Kaloogian, H

==

California Confidential

Who are the mystery men behind the recall push?

By Max Blumenthal

"It's a victory. A total victory!"

Howard Kaloogian exclaimed on the right-wing Worldmag.com after

hearing that the petition to recall the election of California's

embattled Gov. Gray Davis had gained enough signatures to qualify as a

ballot question.

Kaloogian, a former Republican California legislator, had plenty of

reason to cheer.

Because while the media have presented Rep. Darrell Issa (D-Calif.),

the wealthy car-alarm magnate, as the man who drove the recall, he's

actually been little more than a useful idiot for a stealthy group of

GOP operatives who laid the groundwork.

Months before the recall was even a blip on the media radar, this

consultant cabal began manipulating California's idiosyncratic

electoral system, creating a muscular funding mechanism and exploiting

it for its members' own ends.

The cabal includes Kaloogian, who was a right-wing backbencher in the

state Assembly, Sal Russo, who handled banker Bill Simon's hapless

2002 gubernatorial campaign, and David Gilliard, a veteran GOP

strategist with a career steeped in scandal.

They're joined by former Enron pollster and Republican tactician Frank

Luntz, who devised a strategy for the recall campaign centering around

negative character attacks and avoidance of policy discussion.

With the surprise announcement of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger -- who

boasted on The Tonight Show Aug. 6, "I have plenty of money. Nobody

can buy me off." -- the movie star's high-priced uber-consultants

George Gorton and Don Sipple have grabbed the baton in the recall

race, eager to take it the last mile to the state capitol.

Thanks to this handful of men and the millionaires who bankrolled

them, what started with a petition and a few phone calls has become an

election that may unseat a twice-elected governor and dramatically

affect the lives of one in seven Americans.

The recall saga began in February when Ted Costa, a self-styled

"anti-tax activist," started gathering the requisite 100 signatures to

file a recall petition.

(It took an additional 899,900 signatures to turn that petition into a

ballot initiative.) Kaloogian and Russo urged Costa to hold off.

....

---

Howard Kaloogian, a "leading" California <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect">Republican</a> from San Marcos and former state Assemblyman, ran in the April 11, 2006, special election for the seat in <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congress" title="Congress" class="mw-redirect">Congress</a> "recently vacated by indicted Rep. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Randy_%22Duke%22_Cunningham" title="Randy ">Randy "Duke" Cunningham</a>."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-0">[1]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-NCT-1">[2]</a>

Kaloogian unsuccessfully ran as a Republican aspirant in the primaries for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._Senate" title="U.S. Senate">U.S. Senate</a> in the 2004 election, coming in 3rd in a crowded <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOP" title="GOP" class="mw-redirect">GOP</a> field.

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>] </div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#Anti-Obama_PAC">1 Anti-Obama PAC</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#Profiles">3 Profiles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#Recall_Gray_Davis">4 Recall Gray Davis</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#Move_America_Forward">5 Move America Forward</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#By_Howard_Kaloogian">6 By Howard Kaloogian</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#Articles_and_resources">7 Articles and resources</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#Related_SourceWatch_articles">7.1 Related SourceWatch articles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#References">7.2 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#External_resources">7.3 External resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#External_articles">7.4 External articles</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2>Anti-Obama PAC</h2>

Kaloogian chairs a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Political_action_committee" title="Political action committee">political action committee</a> formed to oppose Democratic presidential candidate <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a>, called "<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Our_Country_Deserves_Better" title="Our Country Deserves Better">Our Country Deserves Better</a>." In addition to Kaloogian, several PAC officers are or were associated with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Move_America_Forward" title="Move America Forward">Move America Forward</a>, including PR executive <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sal_Russo" title="Sal Russo">Sal Russo</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Russo_Marsh_%26_Rogers" title="Russo Marsh & Rogers">Russo Marsh & Rogers</a> principal <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Joe_Wierzbicki" title="Joe Wierzbicki">Joe Wierzbicki</a>, and Marine mom <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Deborah_Johns" title="Deborah Johns">Deborah Johns</a>.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-2">[3]</a> The "Our Country Deserves Better" PAC is responsible for the Tea Party Express Bus Tour.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-3">[4]</a>

In March 2006, Kaloogian said "we should only leave Iraq 'when the mission is accomplished, with a stable democracy that is able to defend itself from internal and external threats.'"<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-NCT-1">[2]</a>

<h2>Profiles</h2>

Kaloogian is an attorney and estate planner who served as a Republican member of the California State Assembly between 1994 and 2000. In 2003, he launched the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Defend_Reagan_Committee&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Defend Reagan Committee (page does not exist)">Defend Reagan Committee</a> which organized a grassroots campaign to convince the CBS television network to drop the planned broadcast of the miniseries, "The Reagans."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-Reagan-4">[5]</a>

<h2>Recall Gray Davis</h2>

Kallogian was the chairman of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.recallgraydavis.com/">Recall Gray Davis Committee</a>.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-5">[6]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-Reagan-4">[5]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_note-6">[7]</a>

Kaloogian, along with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOP" title="GOP" class="mw-redirect">GOP</a> political consultant <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sal_Russo" title="Sal Russo">Sal Russo</a>, strategist <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_Gilliard&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="David Gilliard (page does not exist)">David Gilliard</a>, San Francisco radio host <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Melanie_Morgan" title="Melanie Morgan">Melanie Morgan</a>, and former <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Newt_Gingrich" title="Newt Gingrich" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Newt Gingrich</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Enron" title="Enron" class="mw-redirect" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Enron</a> pollster <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Frank_Luntz" title="Frank Luntz" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Frank Luntz</a>, secured funding and political support for California's October 2003 gubernatorial recall election, in which movie actor <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Arnold_Schwarzenegger" title="Arnold Schwarzenegger" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a> unseated <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Democratic_Party" title="Democratic Party" class="mw-redirect" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Democratic</a> incumbent <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Gray_Davis" title="Gray Davis" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Gray Davis</a>. Kaloogian had backed Republican State Senator <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_McClintock" title="Tom McClintock" class="mw-redirect">Tom McClintock</a> over Schwarzenegger in the race.

<h2>Move America Forward</h2>

In June 2004, he was one of the founders of the pro-troop, non-profit organization <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Move_America_Forward" title="Move America Forward">Move America Forward</a>, which achieved notoriety for its campaigns to lobby movie theatres to not show <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Michael_Moore" title="Michael Moore">Michael Moore</a>'s documentary film, "<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Fahrenheit_9/11" title="Fahrenheit 9/11">Fahrenheit 9/11</a>." The group made national headlines for its support of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Bolton" title="John Bolton" class="mw-redirect">John Bolton</a>'s nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/United_Nations" title="United Nations">United Nations</a> and also for organizing the "You Don't Speak For Me, Cindy" tour which brought supporters of the U.S. military to Crawford, Texas to counter the anti-war efforts of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Cindy_Sheehan" title="Cindy Sheehan">Cindy Sheehan</a>.

<h2>By Howard Kaloogian</h2>

<ul>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/07/13/opinion/commentary/17_28_497_12_05.txt">"Courage plentiful in Iraq,"</a> North County Times, July 12, 2005.</li>

</ul>

<h2>Articles and resources</h2>

<h3>Related SourceWatch articles</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Melanie_Morgan" title="Melanie Morgan">Melanie Morgan</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Move_America_Forward" title="Move America Forward">Move America Forward</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Our_Country_Deserves_Better" title="Our Country Deserves Better">Our Country Deserves Better</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Russo_Marsh_%26_Rogers" title="Russo Marsh & Rogers">Russo Marsh & Rogers</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sal_Russo" title="Sal Russo">Sal Russo</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ted_Costa" title="Ted Costa">Ted Costa</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/%22Truth_Tour%22" title="" truth="">"Truth Tour"</a></li>

</ul>

<h3>References</h3>

<li id="cite_note-0"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-0">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x786665">"Congressional Candidate Slams Press Coverage of Iraq--With Bogus Photo"</a>, Editor & Publisher, March 29, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-NCT-1">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-NCT_1-0">2.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-NCT_1-1">2.1</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/24/news/top_stories/20_40_023_23_06.txt">"Candidates get little time at forum"</a>, North County Times, March 24, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-2">↑</a> "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com/whoweare/index.html">Who we are</a>," Our Country Deserves Better PAC website, accessed September 2008.</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-3">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com/news/pr081009.html">"Tea Party Express to Air TV Ads Across America Opposing "ObamaCare"</a>, Media release, August 10, 2009.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Reagan-4">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-Reagan_4-0">5.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-Reagan_4-1">5.1</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20031029151254/www.defendreagan.org/?Page=AboutUs">"Who We Are"</a>, DefendReagan.org, archived from October 2003.</li>

<li id="cite_note-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-5">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.recallgraydavis.com/Bios/Kaloogian.asp">" Biography: Howard Kaloogian"</a>, Recall Gray Davis, accessed September 2009.</li>

<li id="cite_note-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Howard_Kaloogian#cite_ref-6">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.moveamericaforward.org/index.php/MAF/AboutUs#7">"About Move America Forward"</a>, Move America Forward website, accessed September 2009.</li>

</ol>

<h3>External resources</h3>

<ul>

<li>"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.howardforsenate.com/?Page=Biography">About Howard Kaloogian</a>", Howard Kaloogian US Senate '04 (accessed June 2005).</li>

<li>Center for Responsive Politics, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/alsorun.asp?CID=N00026743&cycle=2004">Howard Kaloogian (R)Candidate for 2004 California Senate Race</a>", Open Secrets, 2005.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.howardisaliar.com/">Howard is a Liar</a>.com.</li>

</ul>

<h3>External articles</h3>

<ul>

<li>Kurt Nimmo, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=201&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0">Kaloogian's Hooligans</a>," Alternative Press Review, June 15, 2004.</li>

<li>Gabrielle Reilly, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gabriellereillyweekly.com/gabrielle_reilly/personalitychats/howard_kaloogian.htm">"Interview With Honorable Howard Kaloogian - Covering The Showdown With Cindy Sheehan, An 'Iraq Truth' Tour And His Congressional Run,"</a> gabriellereillyweekly.com.</li>

<li>kos, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/29/13339/2816">"CA-50: Kaloogian's little lie exposed,"</a> Daily Kos, March 29, 2006.</li>

<li>Paul Kiel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000218.php">"Some History on Kaloogian's Move America Forward,"</a> TPM Muckraker, March 29, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002274257">"Congressional Candidate Slams Press Coverage of Iraq--With Bogus Photo,"</a> Editor & Publisher, March 29, 2006.</li>

<li>Joshua Holland, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.alternet.org/blogs/themix/34195/">"Can anyone be this dumb? Lovely downtown Istanbul, Iraq?"</a> AlterNet, March 29, 2006.</li>

<li>Justin Rood, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m22055&l=i&size=1&hd=0">"Kaloogian Blames Iraq Photo Error on Staffer,"</a> uruknet, March 29, 2006.</li>

<li>Daren Briscoe, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12071317/site/newsweek/">"Baghdad. Istanbul. What’s the Difference? The blogosphere nails a California Republican for his view of Iraq,"</a> Newsweek, March 29, 2006.</li>

<li>John Aravosis, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/03/was-gop-candidate-kaloogian-who-claims.html">"Was GOP candidate Kaloogian - who claims Baghdad is now peaceful and the media is lying - in Iraq only as recently as a year ago?"</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/AMERICAblog" title="AMERICAblog">AMERICAblog</a>, March 30, 2006.</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_M._Broder" title="John M. Broder">John M. Broder</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/national/30candidate.html">"On Web, Error Is Uncovered Through Relentless Pursuit,"</a> New York Times, March 30, 2006.</li>

<li>Carla Marinucci, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/30/BAGD9I0HQP1.DTL">"Candidate admits 'stupid' Web error. Conservative uses photo of Turkey, calls it Baghdad,"</a> San Francisco Chronicle, March 30, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://sdpolitics.blogsome.com/2006/03/30/kaloogian-fires-back-in-photo-flap/">"Kaloogian Fires Back in Photo Flap,"</a> San Diego Politics Blog, March 30, 2006.</li>

<li>Paul Kiel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000225.php">"Move America Forward's 990,"</a> TPM Muckraker, March 30, 2006.</li>

<li>Joshua Micah Marshall, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/008052.php">"Ahhhh, the wages of bamboozlement,"</a> Talking Points Memo, March 30, 2006.</li>

<li>Logan Jenkins, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/jenkins/20081201-9999-1m1jenkins.html">Local conservative pops up in daffy Palin ad</a>," San Diego Union-Tribune (California), December 1, 2008.</li>

<li>Zachary Roth, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/legendary_gop_bamboozler_hitches_wagon_to_tea_part.php">Legendary GOP Bamboozler Hitches Wagon To Tea Party Brand</a>," TPMMuckraker, September 1, 2009.</li>

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