Kerry confronts Sam Fox on Swift Boaters at his confirmation hearing.

[Skidmore]

I apologize if this has been posted before, but this is the first chance I've had to see it. Kudos to Kerry for confronting this stuff. We need to see more of this. all around.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/02/28/senator-kerry-confronts-swift-boat-funder/

http://www.crooksandliars.com/Media/Download/14814/1/Kerry-Fox-SBVT.wmv

[globalvillage]

1. Sen Kerry was excellent

he very methodically ripped that jerk Fox to shreds.

Sen Obama, btw, had a pretty great followup.

[Skidmore]

2. Fox was sure tapdancing all over the place. Talk about

a person with no principles. This man has no compunction when it comes to bloodletting. I think he was a fine example of the Rovian footsoldier.

What was Obama's response? It look as though he was chairing this committee? Is my perception correct?

[globalvillage]

4. Obama was presiding.

You can see him at the very end of the full hearing video.

http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/hearings/2007/hrg070227p.html

[mloutre]

3. Foxie's other pet 527 got fined $750K for '04 campaign finance violations yesterday.

FYI:

Sam Fox, the unqualified but overly-generous GOP donor who was nominated by BushCo to be ambassador to Belgium but was exposed in Tuesday's SFRC hearings had given $50,000 to the debunked 527 group 'Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' back in 2004:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=302294&mesg_id=302294

During those hearings Fox claimed that he had no idea when, why, to whom, or for what he gave away the $50K. FEC records show him also donating another $50,000 to a SBVT sister 527 group, 'Progress for America', at the time as well.

One can only presume that he had no idea when, why, to whom, or for what he gave away that $50K, either. (Must be nice to be so rich one can hand out a hundred grand at a time without even being aware of it, ahem.)

Given the following news report from the Associated Press, once can hardly be surprised at his faulty memory while being questioned on the record about his 527-related activities:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/washington/01fec.html


Group Reaches Settlement With F.E.C. Over 2004 Campaign Advertising

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 — A major conservative group agreed to pay a $750,000 penalty as part of a settlement with the Federal Election Commission, which found that the group violated campaign finance laws by spending more than $30 million on advertisements and mailings supporting President Bush’s re-election.

{snip}

The agency found that the group, the Progress for America Voter Fund, operated as a political action committee, soliciting money and financing advertisements.

It spent $26.4 million alone on advertising in battleground states in 2004 for the purpose of retaining Mr. Bush as president.

Its actions violated campaign laws because it was not registered as a political action committee that would be subject to strict limits on donations. The agency said it circumvented a ban on corporate money and accepted contributions that well exceeded the caps on individual donations.

The group’s most memorable advertisements included “Ashley’s Story,” featuring Mr. Bush hugging a girl whose mother died in the World Trade Center attacks and who said the president kept her safe. That cost $16.5 million and was broadcast in 11 states and on national cable, the agency said. ... {The group} reported raising $44.9 million in 2004, with nearly three-fourths from 13 donors.

{snip}

Benjamin L. Ginsburg, a prominent Republican lawyer representing the group in this case, cited the financial stakes as a reason for the agreement.

Mr. Ginsburg also represented the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, another 527 group, which attacked Senator John Kerry; it reached a settlement with the F.E.C. in December.

[MH1]

5. Kerry also exposed Fox for a know-nothing about the post to which he was appointed.

Kerry spent about 20 minutes grilling Fox on issues of international relations between the US and Belgium, before even starting on the SBVT stuff.

Kerry actually interviewed this nominee like you might expect someone to interview an appointee at one of these hearings.

[Unbowed]

6. It was an excellent hearing, but nothing has been said about it on the news.

Wouldn't you think the sensationalism of this alone would have made the news. It's a great story about poetic justice if nothing else. It is also timely since the other political organization that Fox gave to was just fined (as mentioned down-post). Apparently the only televised media that covered this was er, FOX. And how did they cover it? Handnitty had the Swift Liar, O'Neill on his show.