||||| From: HR-Defense@aol.com (Shy David) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Subject: USA Politicians acting like Scientology Inc. Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 07:14:37 GMT Keywords: crime syndicate, facts about scientology Organization: -NONE- Reply-To: HR-Defense@aol.com X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 X-NFilter: 1.2.0 NNTP-Posting-Host: 65.59.31.152 X-Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 65.59.31.152 Message-ID: <3deefd04@news2.lightlink.com> X-Trace: 5 Dec 2002 02:15:16 -0500, 65.59.31.152 X-Original-Trace: 5 Dec 2002 02:15:16 -0500, 65.59.31.152 Lines: 163 Path: news2.lightlink.com Xref: news2.lightlink.com alt.religion.scientology:1575304 I spotted this article a month ago. I love the politician who claims his rival was "mixed up in a drug deal," leaving out the fact that the "drug deal" was an attempt to rescue a friend of his from drug dealers---- very Scientological, that! Copyright 2002 The San Diego Union-Tribune November 3, 2002 With Campaign Mail, It's Best To Read All Fine Print Carefully By Philip J. LaVelle SAN DIEGO – Like many Democrats in the 78th Assembly District, Brian Keliher recently got a letter in the mail urging him to support Chula Vista's Republican mayor, Shirley Horton, over Democratic nominee Vince Hall. The letterhead said "Democratic Club" in big type, alongside a red, white and blue donkey. "I truly thought it was affiliated with the Democratic Party," said Keliher, a Del Cerro lawyer and literary agent. But smaller print revealed it came from "The George Stevens Democratic Club," a group at odds with the San Diego County Democratic Party and named after the maverick San Diego councilman who has endorsed Horton. Small print on the envelope reveals it was paid by "Friends of Shirley Horton." "It definitely leads one to believe that it's something it isn't," Keliher said. His experience underscores the value of reading the fine print – and of applying a significant degree of caution to the political ads bombarding households as Election Day closes in. A survey of campaign pieces in mailbags countywide shows some of it is positive and accurate. But some of it – as happens at this time every election season – hits below the belt. These sorts of hits, like their cousin, the TV-and-radio attack ad, are being used in races big and small, from the bitter gubernatorial contest between Democratic incumbent Gray Davis and Republican Bill Simon, to down-ballot matchups for city council, school board and district attorney. Distortion is one of the tools of this trade, from the subtle – like slate mailers that imply candidates are endorsed by a group, when they merely paid to be listed – to the not-so-subtle, such as hit pieces that hack away at a candidate's reputation. Some mail employs selective history: A piece says San Diego cop killers are free because of misconduct by District Attorney Paul Pfingst. A judge did criticize Pfingst in the case, but it was his predecessor's misconduct that freed the men. And in San Diego's 4th Council District, an ad sent by Charles Lewis claims rival Dwayne Crenshaw got mixed up in a drug deal while at San Diego State University in 1992. But Crenshaw – in an account backed by police – said he was trying to rescue a friend held hostage by drug dealers. Lewis' campaign consultant said the mailer was based on a Daily Aztec story and that "people can draw their own conclusions." While some ads bend the truth, others simply make things up. That's what happened in the 40th Senate District, in a flier from Republican Michael Giorgino. It takes aim at Democrat Denise Ducheny's purchase of a campaign vehicle, but fabricates how The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the matter. The newspaper reported that Ducheny's husband and campaign manager, Al Ducheny, re-registered the vehicle in the campaign's name after learning the law did not allow it to be registered in the candidate's name. But the newspaper did not report the couple had "illegally diverted campaign funds to buy the motor home," as Giorgino's flier claimed it had. Giorgino called it a proofreading error, apologized and told a Union-Tribune attorney the flier would be corrected. Some of the heaviest volume of mail is flying in the 78th Assembly District, the county's only competitive legislative contest. One Horton piece claims she is "100 percent pro-choice." But Horton has told the California ProLife Council and the Christian Coalition that she opposes public funding of abortion. The regional Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which backs Hall, denounced Horton's assertion Wednesday. "If she were truly pro-choice, our organization would support her candidacy," said Mary Ellen Hamilton of the Action Fund. Hall is hit in pieces financed by the county and state Republican Party. Glossy mailers, and TV and radio ads, suggest he engaged in unethical business practices dating to his days as staff director to Gov. Davis. Hall also hits Horton, including in a piece, paid by the California Democratic Party, saying Horton took developer money then voted for their projects. Hall's campaign provided public documents detailing the votes; the mailer puts it in the worst possible light, showing a woman's manicured hand clutching a wad of bills. Horton's campaign calls the ads distortions. Meantime, Horton's campaign cried foul Friday after Hall sent mailers, paid by the California Democratic Party, from several groups that Horton's camp calls phony. Among them: "United Veterans of San Diego County," not to be confused with the long-established United Veterans Council. "It's a fraud," said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert L. Cardenas. Hall has said there is nothing unusual about groups forming to support a candidate. Some of Horton's attacks include mail showing two men exchanging fat wads of cash. They detail Hall's affiliation with a consultant tied to the scandal involving Oracle Corp., the Silicon Valley software giant. An Oracle lobbyist gave a $25,000 check to a Davis administration official after the firm won a no-bid $95 million state contract. Horton has claimed Hall was involved in that scandal, but failed, when pressed at public forums, to document her allegations. On Thursday, the Democrat who headed the Legislature's Oracle hearings traveled to San Diego to defend Hall. Assemblyman Dean Florez, D-Shafter, said the man who made glancing accusations against Hall in those hearings is not credible, and is under investigation for perjury. "We looked into every single aspect of this . . . and the bottom line is Vince Hall had no real involvement in this, period," said Florez. The consultant involved with Oracle is named David Lema, whose technology company worked for Oracle. Horton's mail pieces use language strikingly similar to language used in the George Stevens Democratic Club letter, and in a Gann Taxpayers Association letter, paid by the California Republican Party. One Horton mailer, in large red type, says: "As Governor Davis' staff director, Vince Hall helped hire a consultant named David Lema. On Hall's watch, Lema received $939,000 in no-bid contracts. Then Vince Hall went on David Lema's payroll where he pocketed tens of thousands of dollars from the same consultant he helped hire." Hall calls it a distortion. The state contracts were with Lema and Associates, not Lema as an individual, Hall said, adding that they began during Republican Gov. Pete Wilson's administration. Hall also said he never took part in contracting decisions as a member of Davis' staff. After leaving the governor's office, he founded an Internet company, Simplegov.com, and in February 2001 was hired by Lema's firm to handle its San Diego clients. Simplegov.com did no business with the state, Hall said. Jim Nygren, Horton's Sacramento strategist, said, "The point of the mailers is to show a series of revolving-door relationships . . . Basically he's saying he did nothing wrong. We're going to leave it to the voters to make their own decision." ---- View ancient (and modern) desert petroglyphs: http://desertphile.org