Posted by D. Cupples | A group calling itself "Freedom's Watch," recently sought to run TV ads that "thank" U.S. troops. It's a pleasant gesture, though soldiers might benefit more if the oddly named group instead put its millions toward actually supporting struggling military families. At first, NBC refused to run the ads, wishing to avoid political controversy, but the network reversed itself. (Associated Press)
Former White House staffers Ari Fleischer and Bradley Blakeman launched the group earlier this year and seem preoccupied with parroting President Bush's messages. As Bush's Press Secretary, Fleisher helped convince America that Iraq had WMDs (among other things that turned out to be untrue).
Just weeks before this year's September 11th anniversary, Fleischer's group launched a $15-million campaign including ads with well-placed (albeit highly misleading) mentions of Iraq and 9/11.
Apparently, the group's leaders forgot that President Bush had already publicly affirmed that there was no connection between Iraq and 9/11. Below are some of the group's major donors:
Mel Sembler, GOP funder and former ambassador to Italy who bankrolled the president's inaugural committee and helped finance the 2000 Florida recount battle....
Kevin E. Moley, former U.S. ambassador to international organizations in Geneva. He was a senior adviser to Dick Cheney during the 2000 campaign, and he and his immediate family have contributed more than $100,000 to Republican candidates and party committees.
Howard Leach, former ambassador to France, chief executive of Leach Capital Corp. and president of Foley Timber and Land Co. in Florida. A Bush "Pioneer," Leach contributed $100,000 to the president's inaugural committee, helped fund the Florida recount, and financed GOP campaigns with more than $225,000 in 1999 and 2000.
Anthony Gioia, former ambassador to Malta and the head of Gioia Management, who raised about $500,000 for Bush's first presidential campaign at one event in his Buffalo home. (Washington Post-2)
It's a strange phenomenon. When most people quit a job, they actually stop working for their former employer. President Bush's ex-staffers -- e.g., Ari Fleischer and Karl Rove -- don't seem to know the meaning of the word "resign."
See Memeorandum for other bloggers' reactions.
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* More confusing Statements about Iraq War
* White House Whines about Congressional Oversight....
* Under the Rug: Whatever happened to the 190,000 Missing Weapons?
* Bush Wants New Agency for Domestic Spying
* Blackwater Took Iraqi Planes & CEO Misled Congress?
* How DoD Flushes Tax Dollars Down the Latrine
* DoD Rewarding Bad Contractor Performance?
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