Secret 'Tea Party' Money Slushing in Wisconsin

We were talking about tea.

Ad in letter below shows up on Faux Nooz™

Glad to see that Bill Clinton is in Wisconsin.

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Bill Clinton hits a home run in Wisconsin.  Will it be enough?  —  Bill Clinton, in his speech in Wisconsin just now, framed the recall election as a stark choice between unity and division, between cooperation and conflict, and between shared prosperity and right wing winner-take-all economics…

But there are some other old acquaintances who are in Wisconsin this week, flying under the radar, as they have for years now.

So, am I being punked?

I have received the email appended below — sent by an anonymous tipster to myself, a Huffington Post reporter known for “Tea Party” coverage and someone named “neal rauhauser.”

Who the heck is “neal rauhauser”? Good question. Glad I asked. Wetting-his-pants rightie blogger Robert Stacy McCain wrote this from his “undisclosed location” during the ginned-up rightie “blogswarm” attack on a boogieman nobody outside of cloud cuckooland had formerly heard of:

Is Democrat Operative Neal Rauhauser an ‘Associate’ of Convicted Terrorist Brett Kimberlin? (And Why It Matters)
Posted on | May 17, 2012

Former Patterico co-blogger Aaron Worthing details the efforts of convicted “Speedway Bomber” Brett Kimberlin to shut down conservative bloggers through a strategy of legal intimidation. Why am I not surprised that the notorious Democratic Party operative Neal Rauhauser’s name turns up Worthing’s account?

As I have shown before, Kimberlin has at least two people — Ron Brynaert and Neal Rauhauser — who at the very least have proven to be willing conduits for any information that Kimberlin wants to put out in the public sphere. For instance, in regards to Brynaert (a former editor of Raw Story) …

I don’t know any of these people the crazies are screeching about, but, lest I suddenly become their long-time associate, else I become George Soros’ personal agent in American politics, funded and founded by him, I just thought I’d mention it. We were talking about tea.

So, with the caveat that this may be some attempt to conflate me with “terrorists” and suchlike, AND, if so, I certainly accept the left-handed compliment as high praise for my work in making them uncomfortable with facts and inconvenient truths, I pass along the letter forwarded, because, if true, it is another dot connected and continues reporting on a group I’ve been tracking through several mask changes and incarnations going back to 2005, when they were trying to quash anti-war coverage (or at least garnering the required “equal time” from the predictable and semi-comatose national press) by running several bus tours as “YOU DON’T SPEAK FOR ME, CINDY [Sheehan]!”

[See this archived site letter from Howard Kaloogian, who was a mover and shaker in the Gray Davis recall that installed Arnold Schwarznegger as California governor. And, of course, my 2005 piece "Swift Boat Moms in Winnebagos" 30 Aug 05 (cited by SourceWatch)]

Here ’tis…

[Note: "Christopher" at rmrwest.com is of Russo Marsh and Rogers of Sacramento, California, the capitol of state in which, coincidentally, Michael Reagan lives. Sal Russo started his political career with Ronald Reagan's campaign for governor of California in the mid-1960s. From their website [emphasis added]:

RM+R understands the commitment it takes to run for office. And whether our client is political or corporate, we always give 110%.

RM+R provides its clients (ranging from County Supervisor to President of the United States) a solid strategic plan combining direct mail, fundraising, research, broadcast advertising, audience targeting, etc.

At RM+R we know that each campaign is unique and we are serious about winning. There are no simplistic formulas; creativity is essential.With our strategy and skill at implementing the right tactics, RM+R is a proven organization with a solid track record of winning races.

Russo Marsh + Rogers, Inc.
8795 Folsom Blvd, Suite 103
Sacramento, CA 95826

I can’t find “christopher” but dlacombe can be found on the “Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama” “about us” page:

DONALD LA COMBE

Donald is a politically passionate Dad who has been willing to go toe to toe with the left in the streets everywhere from Berkeley, CA where Code Pink was trying to run the city to Crawford, TX where Cindy Sheehan was mesmerizing the media from her roadside camp. He’s worked on various political causes and looks forward to the biggest fight yet.

From RMR West of Sacramento and Sheehan Swiftboating, known for their Tea Party Express buses (see “The Astroturf on Lambeau Field”) here is how they’re handling the Scott Walker recall Tuesday… (and, by “you” in the subject line, one presumes he means probable donors, since this is a money-making political solicitation for RMR’s “subsidiary”)]:

===================================

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: “Christopher” <dlacombe@rmrwest.com>
Date: May 31, 2012 2:03 PM
Subject: You were on Fox News yesterday!!!
To: ****

Yesterday Fox News Channel featured one of our latest ads in our campaign to DEFEAT the RECALL, and I wanted to make sure you had the chance to watch the segment.They showed our new ad and interviewed Michael Reagan, please take a moment to watch the clip from Fox News, below:.We are going to keep making you proud as we fight to DEFEAT the RECALL.  As of Thursday morning we’re half-way to our Money Bomb goal of $250,000.Below you will see the latest version of our TV ads, and as well as our Heroes List of individuals who contributed $200 or more to this important fight.  We need everyone’s help if we are going to reach this $250,000 goal.  You can make a contribution online -CLICK HERE to CONTRIBUTE.Here is a review of our latest TV ads - you can click on each image to view the ads:          HEROES LIST: Below is the list of individuals who have contributed $200 or more to this $250,000 Money Bomb: Frayda Greenwich CT 1000 Anita Westminster,ca CA 1000 Marc Charlotte NC 1000 Pat Tarzana CA 1000 Ruth Memphis TN 1000 Oliver Palm Beach FL 500 Steven Clinton NJ 500 Joseph Orlando FL 500 Sharon Centreville VA 500 Frederick Lutherville MD 500 Eric Malibu CA 500 John Pewaukee WI 500 Jeffery Vacaville CA 500 Richard Warminster PA 500 Ronald Dallas TX 500 Don Temecula CA 500 Peter Arcadia CA 500 Shawn West Sacramento CA 500 Pat San Antonio TX 300 Carl A Cheyenne WY 300 Malcolm Kirkland IL 300 Terry Kittery ME 275 Raymond San Diego CA 250 Erron West Hollywood CA 250 Tim Fairfield CT 250 Karen Edmond OK 250 Paula Los Angeles CA 250 William Dallas TX 250 Marvin Orlando FL 250 Ed Wilder ID 250 John Chicago IL 250 Robert Key Largo FL 250 Ronald Ukiah CA 250 Barbara Fernandina Beach FL 250 James Easton MD 250 Clarence St Joseph MO 250 Rick Knoxville TN 250 Daniel Topanga CA 250 Brad Dallas TX 250 John F Ewa Beach HI 250 Patrick Pewaukee WI 250 Richard Saint Petersburg FL 250 Adi New York NY 250 Greg Playa Del Rey CA 250 Douglas Lakewood CA 250 Vince Dallas TX 250 Phyllis Greenwich CT 200 Lavon Fresno CA 200 John Maumee OH 200 William Oakland CA 200 Victoria Mesa AZ 200 John B Berkeley Heights NJ 200 Warren Woodland Hills CA 200 Ronald Nashua NH 200 David Tulsa OK 200 Joyce Fort Collins, Co CO 200 Carolyn Lexington KY 200 Gordon Fort Worth TX 200 Joseph Ontario CA 200 Randol Sheridan WY 200 Michael Calistoga CA 200 Edwin Bennington KS 200 Eugene Pittsburgh PA 200 Mary Grayslake IL 200 Robert Chula Vista CA 200 Jack Durango CO 200 Dick Greenwood Village CO 200 Patricia Brooklyn NY 200 Leonard Dundalk MD 200 Ray San Jose CA 200 Robert Santa Barbara CA 200 Paul Scottsdale AZ 200 Bruce Maumee OH 200 Soraya Bethesda MD 200 Carl A Cheyenne WY 200 Steven Amarillo TX 200 John Springfield VA 200 Paul North  Agusta SC 200 James Colorado Springs CO 200 Sharon St. Cloud FL 200 James Princeton NJ 200 Joyce Palos Heights IL 200 Danny Cherokee NC 200 Garry Sedona AZ 200 Rita J Clearwater FL 200 William Jonesboro AR 200 Thomas San Diego CA 200 Melvin Portersville PA 200 Richard Davis CA 200 Dale Mesa AZ 200 Roger Holland MI 200 Roger Washington DC 200 Leroy San Antonio TX 200 John Danville IL 200 Again, we urgently need your help to reach our goal of $250,000 within the next 5 days for our campaign to DEFEAT the RECALL. HEROES LIST:  We will also be posting a list of great patriots who are able to support this effort by making a contribution of $200 or more.  To make a contribution of $200 or more - JUST CLICK HERE. If you prefer, you can also mail in a contribution to our campaign headquarters here: Campaign To Defeat Obama P.O. Box 601684 Sacramento, CA 95860-1684 Thanks so much everyone for your help and support.  We’re going to win this fight, we’re going to DEFEAT the RECALL, and we’re going to stop Barack Obama from getting Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral Votes. … …

This message was intended for: ****
You were added to the system May 27, 2012. For more information
click here.
Update your preferences | Unsubscribe

=======================

And that is it, in its entirety, save for my removing of tracking identifiers and email addresses of our anonymous tipster.

Here’s the video they’ve cribbed from Faux Nooz™ (even though Faux supposedly frowns on reposting News Corp properties on YouTube) that’s on the donations page you’re continually shunted to:

And here’s the video:

Scott Walker on Faux Nooz – Faux and Fiends

Gee. A Sacramento California political consulting/media circus company running a completely opaque astroturf operation in a Wisconsin recall battle? A group noted for having completely commercialized the “Tea Party” brand asking for money to make commercials? And what about “Paramount Communications” who’s handling the email subscriptions? From their website:

… As the email marketing industry grew, emphasis shifted from a “batch and blast” mentality toward increasing relevance through targeting and segmentation. The proprietary database we access through our relationship with Digital River (NASDAQ:DRIV) gives us a real competitive advantage by allowing virtually unlimited segmentation capabilities. As marketers learned more about the possibilities Paramount’s unique database configuration offered them straight out of the box, we began attracting large retail clients who were eager to tap into our strategic knowledge and put the Digital River tools to work in cutting edge ways….

Well, then. It’s so nice to know that Digital River (who are the fulfillers of many of my software purchases) is helping keep Scott Walker from being recalled.

Here’ s the “Tea Party Express” bus in Wisconsin during this recall season:

Here’s their WHOIS information (background noise filtered):

“Tea Party Express Roaring Into Wisconsin” June 1-6

Domain ID:D155903518-LROR
Domain Name:TEAPARTYEXPRESS.ORG
Created On:20-Apr-2009 06:39:22 UTC
Last Updated On:27-Feb-2010 19:17:57 UTC
Expiration Date:20-Apr-2011 06:39:22 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com, Inc. (R91-LROR)
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:CR18396366
Registrant Name:Steve K
Registrant Organization:Our Country Deserves Better PAC
Registrant Street1:770 L Street
Registrant Street2:Suite 1020
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Sacramento
Registrant State/Province:California
Registrant Postal Code:95814
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.5302310712

click for the official press release

And here’s the CampaignToDefeatObama.com Whois Record:

Domain Name: CAMPAIGNTODEFEATOBAMA.COM
Created on: 05-Jan-11
Expires on: 05-Jan-13
Last Updated on: 06-Jan-12

Administrative Contact: K, Steve master@ocdbhq.org
770 L Street
Suite 1020
Sacramento, California 95814
United States
+1.5302310712

And, of course, Our Country Deserves Better:

Registrant: Our Country Deserves Better PAC
770 L Street
Suite 1020
Sacramento, California 95814

United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, LLC (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: OURCOUNTRYDESERVESBETTER.COM
Created on: 21-Jul-08
Expires on: 21-Jul-12
Last Updated on: 22-Jul-11

Administrative Contact: K, Steve master@ocdbhq.org
Our Country Deserves Better PAC
770 L Street
Suite 1020
Sacramento, California 95814
United States
+1.5302310712

The third 2010 “Con the Rubes that this is grassroots” tour

And here is the original (pre-scrubbed) domain registration for Move America Forward:

Domain ID:D102814530-LROR
Domain Name:MOVEAMERICAFORWARD.ORG
Created On:18-Nov-2003 18:00:16 UTC
Last Updated On:18-Jan-2004 04:01:27 UTC
Expiration Date:18-Nov-2004 18:00:16 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:R1247-LROR
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:tu8pc8CxYzcAY6KV
Registrant Name:Douglas Lorenz
Registrant Organization:Russo Marsh & Rogers
Registrant Street1:770 L Street, #950
Registrant City:Sacramento
Registrant State/Province:CA
Registrant Postal Code:95814
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.9164413734
Registrant FAX:+1.9164416057
Registrant Email:dlorenz@rmrwest.com
Admin ID:tu8pc8CxYzcAY6KV
Admin Name:Douglas Lorenz
Admin Organization:Russo Marsh & Rogers
Admin Street1:770 L Street, #950
Admin City:Sacramento
Admin State/Province:CA
Admin Postal Code: 95814
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.9164413734
Admin Email:dlorenz@rmrwest.com
Tech ID:tu8pc8CxYzcAY6KV
Tech Name:Douglas Lorenz
Tech Organization:Russo Marsh & Rogers
Tech Street1:770 L Street, #950
Tech City:Sacramento
Tech State/Province:CA
Tech Postal Code:95814
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.9164413734
Tech Email:dlorenz@rmrwest.com

NOTE: The FAX number 1.9164416057 is/was the FAX number for Russo Marsh + Rogers. When the RM+R connection was scrubbed, following this WHOIS (see here) 9164416192  is/was actually the phone number of a Sacramento bar, ”The Downtown Purgatory.” (See Counterpunch, HERE)

And here we are. (Here’s CNN getting conned in 2010)

 CNN’s own 2010 illustration. See “CNN completely sells out“

And of course, nobody cares about the subterfuge, the masked funders or the “politics for profit” aspects, because we’re all, you know, so sophisticated. No scandals here. Move along, move along.

Of course, we don’t know anything about their finances — especially this year — but this  bus tour dog and pony show must be lucrative. Else, why continue it for seven years with several different paint jobs?

So, who’s being punked?

Me? Or the American people and the citizens of Wisconsin?

Not a witch for not an astroturf scam

How many lumps would you like with your tea?

Courage.

=============

UPDATE June 2 @ 6:31 AM PDT: The anonymous source has now contacted me, and is entirely credible.