner appeared to offer special interests lots of face time. He was seen on camera talking to an attendee who said he works for a bank. In another shot, he's seen going charter fishing as part of the fundraising package -- they head out on a group of boats including one named "Good Life."

It appeared Rep. Webster was going fishin', too.

Back in 2010 at a Tea Party rally, Webster criticized Washington's ways, saying, "America's not broken, Washington is!"

Jim Renacci, of Ohio, golfing during the joint
fundraiser.

Then, there's Congressman Renacci manning a golf cart -- donors got time on the links as part of the deal.

Some congressmen brought their spouses and special interests got to share lively dinner conversation at a restaurant with gourmet delights such as braised baby octopus and crispy duck confit.

Another shot shows Gardner and Canseco again.

And Rep. Bachus, who recently became the subject of an ethics investigation into whether he used his position for personal gain, which he denies.

Later, we found Canseco mingling over drinks at the resort's burgee bar.

Then, Congressman Sessions joins the conversation. An individual can legally give up to $46,200 to the joint fundraiser; the money's split among the freshmen.

It's perfectly legal for members of Congress to have a getaway at a Florida resort. The question is: Why do lobbyists pay thousands of dollars to be here with them? What are the lobbyists getting in return?

None of the members of Congress agreed to an interview. They referred us to Paul Lindsay at the National Republican Congressional Committee, which organized the getaway.

Asked what the donors are getting out of the weekend, Lindsay replied, "They're getting a Republican House next year."

Is the public wrong in thinking that something just doesn't look right about this? Even if it does follow the letter of the law and the letter of ethics rules?

"I think," Lindsay responded, "the public has also seen that President Obama has had many high-level fundraisers throughout the country in cities like New York and Los Angeles."

As president, Mr. Obama is the Democrats' fundraiser in chief. "We've got so much more work we have to do," the president told the crowd at a recent event.

He recently headlined eight fundraisers in one week. Tickets can cost upwards of $35,000. The money's split between his presidential campaign and other Democrats.

Watchdogs question whether this high-priced access unfairly influences politicians.

Nine of the Key Largo congressmen are on the committee that regulates banks. Nobody would give us the donor guest list, but we do know it includes at least one bank lobbyist.

We showed Lindsay video of Congressman Sessions, who's chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

"Unless you can guarantee me," said Lindsay, "that President Obama and (House Minority Leader) Nancy Pelosi and Democrat super PACs are gonna unilaterally disarm and not spend any money against Republican candidates in the fall, we are gonna do everything we can to have the resources necessary to compete."

The Republicans refused to give us the donor list for the weekend but, at the end of March, they'll have to disclose it in a report to the Federal Election Commission. Democrats also report their donors regularly under election law.

To see Sharyl Attkisson's report, click on the video in the player above.