THE HISTORY WE DIDN'T KNOW
What I did not know until just the past couple of days was the history of the many years' experience that David Plouffe, Barack Obama's campaign manager, has had banging heads, specifically, with these very same morally bereft s.o.b.'s.

In my two previous diaries I attempted to sum up just how vicious and brutal things are about to get in our Presidential race by the end of the Summer; and then into the Fall. Inevitably, in upcoming weeks, IMHO, we'll be seeing, hearing (and receiving robocalls), and reading some of the most mindfuckingly fiendish implementations of neoconservative communications strategy ever devised on this planet--all by those warped minds over at Jamestown Associates, the media "agency of record" tasked to spend a $250-million media budget on behalf of none other than the ultra-rightwing, 501(c)4, "Freedom's Watch."

Plouffe has been publicly fighting with Jamestown, and Jamestown's clients, on a variety of fronts since at least 2000. In fact, in a great piece from TPM Muckraker this past December, " 'Angry Black Man' does GOTV," we have a story from jailed Rethug, Allen Raymond, a former associate of the folks over at Jamestown, discussing strategy with them concerning the Dick Zimmer-Rush Holt race in NJ-12 in 2000.

What this diarist has learned over the past week is that David Plouffe has had some rather intense history with these bastards as far as that election was concerned, as well. The next year, in the Summer of 2001, in his former role as Executive Director of the DCCC, David Plouffe filed a complaint with the FEC against these guys.

Obviously dissatisfied with the results, Plouffe filed another FEC complaint against the Zimmer folks, specifically calling out Jamestown Associates and its senior executives, with the following result:

(THE FEC'S) DISPOSITION:

(a)        Probable cause to believe, but took no further action*[re: knowing and willful corporate contributions and failure to report contributions]

(b-e)    Probable cause to believe, but took no further action* [re: knowing and willful corporate contributions]

(f)        Reason to believe, but took no further action*

(g-h)    Took no action*
           The complaint alleged that Zimmer 2000, along with a number of other entities and individuals, participated in a scheme to coordinate radio and direct mail advertisements opposing Dick Zimmer's opponent for New Jersey's 12th district. All respondents other than NJCTR replied that the complaint failed to present evidence that the advertisements at issue contained express advocacy and that the alleged coordination was not sufficient to convert the issue advocacy advertisements into contributions. NJCTR did not submit a response to the complaint. The Commission found probable cause to believe that Zimmer 2000, Inc., Larry Weitzner, Jamestown Associates, Tom Blakely, and Fox Media Consulting violated the law, but used its prosecutorial discretion to take no further action. Statements of Reasons were issued by Chairman Thomas and Commissioners Mason, McDonald and Weintraub.

FADE TO 2008 (CURRENT DAY)...

Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!

--Sir Walter Scott,  Scottish author & novelist

JAMESTOWN ASSOCIATES
When it comes to unbridled psychological political warfare, gross campaign skullduggery and swaying public opinion--no matter how ruthless the lie and no matter what the cost--Princeton, NJ-based Jamestown Associates is always at the head of the pack.

Of course, at the top of this Rethug communications food chain, this year, it's our perennially most-hated campaign strategist of the past eight years--and perhaps all time--Karl Rove, followed closely by Ari Fleischer. This cycle, both are on the payroll of billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson via his 501(c)4 concoction, Freedom's Watch. This guy's a piece of work, but I've written about him extensively in previous diaries; the New Yorker had the definitive piece on Adelson which appeared just a couple of weeks ago. Scary stuff!

Jamestown Associates is also on Freedom's Watch's/Adelson's payroll.  They've been tasked with planning, producing and implementing a $200- to $250-million media budget, of which they've already spent about $25 million (give or take), in two "flights:" i.) a series of "pro war" communications efforts this past Fall, and, ii.)   "issues ads" and robo-calling campaigns, during the past three weeks, aimed at approximately 30 Democratic members of the House of Representatives.

Current Jamestown employees and officers, as well as Jamestown alumni, account for many of the true henchmen that are the "boots on the ground" doing the Rethug wet work this cycle.  If McCain's recent appointments to run his ground game in MI, OH and PA are any indication of what's ahead, these guys, and their alumni and former colleagues take the cake when it comes to campaign scumbaggery. IMHO, they are the most vile media strategists ever to attain a modicum of success in the political media arena. And, they're running the GOP national effort this year.

Whether it's voter suppression, in any of its many shapes and forms, going beyond skirting the clear FEC regulations with regard to blatant coordination of 527's/501(c)4's activities with formal party operations, or simply doing nasty stuff that lands you in jail, the Rethugs running the show in 2008 have all been there and done that.

So, you can only imagine what a perverse delight it was for this diehard Democrat to realize that nobody knows this better than the person running OUR show this year, David Plouffe!

My hat's off to you David! I'm sure I speak for millions of Dems that have been witness to the myriad of GOP dirty tricks in the last couple of presidential election cycles when I say: If ever there was a "right person" for the job of kicking the GOP's ass like it's never been kicked before, and then winning the White House for the Democratic Party in 2008, it is YOU!

Right candidate. Right campaign manager. One might even call it poetic justice!

Carpe diem!