"Our honor is above reproach", "We're not GOP attack dogs."

[DoYouEverWonder]

The Independent Alligator is our local student run newspaper. It seems they managed to get interviews with Joe Ponder and Pete Webster both members of the SBVFT, who were supposed to be at the Gainesville Rally this past weekend.

Here are some clips from the article:

--------------------------------------------------------

Flier for local rally fuels national political battle

August 23, 2004


Swift Boat members Joe Ponder and Pete Webster, who said they agreed to speak at the rally only if it had no connection to the party, dropped the speaking engagement when the flier made national news Friday.

<snip>

"It would be a violation of the law for me to come knowing there were connections that could be made to the Republican Party," said Ponder, who appeared in two controversial Swift Boat advertisements. "I would prefer to protect myself and my group and withdraw.?

Webster said the group has received undue criticism from the press about alleged connections to the Bush campaign. The group is independent, he said, and its members do not necessarily support Bush.

"Our honor is above reproach," Webster said. "We're not lying; we're not GOP attack dogs."

<snip>

Denny Baum, a member of Vietnam Veterans Against Kerry, said he helped organize the rally only through fellow veterans - and with no Republican aid. He said he felt disheartened that a 'mysterious' flier kept him from speaking. No group claimed responsibility for making the flier.

http://www.alligator.org/edit/news/issues/stories/040823bush.html

-----------------------


Well gee guys, if there was no connection between your groups and the ACREC, what do you have to say about these contracts for using the Gainesville Plaza?




(This is a composite image of the headers of the 1st page of each contract and at the bottom a sample of part of the second page. All four docs had the same 2nd page.)

[NMDemDist2]

1. were they all signed by the same person? (SBV, GOP etc)

if the same person pulled the permits for all 4 groups, that proves collusion doesn't it?

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Plus the address is the same on all of them

1212 N. Main St.

Alachua County Republican Headquarters - Bush/Cheney Campaign Headquarters

[NMDemDist2]

3. good grief, is the signer listed on the local GOP's website? they claim

a "volunteer" did it

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Yes, she is a precient captain

Dineen Wolfersheim.

She also refers to herself as secretary of the Alachua County Republican Executive Committee and Events Coordinator.


This is her in all her glory, on stage at the rally.

[mr_hat]

7. She's giving the wrong finger.

[demwing]

13. No, she saying "bring that twinkie over here..."

"...that's my twinkie"

[NMDemDist2]

9. ahhh so that's who that is

:argh:

[zeemike]

4. It seems clear to me

But I am not a Lawyer, and I have never played one on TV

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. That's okay

This one is being tried in the court of public opinion. We can't wait for the courts.

[zeemike]

12. In that case he is guilty n/t

[cally]

8. I just don't understand these folks

How can they be outraged that they are being attacked after what they have done. :shrug:

“I’m very upset that is being nitpicked,” said Baum, who takes issue with Kerry’s post-war protesting. “It silenced four great war veterans - including myself" And Kerry and Rassmann and all the rest don't deserve the truth.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. More new info

First, the DailyKos has my original post about the Use Agreements on the top of his site, right now!

http://mikedallas23.dailykos.com/


Second, more denials! I just found some more new info from the Alachua Republican Party about the flier. Seems a Bush supporter decided to call them up to get their side of the story and posted it on his blog:


"My name is Greg Newburn. Thanks for contacting us on this story. I am responding on behalf of Travis Horn, Chair of the Alachua County Republican Party.

To date (8/22/04 ? RB), Pete Yost has not contacted Travis or the Alachua County GOP for comment. The flyer in question was dropped off at the county headquarters, and remained there until it was called to the attention of the leadership. The Swift Boat Vets rally was not an official GOP event, and the GOP did not spend any money on the rally, or endorse it in any way.

Rather, the rally was billed as a "Pro-USA political rally," and the GOP was listed as an invitee. The rally was organized by a group of veterans completely independent of the local party and the Bush/Cheney campaign.

We think this is a non-issue. That one flyer promoting an event that the GOP did not sponsor, but to which we were invited, was found at our headquarters does not indicate improper collusion with the Swift Vets any more than the existence of pens and staplers indicates collusion with Office Depot.

This is simply another attempt to smear the veterans who are questioning John Kerry's war record, and as the frantic desperation continues, the charges become more transparently weak. We urge the Kerry campaign to stop writing bogus press releases and to stop engaging in the politics of personal destruction. We urge the Kerry campaign to stop deflecting attention from the real issues that matter to Americans, like national security, health care, and jobs."

http://stepdad.tblog.com/

Maybe Mr. Newburn should get together with Dineen. He obviously doesn't know what he is talking about.

[A_Possum]

11. "Your honor is now below reproach"

You did it to yourself, when you decided to take public a lie about a fellow veteran.

Get over it. You have no honor now before the nation. You should have foreseen this outcome and thought twice about lying.