Is McCain campaign illegally coordinating media strategy with outside groups?

[DogPoundPup]

It's illegal for federal campaigns to coordinate with outside groups. Looks like we're dealing with more illegality from the McCain campaign:

Politico has a story up showing the clearest indication yet that the McCain campaign is illegally coordinating television advertising with an outside group. The short-story is this: on July 2, the McCain campaign placed $1.5 million in advertising in the Virginia area. The next day -- July 3 -- the McCain campaign canceled that media buy. On the very same day -- July 3 -- the outside group made a large media buy in the same region, filling the gap created by the McCain campaign's cancellation.

What a coincidence...or not. Watch this video (provided @ Americablog link below) of McCain and his lap dog, Lindsey Graham, parrot the talking points of the same outside group, Vets for Freedom.
http://www.americablog.com/2008/07/is-mccain-campaign-illegally.html

[babylonsister]

1. How about shutting mouths of 'journalists' they don't like?

Whatever it takes, I guess.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3584045&mesg_id=3584045

[grantcart]

2. we need evidence unfortunately not coincidence

[spag68]

3. concealing cooperation

You're just being silly, and I mean that in the nicest way. I'm sure you understand that they don't have to coordinate anything. The 527 groups know just what they have to do, they don't need any help. They are swine and we all know it,with my apology's to real swine.

[nc4bo]

4. you know what I'd like to know?

why does the vets for freedom group share the same (i'm not an IT specialist) servers with the RNC and john mccain?

been doing a little piddling around and i got some questions but i don't want to come off as stupid or anything, just some stuff that made me go hmmmmmmmmmm.

if anyone knows about how the internets work, could you please pm me so I can ask you a few questions on some "stuff"?

[AZBlue]

5. Hmmmm...that is interesting.....

[nc4bo]

6. i'm totally serious here.

But i don't want to make the mistake of assuming too much with my limited knowledge, it wouldn't be the first time i played connect the dots and missed.

ok here's a bit:

vetsforfreedom's IP is: 64.203.xx.xxx
rnc: 64.203.xxx.xxx
johnmccain: 64.203.xxx.xxx

help? i sorta figured if one didn't have anything to do with the other or with the other, etc. then..............

And, SMARTech just so happens to have a contract with the GOP so i guess they host all of their websites and affliated websites.

[nc4bo]

7. kick.

[AZBlue]

8. I'm not internets-savvy -

So can we find the missing numbers? I think that the first couple of numbers could be the same if they share the same ISP. But it is an odd coincidence. Maybe post this in a new thread or in the tech forum to see if some technologically-astute folks could weigh in on it?

[nc4bo]

9. ok, here's the post that i chickened out on posting. please don't laugh at my paranoia

and i'm just going to lay out everything that i had me wondering..

i looked up the vetsforfreedom.org website and their ip address is: 64.203.98.196.

so i went to domaintools and entered the same IP and for a fee, could give me the names of other websites hosted there.

i looked up the vetsforfreedom.org website and their ip address is: 64.203.98.196.

didn't need the fee when you have google:

http://epm.xlan.org/story/2006/11/7/115314/922 the list of other websites hosted there are listed here.

(abcpac.com)
(abcpac.net)
(chriswakim.com)
(citizensunited.com)
(conradburns.com)
(electharris.org)
(freedompac.com)
(holtzmanlaw.net)
(houseconservatives.com)
(joanndavis.com)
(ktforsenate.com)
(ktmcfarlandforcongress.com)
(libbylegaldefensetrust.com)
(lutherstrange.com)
(mattblunt.com)
(olympiasnowe.com)
(pentagonmemorial.net)
(raeseforsenate.org)
(sagaconline.com)
(scooterlibby.com)
(senior.org)
(signup.vagop.com)
(straighttalkamerica.com)
(talentforsenate.com)
(texansforkay.com)
(thereidworld.com)
(tomdavis.org)
(vernbuchanan.com)
(veteransforfreedom.org)
(vetsforfreedom.com)
(vetsforfreedom.org)
(voteparke.com)
(web.campaignsolutions.com)
(weldfornewyork.org)
(www.joanndavis.com
>>>)
(www.tomdavis.org
--------------

now this website also lists the ARIN of the RNC:

ARIN Whois: Republican National Committee


Output from ARIN WHOIS ! NET-64-203-98-0-1

* CustName: Republican National Committee
* Address: 310 First Street SE
* City: Washington
* StateProv: DC
* PostalCode: 20003
* Country: US
* RegDate: 2005-03-14
* Updated: 2005-03-14
* NetRange: 64.203.98.0 - 64.203.98.127
* CIDR: 64.203.98.0/25
* NetName: GOP-64-203-98-0-127
* NetHandle: NET-64-203-98-0-1
* Parent: NET-64-203-96-0-1
* OrgTechHandle: AG865-ARIN
* OrgTechName: Garrison, Alvin
* OrgTechPhone: [phone]
* OrgTechEmail: [e-mail]

Output from ARIN WHOIS Search results for: AG865-ARIN

* Name: Garrison, Alvin
* Handle: AG865-ARIN
* Company:
* Address: SMARTECH CORPORATION
* Address: 801 BROAD ST STE 120 B
* City: CHATTANOOGA
* StateProv: TN
* PostalCode: 37402
* Country: US
* Comment:
* RegDate: 2002-08-20
* Updated: 2002-08-20
* Phone: [phone] (Office)
* Email: [e-mail]

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

if you pull www.straighttalkamerica.com you'll get a webpage telling you to go to www.johnmccain.com (aka explorejohnmccain.com).

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

this is the IP of www.johnmccain.com: 64.203.107.147

-------------------------
enter that IP into the engine and you get this:


Whois Record

OrgName: SMARTECH CORPORATION
OrgID: SCOR
Address: PO BOX 11181
City: Chattanooga
StateProv: TN
PostalCode: 37401
Country: US

NetRange: 64.203.96.0 - 64.203.111.255
CIDR: 64.203.96.0/20
OriginAS: AS25817
NetName: SMARTECHCORPNET
NetHandle: NET-64-203-96-0-1
Parent: NET-64-0-0-0-0
NetType: Direct Allocation
NameServer: NS1.CHA.SMARTECHCORP.NET
NameServer: NS2.CHA.SMARTECHCORP.NET
Comment:
RegDate: 2004-01-15
Updated: 2008-05-13

RAbuseHandle: ABUSE152-ARIN
RAbuseName: Abuse Group
RAbusePhone: [phone]
RAbuseEmail:

RNOCHandle: AG865-ARIN
RNOCName: Garrison, Alvin
RNOCPhone: [phone]
RNOCEmail:

RTechHandle: AG865-ARIN
RTechName: Garrison, Alvin
RTechPhone: [phone]
RTechEmail:

OrgAbuseHandle: ABUSE152-ARIN
OrgAbuseName: Abuse Group
OrgAbusePhone: [phone]
OrgAbuseEmail:

OrgTechHandle: AG865-ARIN
OrgTechName: Garrison, Alvin
OrgTechPhone: [phone]
OrgTechEmail:

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

the RNC: 64.203.109.107


Whois Record

OrgName: SMARTECH CORPORATION
OrgID: SCOR
Address: PO BOX 11181
City: Chattanooga
StateProv: TN
PostalCode: 37401
Country: US

NetRange: 64.203.96.0 - 64.203.111.255
CIDR: 64.203.96.0/20
OriginAS: AS25817
NetName: SMARTECHCORPNET
NetHandle: NET-64-203-96-0-1
Parent: NET-64-0-0-0-0
NetType: Direct Allocation
NameServer: NS1.CHA.SMARTECHCORP.NET
NameServer: NS2.CHA.SMARTECHCORP.NET
Comment:
RegDate: 2004-01-15
Updated: 2008-05-13

RAbuseHandle: ABUSE152-ARIN
RAbuseName: Abuse Group
RAbusePhone: [phone]
RAbuseEmail:

RNOCHandle: AG865-ARIN
RNOCName: Garrison, Alvin
RNOCPhone: [phone]
RNOCEmail:

RTechHandle: AG865-ARIN
RTechName: Garrison, Alvin
RTechPhone: [phone]
RTechEmail:

OrgAbuseHandle: ABUSE152-ARIN
OrgAbuseName: Abuse Group
OrgAbusePhone: [phone]
OrgAbuseEmail:

OrgTechHandle: AG865-ARIN
OrgTechName: Garrison, Alvin
OrgTechPhone: [phone]
OrgTechEmail:

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

From SMARTech's site:
http://www.smartechcorp.net/index.php?page=news&sub=story&id=68



Local company hosts GOP Internet sites

posted: 08-22-2004

By Andy Sher Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — It’s more than 700 miles from Madison Square Garden, but that won’t stop Chattanooga from "hosting" next week’s Republican National Convention in New York City.

Chattanooga based Smartech Corp. is serving as Web host for the convention, bringing the event to computer screens across the globe. The company will provide convention speeches, video-on-demand "streams" and live shots of events through powerful Web servers, most of which are at Smartech’s headquarters in downtown Chattanooga.

"The world will view everything from Chattanooga; that’s the best way to think about it," said Smartech founder and President Jeff Averbeck. "We’ll have one camera (in New York) that looks down from the ceiling on the podium, and then we’ll have several others placed around in strategic locations."

He said Smartech will put together a daily montage of video activities for viewing at www.2004nycgop.com. Lee Rainie, executive direc- tor of the Pew Internet & American Life Project in Washington, said Smartech’s coverage of speeches will be important because television networks have reduced convention coverage from pervious years.

"If I’m John Q. Voter and I just want to watch the speeches, the online universe or C-Span is the best way to go," Mr. Rainie said. Democratic Party officials estimated they received more than 16 million hits on their convention Web site during the first 24 hours of the event last month in Boston.

Mr. Averbeck said his company also is creating an Intranet service to provide transcripts and other material to news organizations at the New York convention site.

Max Everett, the Republican National Convention’s director of information technology, said in a statement that "Smartech has been great for us so far."

"They’ve got a tight group that does their support, and they know how to do some coding of their own, so they are able to respond and customize more than your average Web host," he said.

In addition to its work at the convention, Smartech also sends out several million e-mail messages a day under contracts with both President Bush’s campaign and the Republican National Committee.

The company also hosts the Bush-Cheney campaign Web site, at www.georgewbush.com, and the national committee’s site, www.GOP.com. In the past year, the company has added six employees, bringing its total to 12. Smartech does not release revenue figures, but political work accounts for 25 percent to 35 percent of the company’s total business, Mr. Averbeck said.

Mr. Rainie said Web sites have become increasingly important as a means of communications in political campaigns. Online fund-raising really began with Republican John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign but skyrocketed in 2003 and 2004 as a result of efforts by Democratic hopeful Howard Dean, he said.

According to Pew figures, 63 percent of Americans are going online, and 49 percent have searched for news or information about politics or campaigns.

"I’m not sure that the Internet will ever quite hold the same kind of audience that TV does," Mr. Rainie said. "But it’s still important to say that for the way we talk about politics and for the way we perform politics in this country, the Internet is already well established as a vehicle."

Staff Photo by Leigh Shelle Hunt Jeff Averbeck is president and CEO of Smartech Corp., the Chattanooga-based company that is serving as Web host for the Republican National Convention in New York City.

E-mail Andy Sher at [e-mail] ON THE WEB The Republican National Convention Web site: www.2004nycgop.com The Bush-Cheney ’04 Web site: www.georgewbush.com The Republican National Committee Web site: www.gop.com

Chattanooga Times Free Press;
Sunday, August 22, 2004 ;

------
edited for double sentence - i'm tired.

[nc4bo]

10. sigh

i should clean it up some more but my eyes are totally exhausted (one of them is literally twitching)going on this wild goose chase.

maybe someone will be able to figure it out.

[AZBlue]

12. I really don't think it's just a wild goose chase.

I wish I understood this more - so many numbers, LOL, I'm not surprised your eyes are twitching!!

[AZBlue]

11. Wow! Those are great results!!

I never get that kind of info when I try to go digging - I'm impressed! It seems definite that the RNC = Vets for Freedom.

The netrange of the Smartech/host of RNC listing = 64.203.98.0 - 64.203.98.127 and the netrange of the Smartech/host of McCain's site listing = 64.203.96.0 - 64.203.111.255.

That's very close - and the fact that Smartech hosts everything here is odd. I googled them - their website is http://www.smartechcorp.net/ and their sourcewatch info is here: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SMARTech_Corporation.

Other google returns show how much they are connected to the GOP. I found information about the Ohio elections especially troubling: Back in 2004 during the presidential election, the Ohio secretary of state web site, which reports election results after they come in from counties on election day, routed through a hosting company called Smartech Corporation in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Smartech also hosts a range of sites for the Republican National Committee, among them the controversial gwb43.com domain that some White House officials are said to have used for correspondence to evade having their emails disclosed through public records requests.
(http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/04/did_ohio_electi.html).

No, I'd say you definitely found something! Is there an absolute way to prove something illegal or have they dodged the laws - once again? Seems that's McCain's greatest ability. I'm bookmarking this and going to ask a friend tomorrow if he can find a little more or see something that I'm not seeing.

[nc4bo]

13. oh thank you....

no, make that THANK YOU!!

i love digging the net, it's just sometime you come up empty handed or a bunch of deadends.

Please do ask and please post an update as soon as you can.

Thanks (again and again)!!

[AZBlue]

14. Oh, lookie here:

http://www.prwatch.org/node/4868

Vets for Freedom was founded in January 2006 "by a group of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans who believe in the mission of freedom in the Global War on Terror, but who have become frustrated with the way the operation has been politicized and reported to the home front," according to its rather fancy website. The website says "In 2006, this group of veterans, enlisted personnel, and officers decided to take action. The result was the creation of Vets for Freedom, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the unbiased, nonpartisan truth of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to educate the public and mobilize public support for the Global War on Terror."

While the organization claims to be nonpartisan, the privacy notice on its website suggests otherwise, reading: " ... We may from time to time share the information our visitors provide with other Republican candidates and other like-minded organizations."

(snip)

Virtually no information is available about the funders and organizations behind Vets for Freedom, so it is difficult to evaluate the degree to which the organization might be part of a war propaganda campaign interacting with the Bush Administration, the Pentagon, the American Legion and/or other ideologically-driven public relations and lobbying efforts that have exploited for political purposes the issues of US war veterans and their families, such as Move America Forward and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

[nc4bo]

17. something else.......

On that ePluribus site (here's the link: http://epm.xlan.org/story/2006/11/7/115314/922), seems he did a little digging too back in 11/06 regarding Ohio election results - that's where i got the list another site wanted me to pay for hehe.

i know it's all subjective - there's something there but not enough to do anything with i suspect.

[AZBlue]

19. Unfortunately they are probably just an inch away from breaking the law.

But you never know - there may be someplace they screwed up. I just posted in the website forum and asked them to post here if they have any input.

[nc4bo]

15. i can't post yet, DU won't take my debit card and i don't have enough posts!

Could you do it?

[AZBlue]

16. Gladly!

[nc4bo]

18. Thanks again AZBlue!! n/t

[nc4bo]

20. Sourcewatch.com also found the coincidences interesting.....

I haven't stopped yet.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vets_for_Freedom:_Website

and a blog on Daily Kos from '06:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/28/174857/137

and reported here on DU in '06:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2457182

[AZBlue]

21. Check out this from today's HuffPo:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/09/vets-for-freedom-wont-rev_n_111647.html