Earlier today, I lauded the Jawa Report for their amazing work on uncovering a likely "astroturfing" scam being run by some folks fairly close to Democratic power circles -- if not Obama himself. I was curious to see if this had gotten any play on the left side of the blogosphere.
Not much, I have to say, but I learned a few things that really add some context to the whole thing.
Over at Daily Kos, I did a simple Google search for "Publicis." Not surprising, there were very few hits, and none very recent. But two articles did jump out.
First up, Publicis was the firm that crafted the infamous "UNICEF Bombs The Smurfs" cartoon that so entertained the world three years ago.
Second, on this list from 2007 of the top lobbying firms (drawn from here), Publicis is the 49th biggest lobbying firm in the country, pulling in almost $23 million in its clients from 1998 to 2004.
Considering how much of a stink Obama has made about lobbyists in general, finding ties between his campaign and Publicis could cause even more embarrassment for him.
Just for grins, I picked a few more liberal sites to do similar searches. (Finally, a use for Wizbang Blue -- I just worked off their blogroll. Thanks, chumps.)
Eschaton: Nothing.
FireDogLake: Nothing.
Jesus' General: One hit, nothing of consequence. (No great surprise there.)
Media Matters: Nothing.
Sadly, No: Sadly, Nothing.
TPM Muckraker: No muck.
Yes, it's still early in the game here. And -- no surprise -- using Blue's blogroll as a resource turned out to be a complete waste of time. But the Kos stuff was certainly enlightening.
This story just keeps getting better and better and better...
(Hat tip to _Mike_, whose comment got me thinking...)



Comments (16)
And we are SURE this wasn't... (Below threshold)1. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 10:39 AM | Score: -2 (4 votes cast)
And we are SURE this wasn't a red herring plant of some kind? We are sure it wasn't intentional? The Fingerprints are just too huge, imho. They dropped a damn calling card!
ES Winner? He used his REAL name?! They are that blatant? What can you make of such an obvious scam?
1. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 10:39 AM |
Score: -2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 10:39
2. Posted by Paul Duffau | September 22, 2008 10:40 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Nothing yet at DU either, Jay. Not that I really was expecting it.
DU is the same place where the Edwards story got buried (none of our business, move along) and "Trig isn't Palin's 5th child" sparked dozens of posts several of which wanted, demanded, DNA testing for proof.
Just thinking the Olberman must go there for DU diligence on his rants.
2. Posted by Paul Duffau | September 22, 2008 10:40 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 10:40
3. Posted by eddie bear | September 22, 2008 10:51 AM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
#1:
Yeah, that Karl Rove sure is a sneaky bast#rd, planting all of that stuff.
Maybe it could be that the perps just were stupid/arrogant enough to think they wouldn't get caught, or that nobody would dig deep enough to find out what was going on.
Just waiting for The Deciders to start discussing this with the same fervor as who is Trig's mother.
3. Posted by eddie bear | September 22, 2008 10:51 AM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 10:51
4. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 10:57 AM | Score: -3 (5 votes cast)
Of course I'm not suggesting that ROVE planted it! But do you really think the leftists in the campaign and among his supporters are really, truly that stupid?
4. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 10:57 AM |
Score: -3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 10:57
5. Posted by sarahconnor2 | September 22, 2008 11:00 AM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
They're hoping that if they cover their ears and go "lalala" really loudly, this will all go away.
5. Posted by sarahconnor2 | September 22, 2008 11:00 AM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:00
6. Posted by Adrian Browne | September 22, 2008 11:01 AM | Score: -19 (19 votes cast)
This is some of the "evidence" from the Jawa Report:
"The voice-over artist used in this supposedly amateur video is a professional."
File under: Hearing Voices
6. Posted by Adrian Browne | September 22, 2008 11:01 AM |
Score: -19 (19 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:01
7. Posted by GianiD | September 22, 2008 11:01 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
#4, Himself has gotten this far, why not?
Would you want a surgeon with only 143 days or experience?
7. Posted by GianiD | September 22, 2008 11:01 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:01
8. Posted by Paul Duffau | September 22, 2008 11:03 AM | Score: 12 (12 votes cast)
Adrain Browne: File it under pending voice analysis.
Nice diversion. Care to comment to the substance of the debate?
8. Posted by Paul Duffau | September 22, 2008 11:03 AM |
Score: 12 (12 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:03
9. Posted by eddie bear | September 22, 2008 11:11 AM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
4: hey, you never know.
Just ask Mary Mapes what sloppines in a hit piece will do to you.
9. Posted by eddie bear | September 22, 2008 11:11 AM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:11
10. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 11:36 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Okay, well maybe you're right because Looney Mapes STILL says those documents were real and she wrote an entire book about her fantasy.
So they really HAVE broken with reality.
10. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 11:36 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:36
11. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 11:40 AM | Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
But here's what annoys me...because I can't wrap my brain around the idea that the Left is THAT stupid, or that I wonder if they COULD have set this whole scam up to be identified by some of our more intrepid right blogosphere writers, some of the readers of this blog think that I'm an Obamacon suggesting that Rove planted the whole thing.
There is weird groupthink on both sides, and while it's creepy and scary when it's the Left side, I don't think it's a good thing when it happens on the right.
11. Posted by SAHMmy | September 22, 2008 11:40 AM |
Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 11:40
12. Posted by Larry | September 22, 2008 12:11 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Been thinking about this one. . .
Factoid: Junior Winner reads Yachting Magazine.
Factoid: Junior is 39?
Factoid: Jared Liu-Klein is the go to guy for Palme.
Factoid: Daddy Winner checked up on sonny boy.
None of those involved appear to be real hired guns who know how to cover their tracks. Daddy is the rainmaker and sonny boy rides his sperm lottery winnings into the Yachting world and a job at daddy's PR firm.
I would bet a plug nickle that Sonny boy had a bright idea. Daddy, being of age to lack a very complete understanding of how the Internet works, thought his chip off the old blockhead was on to something. So instead of calling up the real hired guns, the ones they pay to know something, Daddy told Jared Liu-Klein, aka, "stckyfngz", to help sonny boy and then checked himself to see how things were going.
Ethan Winner, xxx-xxx-xxxx
This is just toooooo easy.
Editor's Note: No phone numbers, or get banned.
12. Posted by Larry | September 22, 2008 12:11 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 12:11
13. Posted by Larry | September 22, 2008 12:28 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
And a quote from something else I am working on:
"To sell the initiative to the public, Axelrod's firm recommended an aggressive effort modeled on a political campaign, with a campaign manager, focus groups, messages targeted to specific constituencies and third-party "validators" who could promote the project to the media."
13. Posted by Larry | September 22, 2008 12:28 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 12:28
14. Posted by Peter F. | September 22, 2008 2:43 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Publicis? Really? I had no idea. I worked out of the Dallas office in the late '90s for several years and never knew they were active lobbyists.
Why would a French-based advertising conglomerate be lobbying in America? Very curious. (And no wonder the cheap bastards were stingy with the raises; my 3% raise was going to f-ing lobbyists!!!)
Maurice Lévy is the CEO. I'm unsure of Levy's politics, but I do wonder what ties he has to Obama and the Democratic party...
14. Posted by Peter F. | September 22, 2008 2:43 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 14:43
15. Posted by epador | September 22, 2008 4:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
WOW, still nothing in WB either, 'cept PH bemoaning the poor newly indicted Playboy Bunny...
15. Posted by epador | September 22, 2008 4:17 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 16:17
16. Posted by Bmeuppls | September 22, 2008 7:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Tie in to a French advertising conglomerate would be... Soros. Soros is the largest shareholder of BNP Paribas. Paribas owns L'Atelier a web based marketing company that does business with Publicis...
16. Posted by Bmeuppls | September 22, 2008 7:05 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 19:05