Echo Chamber – Eight Years Later, The Truth
STARTLING ADMISSION FROM TOMPKINS’ UNDERLING FINALLY COMES TO LIGHT
FITSNews – December 30, 2007 – The inauguration of George W. Bush as our nation’s 43rd President never would have happened were it not for a brutal, three-day blitzkrieg of negative campaigning that took place right here in South Carolina eight years ago. Fresh off of a stunning double-digit victory in New Hampshire, Arizona Senator John McCain came to the Palmetto State in 2000 looking to wrestle the GOP nomination from then-Governor Bush, whose previously high-flying campaign had badly foundered.
We all know what happened next – a sleazy character assassination launched by shadowy anonymous mailings and secret push-polls that villified McCain and delivered the state (and the Republican nomination)Â to Bush.
There’s never been much doubt that the “gutting” of John McCain (more on that specific word choice in a moment) was carefully-orchestrated by Bush’s South Carolina campaign team, led by consultant J. Warren Tompkins, although neither the veteran operative nor any of his underlings have ever owned up to it on the record.
Or … have they?
As with any well-executed, carefully-guarded conspiracy, this one has been protected with a near-fanatical zeal. Accordingly, the only way the truth ever comes to light in situations like this is if one of the co-conspirators accidentally slips up and reveals it – usually in a moment of self-aggrandizing weakness.
Except that hardly ever happens.
It’s not that political animals like Tompkins – or our own Sic Willie, for that matter – aren’t fond of tooting their own horns (quite the opposite is true, in fact), it’s just that they’re exceedingly cognizant of the company they keep when doing so. Especially if reporters are anywhere within earshot.
In fact, over the past eight years only once has a member of the Tompkins’ organization ever gone “on the record” taking credit for the “gutting” of McCain.
Never published, this incriminating quote has languished in political back channels for the past five-and-a-half years, known only to a handful of political operatives and the reporter to whom it was given, Upstate Beat publisher James Shannon.
Until now, that is.
As part of a forthcoming investigative piece on political smearing by NOW, the popular PBS national news magazine, FITSNews has learned that a rare admission of culpability by former Tompkins’ campaign staffer (and current lobbying partner) Jason Puhlasky may finally see the light of day.
Puhlasky’s quote, accurately termed a “direct admission” by Shannon, was given in the context of the 2002 Republican gubernatorial campaign, on which Puhlasky served as political director to then-Lt. Gov. Bob Peeler. Like Bush, Peeler’s intensely-negative South Carolina operation was managed by Tompkins’ firm.
Here is an exclusive excerpt from Shannon’s statement to PBS:
I remember (the quote) quite explicitly. It was at a backyard barbecue at the home of Edwin Foulke, a local attorney (who was) then the chairman of the Greenville County GOP … a number of candidates were there that day, including Peeler and former Congressman Mark Sanford, who had been largely unknown outside his former Charleston-area House district when he filed for governor. After languishing in fourth place during the early primary campaign, Sanford was starting to move up though the consensus was that if Peeler did not escape the primary without a runoff, his likely opponent would be Atty. General Charlie Condon.”
Puhlasky (whom I had never met before that day) spoke confidently of their ability to dispatch Condon in a runoff, and in fact Condon (whose nickname was “Crazy Charlie”) had some exploitable flaws.
“Isn’t it a little risky just focusing on Condon?” I asked. “What if Sanford makes the runoff?”
Puhlasky grinned and said “No problem. We gutted McCain in three days, and we can do it again.”
The reference was to the infamous “push poll” tactic, first seen in a 1978 Congressional election between Democrat Max Heller, the progressive mayor of Greenville, and Republican Carroll Campbell, a state senator looking to move up. Using the cover of a third candidate, Lee Atwater devised a scheme to call voters. Those who expressed a preference for Heller were asked, “Would it change your opinion if you knew he was a foreign-born Jew who doesn’t accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior?” As crude as it sounds, it worked. Heller’s double digit lead disappered the weekend before the election and he lost.
Shannon never used “we gutted McCain in three days” as a quote in that story or any follow-up stories, despite being pressured by the Sanford campaign to do so weeks later when Tompkins’ team began using some of the same smear tactics against their candidate. Sanford ultimately defeated Peeler in the 2002 GOP gubernatorial runoff election by 20 points en route to capturing the Governor’s Mansion.
As it turned out, the Sanford campaign was able to directly link Peeler’s team to an anonymous attack mailing during the runoff, and Puhlasky’s quote was quickly forgotten.
“We uncovered conclusive proof that the Peeler campaign was behind an anonymous smear attack against Sanford and we got a huge press hit out of it,” a former Sanford staffer told FITSNews. “Puhlasky’s quote was no longer relevent.”
At least in that election.
Those six words – “we gutted McCain in three days” – could come back to haunt the presidential aspirations of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, however, who is also using Tompkins’ firm to manage his Palmetto political destiny – and increasingly the fate of his nomination.
Associates of Tompkins have already been busted this year anonymously attacking former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, and with Romney currently fighting for his life against an out-of-nowhere Mike Huckabee campaign in South Carolina (and a resurgent McCain candidacy in New Hampshire), the forecast for more unauthorized monkey business is extremely probable.
It’s one thing that everybody knows Romney’s consultants were behind the “gutting” of McCain eight years ago, but it’s something else entirely to have a direct admission from a participating functionary as part of the public record, albeit belatedly.
The PBS program – which may or may not include references to Puhlasky’s quote – is scheduled to air statewide on South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) this coming Friday, January 4, at 8:30 p.m.
Stay tuned …
Comments
By Mike Honcho on December 30th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Good to see you quoting yourself in your own articles Will. Even if it is anonymously.
Like many of your golden articles, this one is the byproduct of your very own flashbacks.
I love that you are shocked at remembering them each time.
By fitsnews on December 30th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Mike-
Sic Willie definitely has flashbacks. You can’t do as many drugs as he’s done in his lifetime and not get them from time to time.
Having said that, this particular flashback comes complete with third party verification.
We’d say “stick that in your pipe and smoke it,” but then again you might start experiencing flashbacks yourself.
-FITSNews
By Mike Honcho on December 30th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Nothing more reliable than unidentified “third party verification.”
Talking superior doesn’t make you superior. Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.
The only thing smoking in a pipe is b.s.
By Nobody respects will folks on December 30th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
lol, forget about TTS in 2000! Huckabee’s and Ron Paul’s (possibly McCain’s) goons are doing all of the push-polling this election cycle. Heck, for all we know, slick Will Folks may be using this post as smokescreen to cover his own rear end.
By McCain_is_an_ASS on December 30th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Jason Puhlasky is so full of hot air, he probably takes credit for JFK’s assasination. This is so full of crap. You McCain freaks need to stop living in the past and come into the 21st Century. (It was still the 20th Century when Bush kicked McCain’s ass)
By nellie olsen on December 30th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
The thing about this quote from Pool-ask-kiss is this…every dumbass has to fall! Paul Adams, drowned in a bottle of liquor. Rick Quinn forgot about his constituents. Robert Cahaly, like Mama Cass choked on a ham sandwich.
Will Folks, That’s old new’s he is like Kris Kristoferson writng rock songs and being a movie star.
But Pool-ass-kiss, what a f$%K up! I think his gambling problem got the best of him!
By Adolph says: If you're gonna to lie, might as make it a big one. on December 31st, 2007 at 12:15 am
“The Truth” ??? Say it again with a straight face. How in hell can anybody believe a bunch of horse-thieves quoting each other, in a campaign trail year, on a subject they’d say anything about, if it suited some (any) other purpose twisting around in the attic of their poor prostituted souls. Everybody quoted here, sic and anony-sic included, have the veracity of an Al Queda camel salesman hawking AK-47s to schoolkids. Somebody warn PBS before they end up in Sparkleberry Swamp drinking ’shine and hugging duck dogs at dawn with Sanford’s present or former staff swine.
By fitsnews on December 31st, 2007 at 1:19 am
Adolph,
The Romanian-made AK’s are actually quite nice and very affordable. And the pistol grip is an especially neat feature.
Come to think of it, you guys might have done a little better on the Western Front if you’d had a few.
-FITSNews
By ChiorBoy on December 31st, 2007 at 6:32 am
Warren Tompkins is scum. Everyone knows that…that is why they hire him.
By Sanford's Basement on December 31st, 2007 at 9:16 am
Sanford gutted Peeler in one.
By Here's a thought on December 31st, 2007 at 10:21 am
Getting sick might have been the best thing that ever happened to Lee Atwater because he was given an opportunity to see the error of his ways and repent. Unfortunately, it took a brain tumor for him to recognize that. What will it take for you Warren, Will?
By dotan on December 31st, 2007 at 12:29 pm
This may explain Romney coming unhinged and spewing slime in all directions in Iowa and New Hampshire.
By Nobody respects will folks on December 31st, 2007 at 12:48 pm
It’s interesting that someone should mention Lee Atwater (RIP) (AKA Father of Dirty Politics in the modern sense) because he just so happened to be a partner of Quinn, Sr. As you may know, the Quinns are running McCain’s campaign in South Carolina.
It doesn’t take a genius to make the connection here. (Pushing-polling, anti-Romney Christmas cards, etc., etc….I just woooooooooooooonder who it could be).
It is also my understanding that Will Folks is a personal friend of the Quinn (FOQ-er, if you will) dynasty.
So, don’t expect any actual reporting on this website.
By nellie olsen on December 31st, 2007 at 2:48 pm
to get your family straight. Richard Quinn was never a partner of Lee Atwater. Quinn is a wannabee. The closest that Quinn ever came to working with atwater is that Richard wrote a couple of speeches for Reagan in the ‘80 campaign.
Rod Shealy and Atwater started Baker and associates in 1974 in columbia and worked together for several years until atwater hit big. It was Atwater and Rod Shealy that ran all of the early campbell races including the campbell/heller race that included the infamous push poll.
Quinn is a hack that came into power after shealy succombed to the ben hunt problem.
Quinn is now on his last legs and everyone knows it. once mccain goes down he will retire to his cheetos and milk diet and sustain himself on buffy the vampire slair reruns when ruthie isn’t watching!
By nellie olsen on December 31st, 2007 at 3:23 pm
The real question about the whole primary is when the whole McCain is tied to a racist going to come out…oops. I just did it. Ralph Neas with People for the American Way did a beautiful job with it in 2000 in showing how Richard Quinn was closely tied to the KKK and the white separatist movement.
The Question is will this come up again and torpeodo him in South Carolina in 2008:
February 17, 2000
Dear Senator McCain:
I am writing to express deep concern over information that has come to light over the past ten days regarding one of your top campaign advisors, Richard M. Quinn.
The New York Times, Newsday, and The New Republic have raised serious questions about deeply disturbing views expressed by Mr. Quinn and others in the Southern Partisan, a magazine over which Mr. Quinn has presided as Executive Editor or Editor-in-Chief since 1981. As you may know, People For the American Way Foundation maintains one of the nation’s most extensive archives on extremist groups. We have used these resources and those available on the Internet to follow up on those troubling news reports.
The material we found in the past 48 hours is, if anything, even more appalling than that reported by the news media. Mr. Quinn used his editorial platform at the Southern Partisan to personally espouse views that place him far outside the political mainstream. He has repeatedly used his column to attack heroes of the struggle for equality including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. At the same time, he has discounted the evils of slavery by suggesting that it was not as bad as it has been portrayed and that slaves were better off in slavery than out of it. (Copies of all articles referenced in this letter and other similar ones are attached.)
As recently as 1996, a Southern Partisan reviewer wrote of a book on slavery, “The greatest contribution of this work is that it exonerates slave owners by stating that they did not have a practice of breaking up slave families. If anything, they encouraged strong slave families to further the slaves’ peace and happiness in order to promote efficient work.”
In 1983, in a column arguing against the recognition of Martin Luther King Day, Mr. Quinn wrote:
“King Day should have been rejected because its purpose is vitriolic and profane.”
“The black leaders who lobbied so furiously for King Day confirmed another unpleasant reality. By celebrating King as the incarnation of all they admire, they have chosen to glorify the histrionic rather than the heroic and by inference they spurned the brightest and the best among their own race.”
“Ignoring the real heroes in our nation’s life, the blacks have chosen a man who represents not their emancipation, not their sacrifices and bravery in service to their country; rather, they have chosen a man whose role in history was to lead his people into a perpetual dependence on the welfare state, a terrible bondage of body and soul.”
In 1990, the world hailed Nelson Mandela as a hero, but Mr. Quinn went on the attack. He wrote:
“After all, Mr. Mandela was put in jail 27 years ago – not because of his humanitarian philosophy – but because he was a terrorist who openly advocated (and personally committed) violence against the government.”
“How many people out there across the face of America are well aware that Mandela is a bad egg, maybe even say so in the comfort and security of their homes, but are afraid to express their real opinions publicly?”
The year before he attacked Mandela in print, Mr. Quinn wrote an article about former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke’s bid for public office. Although he made a point of claiming that his article should not be construed as a defense of Duke, his own words supporting those who voted for Duke don’t square with that disclaimer. He wrote:
“What better way to reject politics as usual than to elect a maverick like David Duke? What better way to tweak the nose of the establishment?”
Even more jarring than Quinn’s soft words for David Duke is the harsh attitude conveyed toward another Republican: Abraham Lincoln. The Southern Partisan’s merchandising operation, the “Southern Partisan General Store” includes a T-shirt bearing Lincoln’s likeness and the legend “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” the phrase shouted by John Wilkes Booth after he shot Lincoln. Among the materials attached to this letter is a December 1995 form letter on Southern Partisan letterhead, listing Quinn as Editor-in-Chief, apologizing that the “anti-Lincoln T-shirt” has sold out in all but odd sizes. The letter offers, “If the enclosed shirt will not suffice, we will be glad to refund your money or immediately ship you another equally militant shirt from our catalog.”
Other offensive and divisive materials have appeared in the Southern Partisan throughout Mr. Quinn’s tenure. Although other writers’ bylines appear on some of these materials, as Executive Editor and then as Editor-in-Chief Mr. Quinn certainly bears responsibility for the editorial content of the magazine. Among the most offensive materials in this category are two stories from 1989, which I’ve enclosed. One, entitled “Popo,” tells a story about an enslaved African who saved his master from being lynched by northern soldiers by dancing. A second story in a similar vein tells about a female ex-slave, “Old Aunt Mary.” Senator McCain, I rarely use the word “racist” – but there is no other word appropriate for stories as insulting and disrespectful of African Americans’ struggle for equality as these stories are.
I do not – and would not – suggest that Mr. Quinn does not have the right to hold such views. If the First Amendment means anything, it means that each person has a right to his own views, no matter how offensive or extreme.
But it does our country – and the Republican Party – a great disservice to lend credibility to such views by placing their proponent in a position of such high authority. A President must be President to all the people. To tie your campaign for the highest office in the land to such views would give them a legitimacy that is very troubling.
While you are to be commended for your criticism of George W. Bush’s appearance at Bob Jones University, you would do well to be sure that your own house is in order. Therefore, I urge you to immediately repudiate the views of race expressed by Mr. Quinn in his own writings and in the magazine he heads and to terminate his involvement in your campaign.
Sincerely,
Ralph G. Neas, President
People For the American Way
By christopher gadsden on December 31st, 2007 at 3:51 pm
after reading this it would appear to me that the quinns could be behind the negative Romney Christmas Cards?! Seeing as how Tray Walker has a history of negative politics from the quinn shop. Come on, Quinn endorsed David Duke from the KKK for public office. I support the confederate flag and all but this is crazy.
Ron Paul for President.
By Tim on December 31st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Who is this ‘nellie olsen’? For one, Quinn shows no signs of being on the decline—quite the contrary. But all this stuff from Ralph Neas is REALLY, as McCain_is_an_Ass says, sooo 20th century. Sure, there are some weaknesses. La Raza Lindsey sucks like there ain’t no tomorrow. But McMaster and others are at least making shows of strength. Quinn has never pretended to have eclipsed Tompkins, though it sure seemed as that were the case after 2002—that is, until the 2006 bloodbath.
The reference to the 1974 Shealy-Atwater thing was interesting. Not sure if Rod would accept as much flattery.
It’s wrong to characterize the 2002 attack against Sanford as originating from the Peeler campaign. It originated from and was paid for by DC lobbyist Richard Hines, who has interesting fantasies but generally maneuvers blindly when it comes to SC—and that attack ad is the perfect example.
The really outrageous stuff is a re-reading of the NYC Lib attack on Southern Partisan magazine. Anyone with a brain never believed a word of it, and any journalist with any balls figured out what a farce that was. Only a few welfare pimps, like the debauched Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, still hold that conspiracy theory about “Republican racists”. Or better yet, check out the Dallas TX gay activist conspiracy theorist on ‘racists’, Ed Sebesta.
The last word on Southern Partisan “racism”, in my opinion, was when Quinn went on Meet the Press and Tim Russert (and the Anti-Defamation League) defended Southern Partisan.
If we want to talk about links, there’s always Dr. Oran Smith, who is Jim Dobson’s righthand man in SC. He was Editor of Southern Partisan from the time of the Robertson ‘88 campaign through the late ’90s, at the time in which all of the alleged “racist” comments were published. He’s now a driving force behind the SC Huckabee campaign. A strange shift for which I blame pragmatism, since Huck is no more than the new Jimmah Carter. If Huck follows in Jimmah’s evangelical footsteps, watch out for Huck to write a book on what kind and moral people the muzz are.
In any case, Southern Partisan is still recognized throughout the world of intellectual conservatives and scholars as THE voice of Southern conservatism, thinking, and letters—a sort of Southern version of National Review. If you look at any of its contributors and their work, you’ll agree—instead of just taking for gospel what that disgusting hack Ben Soskis spewed out for the benefit of what is now the leftist blogosphere. If you want to understand that insane Air-America-like world, just check out the blog on his current employer’s site, The New Republic magazine, or The Nation magazine. They’re convinced that Bush has had a lobotomy and that redneck fundamentalists are running the country. That might actually be an improvement, but geez, they’re on another planet.
As an Editor for Southern Partisan myself, I can assure you that the Quinn connection to Southern Partisan is not, how shall we say, ’stickable’. The NYC hit-piece-ist expert Max Blumenthal always has labyrinthine conspiracy theories about ‘connections’ and ‘links’. Well, if you drive by the Southern Partisan—while, yes, it is encamped in a hotbed of McCain street signs—what is displayed from my office window should pretty much serve as proof that even anything that might be believably racist by even the most brainwashed commie drones among our education bureaucrats cannot be connected in any important way to McCain. Southern Partisan has a mind of its own.
That is a roundabout way of saying that at least people like the blogger above, ‘christopher gadsden’, should reconsider their take on the Neas letter (aka Soskis propaganda). I’ve known Ron Paul for 10 years and am doing everything in my power for him during the next few weeks.
So, no telling who even my boss is supporting—Huckabee, probably, like his predecessor. As for myself, just check out Ron Paul’s recent appearances on Meet the Press and Morning Joe. He’s spouting word-for-word Southern Partisan core beliefs about Lincoln and the War of Yankee Vices. I’ve been supporting Ron Paul since I got back from honeymoon in June, and I put out my formal endorsement of him in November.
Go Ron Go!
By Mr. Blackwell on January 1st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Damn. Roll on revolution! Ron Paul in 2008!
By Tim on January 4th, 2008 at 10:19 am
A note on my blog above: Oran says he’s not sure I’m his friend any more. To elaborate: No, I don’t think he’s a racist. In fact, I’m certain that Soskis would insist that I’m a much bigger racist myself than Oran. But Soskis is moron. The real point: anti-racism is 100 times more dangerous than the Orwellian trump card of political correctness. That’s why an irreverent website like this is such a good development.
Anyone interested in a closer look at this phenomenon should read the essay by the NYC (by way of Vegas) Jewish economist Murray Rothbard on anti-anti-Semitism: http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/ir/Ch6.html.
Also, no, Oran is not a self-proclaimed pragmatist, as are pretty much everyone else who supports anyone but Ron Paul. But, of course, I’m not one to slam pragmatists, and I’m glad to admit that part of my reasons for supporting Ron Paul are pragmatic.
I am glad, however, to slam Huckabee, especially today. He is total fraud as a conservative. In the world of realpolitik, McCain stands to the right of Huckabee. Huck defends his position that illegal immigrants should get college scholarships as “atonement for slavery”. The #1 outfit for rating Republicans, the American Conservative Union, says Huck was worse than Clinton on taxes and spending as a governor of Arkansas (who happens to be from the same town of Hope, Arkansas). Huck also gets on my nerves when he says Jesus will save us from abortion the same way Secretariat-General Lincoln saved us from slavery. If you want to know more, the Romney hacks have pretty much fleshed out all the Huck dirt on sh*t politics.
In the meanwhile, my personal apologies to Oran and a retraction for the personal offense. Sometimes everything I’ve said, especially on blog, makes me writhe with embarrassment. I simply don’t know any better.
By shaggy on January 6th, 2008 at 12:24 am
so my question at the end of the day is this…is Richard Quinn and Slugs now being paid by both McCain and Ron Paul? and Yes, I wrote the Nellie Olsen posts to draw out this fire fight…
waiting on sled, oh yeah old man Robert Stewart retired
By Tim on January 7th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I can’t speak for Quinn, McCain, or Slugs, but I can guarantee that Quinn is not being paid by Ron Paul.
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