Black, Chls

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></h2><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">some color below</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see bksh, BM BM2</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see bak 2 22</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">html </font><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">Wye Oak</span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">pension 2 22 fund for am studies</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://en.unionpedia.org/i/Charles_R.Black_Jr.">https://en.unionpedia.org/i/Charles_R.Black_Jr.</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); line-height: 26.88px; padding: 0em 2.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 0px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/51926</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); line-height: 26.88px; padding: 0em 2.5em; margin-bottom: 0px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">Charlie Black's Cronies</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">July 2, 2008; Page A11</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">Doing some research in the Library of Congress recently, an associate of mine came across a curious artifact of the Young Americans for Freedom, the high-spirited conservative group of the Vietnam era.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">It is a songbook prepared for YAF's 1971 convention, and in its mimeographed pages you will find a lyric poking fun at "Adlai [Stevenson] the bald-headed Com-Symp," and another moaning that, in the State Department, "everyone's a Commie slave." All good clean fun, surely. Turn a few pages, though, and you will find that the righteous ones also lifted their young voices to warble "Cara al Sol," the humor-free anthem of Spanish fascism.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">AP </span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">John McCain and advisers. Charlie Black is at right. </span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">Many YAFers later rose to positions of great political influence. From direct mailers to congressmen to campaign managers, the group put its stamp on our era in no small way.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">This year's most prominent YAF graduate is Charlie Black, who was an officer of the group in the period when it sang fascist hymns and who now serves as a senior adviser to Republican John McCain. Last week, Mr. Black triggered a media storm by musing publicly on how a terrorist attack would improve Mr. McCain's chances to win the presidential election in November.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">Mr. Black is a difficult man to pin down. The articles he wrote for the YAF's magazine back in 1972 are anodyne stuff, unremarkable apart from his youthful passion to "take on liberalism everywhere it rules...."</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">But he's also kept some questionable company over the years. In 1975 he founded, with the help of fellow YAFer Terry Dolan, the National Conservative Political Action Committee, which would contrive so brilliantly to poison the political atmosphere over the next decade. NCPAC's method was to raise money through terrifying direct-mail solicitations – "the shriller you are, the better it is to raise money," Mr. Dolan said – and then to spend it on terrifying TV commercials assailing this or that liberal politician. In 1980 the group helped defeat four Democratic senators, making it an overnight sensation and an omen of the money-driven, all-negative political future.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);"><b>NCPAC's calling card was slime.</b> It constantly attacked members of Congress for votes they hadn't cast and positions they hadn't taken – "there have been a few mistakes made in terms of research," was all Mr. Black would admit – and the group's main accomplishment was dodging the campaign-finance laws of the day.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">Mr. Dolan was NCPAC's main personality, a boasting bully fond of shocking statements. He once bragged to a reporter that "We could say whatever we want about an opponent of a Senator Smith and the senator wouldn't have to say anything. A group like ours could lie through its teeth and the candidate it helps stays clean."</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">Then there was Roger Stone, who became Mr. Black's colleague in his 1980s lobbying firm Black, Manafort & Stone. Another YAFer, Mr. Stone made his reputation for scummy politics in the 1972 Nixon campaign, and has since become such a well-known impresario of calumny that Matt Labash, writing last year in the Weekly Standard, described him as "a U.S. Army of treachery: He screws more people before 9 a.m. than most people do in a whole day."</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">But what are dirty tricks without some sort of payoff? Conservatives often promise to wage war on the welfare state; what they don't brag about is the way they redirect the proceeds of the welfare state into the pockets of their own kind – the favored lobby firms, the well-connected contractors. Here, too, Mr. Black has a story he might relate.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">During the Reagan years, the Department of Housing and Urban Development allegedly began steering contracts to clients of political favorites; one gang thus favored was Mr. Black's firm, and in particular, Mr. Black's partner, Paul Manafort. The firm took in over $300,000 lobbying HUD for funds, some of it to rehab a New Jersey housing development that, according to the Boston Globe, "New Jersey officials said they did not want and was a waste of taxpayers money." Allegations also flew about Mr. Black's own role in the HUD scandal, but no wrongdoing was ever proven in court. Mr. Manafort, for his part, became a principal in a lobbying firm headed until recently by Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager.</span><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><br style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);" /><span style="background-color: rgb(252, 252, 255);">It's an interesting bunch Mr. Black has run with, and taken all together they help us understand the larger picture. What unites the conservatives of the 1970s with their pocket-lining counterparts today? A persistent derision for the notion that government might someday be conducted on the level. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As that old YAF songbook put it, "Keep the faith with cynicism / Cut the opposition down!"</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">bksh merger --> prime pol gp</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://news.muckety.com/2009/10/08/charlie-black-will-head-new-lobbying-firm/20821">http://news.muckety.com/2009/10/08/charlie-black-will-head-new-lobbying-firm/20821</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;">arly this year, he returned to BKSH. Now he will serve as the chairman of Prime Policy Group, a company created by the merger of BKSH and Timmons & Co., another powerhouse Washington lobby shop.</span></div><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Black, who is 61 and is known as Charlie, told <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/27895.html" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Politico</a> that combining the companies should create new business.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“For both firms’ clients, it adds more value and more heavyweight lobbyists to help them out,” he said.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The merger suggests that despite anti-lobbying rhetoric from both the campaigns of McCain and Barack Obama in 2008, lobbying lives on in Washington.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The key to success would seem to be to a have a firm positioned to play both sides of the political aisle.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As <em>Politico</em> notes, Prime Policy has 11 senior lobbyists who are Republicans, 13 who are Democrats.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Black, who was one of the founders of BKSH, has solid Republican credentials, having served as a senior adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and as an adviser to both George W. Bush campaigns.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Republican Bryce L. Harlow, the former Timmons CEO who will be Prime Policy’s vice chairman, served in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On the Democratic side, R. Scott Pastrick, Prime Policy’s president and CEO, who had a similar title at BKSH, served in the Jimmy Carter administration. He also worked on the 1992 Bill Clinton presidential campalgn.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Martin P. Paone, Prime Policy’s executive vice president and a former Timmons lobbyist, was a Democratic staffer on Capitol Hill, primarily in the Senate, for 32 years.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Prior to the merger, BKSH was a subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations firm. Burson-Marsteller, in turn, was a subsidiary of WPP Group.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Timmons and company had been a subsidiary of WPP.</p><p style="margin: 10px 20px 20px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; font-family: arial; line-height: 19.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">With the merger, Prime Policy becomes a subsidiary of Burston-Marsteller, which is headed by Mark J. Penn, a Democrat who was the chief strategist for the 2008 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.</p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Here are 10 things to know about Charlie Black:</span></font></div><div class="entry-content" style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span id="more-5542" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">He’s a Tar Heel</strong>: Charles R. Black Jr. was born on Oct. 11, 1947, in the North Carolina seaport city of Wilmington.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A Goldwater Boy</strong>: He told the New York Times that he fell in love in politics when he worked on the presidential campaign of Republican Barry Goldwater as a high school student in 1964. Goldwater lost to Pres. Lyndon Johnson in a rout.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A Jesse Helms Man</strong>: In 1972, at age 25, Black served as political director for the first senatorial campaign of Jesse Helms, the North Carolina crypto-racist and uber-homophobe. In 1996, he told the New York Times, at the beginning of the race “everybody knew he was too conservative, he’d never run for office, and couldn’t win. But it was a good conservative cause, so I went down and worked on his campaign for the last six months. And lo and behold, we did win.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Smear Group Founder</strong>: In 1975, with Terry Dolan and Roger Stone, Charlie Black was a founder of the National National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC), which used deceptively written direct mail solicitations to bankroll television ads smearing Democrats in congressional campaigns in the Reagan era.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Roger Stone has to be one of the sleaziest Republican operatives of all time. Earlier this year, he warned Florida Gov. Charlie Crist that in order to be considered as John McCain’s vice president, Crist, a 49-year-old longtime bachelor, would have to get married — <a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/12/17/gov-crist-would-not-be-first-bachelor-vice-president/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 42, 56);">incorrectly stating</a> that “bachelors don’t get elected vice president.” In fact, Franklin Pierce’s vice president, William Rufus de Vane King, was a confiirmed bachelor. Known as “Aunt Fancy” and one Alabama’s first two senators, King shared digs in Washington for 25 years with fellow bachelor James Buchanan, Pierce’s successor in the presidency.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Earlier this year, Stone <a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/02/25/gop-launches-anti-clinton-group-citizens-united-not-timid/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 42, 56);">launched</a> an anti-Hillary Clinton organization he called Citizens United Not Timid, which he promoted online by using its acronym. In 1996, he had to resign from a volunteer position on the Dole presidential campaign after an ad in a swingers’ magazine surfaced that featured a photo of Stone and his wife.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black and Stone moved on from NCPAC soon after it was established, parting ways with Terry Dolan. In 1979 and 1980, NCPAC spent over the then-unheard of figure of $7 million on spurious TV ads against Democrats. Dolan once called NCPAC a ”gut-cutting organization.” The macho rhetoric is notable because Dolan, along with the McCarthyite Roy Cohn and Sen. “Tailgunner” Joe McCarthy himself, was a <a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/11/14/2006-terry-dolan-award/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 42, 56);">classic self-hating gay Republican homophobe</a>. While he worked tirelessly to slime liberals and their causes by day, at night Dolan was rumored to frequent leather bars where he picked up rough trade. He died from HIV disease in 1986 at the age of 36. (Additional source: New York Times, May 31, 1981)</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Fired By Reagan</strong>: In 1980, Charlie Black worked as field director for Ronald Reagan’s second presidential campaign. After advising Reagan to ignore the Iowa caucuses — advice that almost cost Reagan the nomination — he was among the senior staff Reagan fired after he lost the New Hampshire primary.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Formed Mega-Lobbying Group</strong>: Soon after being fired by Reagan, Black and Stone, with Paul Manafort, formed Black, Manafort and Stone, a political consulting firm. The firm’s lobbying clients have included Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Ltd. and the investment firm of Salomon Brothers, as well as foreign politicians, including Mohamed Siad Barre of Somalia, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, and Jonas Savimbi of Angola.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More recently, Black was an <a href="http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0803/080703nj2.htm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 42, 56);">early supporter of Ahmed Chalabi</a>, the Iraqi conman who helped Dick Cheney and his cabal of neocons float false intelligence that laid the groundwork for Bush-Cheney’s disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003. Black’s firm helped open doors for Chalabi’s front group, the Iraqi National Congress (INC), with U.S. corporations, including AT&T, Cummins Engine and Fluor. In 2003, Black said, “Due to our past representation of the INC, we know and have worked with a lot of people who will be in the provisional government. We have a number of clients who are interested in doing business in Iraq.” Black adds that his firm is “strongly considering” opening an office in Baghdad. It is unclear whether Black’s firm ever opened a branch office in Iraq.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">7. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Lee Atwater</strong>: In 1985, Lee Atwater, the man who taught Karl Rove and George Bush Jr. everything they know about political hatchet work and the dark art of manipulating the masses, joined Black’s lobbying firm within months after serving as deputy campaign manager in the 1984 Reagan-Bush campaign. Black and Atwater went way back. In 1973, Atwater managed the campaign of Karl Rove to become president of the College Republicans, defeating his opponent, Terry Dolan, whose campaign had been managed by Charlie Black, Roger Stone and Paul Manafort.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In March 1990, Lee Atwater was serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor (which many people believed developed because of his constant use of a then new-tech cordless telephone). Atwater named Charlie Black as his “mouthpiece” at the RNC while he dealt with his illness. As the disease progressed, Atwater came to see the error of his ways and made rounds of phone calls seeking forgiveness from Democrats and others whose reputations and careers he had destroyed. There has never been any evidence that Black, Rove, Bush Jr. and the others learned anything from Atwater’s end-of-life come-to-Jesus.</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ailes on Black</strong>: About Black, Roger Ailes, then (as now) a Republican media consultant (only now he masks his party operative role behind the legit-sounding title of president of Fox News), said ”Charlie’s the kind of guy who if he came home and found somebody making out with his wife on a rainy day, he’d break the guy’s umbrella and ask him to leave, then have him killed a year later. [Lee Atwater] would blow the house up.” (New York Times, July 21, 1990)</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">9. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Homophobic Remarks</strong>: In March 1993, when the gays in the military issue was in the headlines, Charlie Black and Iran-Contra scandal figure Oliver North made headlines when they chimed in with homophobic remarks at a banquet in Northern Virginia for retired Republican Rep. Rep. Stan Parris. According to the New York Times (March 19, 1993), before Black and North spoke, Virginia state Senator Warren E. Barry began his keynote comments by referring to “‘the Clinton fags-in-the-foxhole’ policy and then joked about how Mr. Parris, when he was in Congress, seemed to be constantly at odds with the officials of the District of Columbia, who are mostly black. He recalled that Mr. Parris had once called a bridge leading from Washington to Virginia ‘the longest bridge in the world because it connects Virginia to Africa.’ He went on, with a laugh, to say Mr. Parris sought to rename the bridge ‘Soul Brothers Causeway.'”</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When it was Black’s turn, he joked that Clinton was going to change the words of the Marine Corps hymn to “Don we now our gay apparel.” (ROTFL.) When it was time for Ollie North’s comedic turn, the Times reported that he “included a line about how he had repeatedly tried to place a telephone call to Mr. Clinton but could not get through until he lisped to the operator, ‘Excuse me!'”</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">10. <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Friends Like These</strong>: In a New York Times profile of Black in February 1996, one anonymous “friend” said of Charlie, “He’s very folksy, but he’s tough. Charlie will pat you on the back one moment, stab you in the back the next.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John Buckley, an admirer, said, “Charlie would never stab you in the back. You would be gutted from the front. You just wouldn’t know it until you’re dead.”</font></p><div class="clear" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: both;"><div class="entry-meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">June 27, 2008 <span class="\" meta-sep="meta-sep" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">|</span> <span class="tag-links" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tags <a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/tag/congress/" rel="tag" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none;">Congress</a>, <a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/tag/fox-news/" rel="tag" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none;">Fox News</a>, <a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/tag/swiftboating/" rel="tag" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none;">Swiftboating</a></span> <span class="meta-sep" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">|</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/05/19/518116/-Trouble-for-McCain-Jack-Abramoff-Charlie-Black-the-1980s</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div>
</div><div><b>Trouble for McCain: Jack Abramoff, Charlie Black & the 1980s...</b></div><div>bydengre</div><div>
</div><div>This weekend I was engaged in research. As is my habit, I take a break every now and then to check email, Daily Kos and other sites I’m in the habit of visiting.</div><div>
</div><div>While checking in with Big Orange, I came across a post on the front page that caused me to make a change in my research plan. It was "McCain's Campaign Led by Tainted Lobbyists".</div><div>
</div><div>That McCain is dependent upon lobbyists for his career, campaign and myth is not a surprise. Anybody who digs into McCain’s record quickly realizes that it is one curveball of deception after another.</div><div>
</div><div>In the ad, MoveOn focused on McCain’s brain, lobbyist Charlie Black. Specifically the ad focused on Black’s work as a lobbyist for despots in Angola, Zaire and the Philippines back in the 1980s.  </div><div>
</div><div>That got my attention. Jack Abramoff was also a lobbyist for some of these same despots back in the 1980s.</div><div>
</div><div>And yes, Charlie Black and Jack Abramoff are linked.</div><div>
</div><div>They would have worked together.</div><div>
</div><div>And Charlie is far worse than Jack.</div><div>
</div><div>Join me on the jump...</div><div>
</div><div>Charlie Black is a long time GOP operative. He has been in the game for years.</div><div>
</div><div>He is the prototype of the modern Washington lobbyist. He has been trading on his connections for profit and power for more than thirty years. He is the model for the K Street Project. His record is amazing and I’ve only scratched the surface.</div><div>
</div><div>So far in this cycle he has gotten away with being a "longtime GOP consultant" or some other bland set of words designed to hide his role in creating the culture of corruption destroying our nation and our government.</div><div>
</div><div>He should be in jail. Instead, he is running John McCain’s run to make Washington safe for the corrupt, incompetent and greedy (aka: a McCain Presidency).</div><div>
</div><div>Listen, I have spent a lot of time over the last decade digging into Jack Abramoff and his impact on Washington’s Culture of Corruption. I’ve often posted diaries about my research.</div><div>
</div><div>Jack was bad, but Charlie Black is in a league of his own. The guy is a serious prick.</div><div>
</div><div>Much of the Abramoff Scandal can be understood by going back to the Eighties. Every aspect of the scandal had its roots in the people and politics of the years between 1975 and 1990. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Jack came to Washington as a kid in 1981 after he helped Reagan take Massachusetts by delivering an overwhelming number of absentee ballots with his best friend, Grover Norquist.</span></div><div>
</div><div>Jack and Grover quickly became young turks in the politics and scandals of the day. Their role models were the slightly older young turks who were already cashing in on the "Reagan Revolution". Greed and One-Party Rule were the motivators for Grover, Jack and the punks they emulated.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Charlie Black </b>was one of those punks.</div><div>
</div><div>In 1978, he was the Political Director for the RNC. That was the year when the right first lunched the politics of personal destruction as a key element of the permanent campaign. It was the year that Richard Vigueri and other founders of the modern conservative movement took their new type of politics out for a test drive.</div><div>
</div><div>The game plan was field tested in New Hampshire and Iowa in 1978. In 2001, the Cook Report highlighted the importance of 1978 to the angry Right-wing warriors (emphasis added):</div><div>
</div><div>When [Iowa Senator Dick] Clark came up for re-election in 1978, Roger Jepsen, then the state's conservative Republican lieutenant governor, challenged him in a hard-edged race that focused on abortion rights and Clark's support for a treaty "giving away" the Panama Canal. Jepsen beat Clark, 51 percent to 48 percent, in one of two key "New Right" Senate victories that year. The other Republican victory was in New Hampshire, where Gordon Humphrey defeated Democrat Thomas McIntyre. These two New Right wins served as a model for conservative challengers nationwide. They helped spur the conservative sweep of 1980 and the introduction of the abortion issue into American electoral politics.</div><div>
</div><div>Charlie Black was one of those angry warriors. A flock of young College Republicans became the foot soldiers of the cause. Two students in Massachusetts name Abramoff and Norquist joined the effort. Black would have been a role model.</div><div>
</div><div>A Washington Post story from April 7, 1985, "Partners in Political PR Firm Typify Republican New Breed" was rich in details about Black and his gang as they created the prototype of the modern Republican grifter:</div><div>
</div><div>On the day after President Reagan defeated Walter F. Mondale, H. Lee Atwater was a rich man.</div><div>
</div><div>The deputy campaign manager of the Reagan-Bush '84 Committee became a full partner in the political consulting arm of Black, Manafort and Stone, a firm that exemplifies a key element of the vitality of the Republican Party: the potential for young tough, savvy political operatives to move into the political market and make big bucks.</div><div>
</div><div>In just five years, Black, Manafort and Stone -- and now Atwater -- has become a major new presence in the capital, specializing in connections, influence and hardball politics. It combines a political client list of influential elected officials with a lobbying clientele of corporations, foreign governments and trade associations.</div><div>
</div><div>Atwater and his colleagues represent the cream of Republican inside operatives. <b>Charlie Black</b> was a senior adviser to the Reagan '84 campaign and the campaign strategist for Sens. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Phil Gramm (R-Tex.). Paul Manafort was the political director of the GOP convention in Dallas. Roger Stone was Northeast coordinator for Reagan-Bush.</div><div>
</div><div>Candidates are lining up to buy the firm's campaign services, and the list of lobbying clients is growing steadily.</div><div>
</div><div>The list includes: the investment banking firm of Salomon Brothers, which last year paid $135,000 to Black, Manafort and Stone; Kaman Aerospace, which laid out $255,000; the Dominican Republic, which signed on at $69,788 a quarter, and Rupert Murdoch's Australia-based The News Corp. Ltd., which is paying $180,000 a year for what the firm describes as an "activity limited to internal conferences and phone calls with client." [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>All between the ages of 32 and 36, Black, Manafort, Stone and Atwater were adolescents and college students in the 1960s and early 1970s, when the civil rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam war animated many of the nation's youth. [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>In the years that followed, these young men threw themselves into the trench warfare of the College Republicans and Young Republicans In 1977, at 25, Stone won the presidency of the Young Republicans in a campaign managed by Manafort.</div><div>
</div><div>Four years earlier, Atwater managed the successful campaign of Karl Rove to be president of the College Republicans, defeating John T. (Terry) Dolan, whose drive was run by Stone, Manafort and Black. Black and Stone were the founders of the National Conservative Political Action Committee in 1975, with Dolan.</div><div>
</div><div>At the same time they began to move up the ladder of political campaigns, working variously for Helms, Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), James Buckley, who was then a senator from New York, Richard M. Nixon, the Republican National Committee and, ultimately, Ronald Reagan. [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>The firm was formed out of political upheaval in the 1980 campaign. Immediately after the New Hampshire primary, Reagan fired his top staff, including Black, his field director. Black then founded the firm and Manafort and Stone joined, continuing work for the campaign as consultants. [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>One of the key talents they bring to a campaign is a killer instinct for what is known in the trade as "driving up the opposition's negatives." [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>In 1978, this translated into the Atwater-designed destruction of Charles D. (Pug) Ravenel, the Democratic nominee challenging Thurmond. [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>Similarly Black, who served as campaign strategist for Gramm's successful fight for a Texas Senate seat against Democrat Lloyd Doggett in the recent election, recalled: </div><div>"Doggett got the endorsement of the big gay PAC in San Antonio. That wasn't unusual, but then we got onto the fact that the gays had a male strip show at some bar and Doggett takes that money. That became a matter of his judgment, so we rolled it out there."</div><div>
</div><div>  </div><div>So, that tells us a few things about the ethics of Charlie Black and the role model he provided for young men like Grover Norquist and Jack Abramoff:</div><div>
</div><div>Anything goes if it helps you "win" and dirty tricks are to be celebrated.</div><div>Trading on your political connections to make money is not only a Republican virtue, it is the ultimate goal of a life in politics.</div><div>The people you meet when you’re coming up will be your network for life.</div><div>Charlie Black has had a major role in shaping the modern Republican Party. He helped to create the idea of a permanent lobbyist/consultant class that was partisan, greedy and immoral.</div><div>
</div><div>Black’s long-time pal and partner was Roger Stone. A June 16, 1989 WP profile of Stone explain how Roger and Charlie became a team:</div><div>
</div><div>After serving as Ronald Reagan's "youth director" in 1976, he [Stone] became close to conservative fund-raiser Richard Viguerie. His wife was working for Viguerie at the time.</div><div>
</div><div>With his friends Terry Dolan and Charlie Black, Stone formed the National Conservative Political Action Committee, serving as its treasurer. In 1977, he ran for national president of the Young Republicans. Black managed his campaign.</div><div>
</div><div>A popular, soft-spoken man, Black is widely thought to be Stone's protector, the man who helped transform him from political pariah to powerful New Right activist. "Somebody could say I was looking after him," Black now says, "But Roger and I are peers. I've never thought of myself as an older brother."</div><div>
</div><div>The article also mentioned some details about their client base:</div><div>
</div><div>Much of Stone's success, observers say, is tied in with the success of Black Manafort Stone & Kelly. BMS&K handles clients such as a group of businessmen closely tied to former Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos (the firm stopped working for them when Reagan asked Marcos to resign), Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi, the government of Nigeria, Kamen Aerospace and Salomon Bros. Inc.</div><div>
</div><div>Now Jack Abramoff and Jonas Savimbi were tight. In the late 1980s Jack helped him in his role as a lobbyist for the Apartheid’s secret police in South Africa. In the early 1980s he worked with Savimbi in his role as the head of Citizens for America, a fake grassroots lobbying effort run out of the basement of Reagan’s White House.</div><div>
</div><div>Founding Fakers a 2003 article in The New Republic has a good summation of the link between Jack Abramoff’s work for Savimbi and the work of Charlie Black.</div><div>
</div><div>The right-wing revolutionary impulse begins with the Reagan Doctrine, and the Reagan Doctrine begins, by some accounts, with an adventurer named Jack Wheeler. [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>He pointed to Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and Angola. "I realized that these [conflicts] were not isolated. This was a worldwide rejection of Soviet imperialism. The tables had turned." Wheeler booked a ticket to Washington, where he visited his friend, presidential speechwriter Dana Rohrabacher. "Dana told me that I had to go out there to study these people fighting the Soviets." So, funded by a grant from the libertarian Reason Foundation, Wheeler set off to visit anti-communist insurrections.</div><div>
</div><div>After six months among the Nicaraguan Contras, Afghan mujahedin, and African rebels, he landed at Washington's National Airport, where Rohrabacher greeted him. "He drove me straight to the [Old Executive Office Building]. I had been sending him back photos, which I hadn't seen myself at this point. He took me to a room, where there was a slide carousel," as well as speechwriters, officials from the CIA, and Constantine Menges and Paula Dobriansky of the National Security Council. Wheeler began to tell stories of the global phenomenon he had just witnessed. As one White House official told Sidney Blumenthal, then a reporter with The Washington Post, "[Wheeler] took random struggles and crystallized the concept that they were part of the same historical movement." Soon after, Reagan's speeches were filled with references to "freedom fighters." [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>To turn the Reagan Doctrine from theory to practice, Wheeler set about creating the antithesis of the Communist International, a broad coalition of anti-Marxist insurgents to be known as the Democratic International. And, in 1985, Wheeler helped convince the conservative drugstore mogul--and defeated New York gubernatorial candidate--Lew Lehrman to finance the venture. Working with Grover Norquist and Jack Abramoff, now arguably the two most powerful Republican lobbyists in Washington, Wheeler invited anti-communist rebel leaders from Nicaragua, Laos, and Afghanistan to Jamba, Angola, the headquarters of Jonas Savimbi's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (unita). There, Lehrman gathered his guests and had them sign a communiqué declaring "our solidarity with all freedom movements in the world and ... our commitment to cooperate to liberate our nations from the Soviet imperialists." At a rally in Jamba's stadium, Lehrman handed them framed copies of the American Declaration of Independence and replica Mount Vernon bowls.</div><div>
</div><div>There was a reason the meeting took place in <b>Jamba</b>: Savimbi had become the poster child for this new breed of freedom fighter. Like Chalabi, he had a superb understanding of the conservative movement and made frequent trips to Washington to cultivate its activists. Take the itinerary for a 1986 visit: In one week, he attended a seminar at the American Enterprise Institute, hosted by Jeanne Kirkpatrick; a reception thrown by the Heritage Foundation; and another confab at Freedom House. This strategy wasn't just the product of Savimbi's savvy. He had lots of help. Unita paid a $600,000-per-year retainer to the Republican lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly. Savimbi's allies in South Africa's apartheid government donated consulting work by Reagan's 1980 campaign manager, Stuart Spencer, and a cast of ideologues happily volunteered their services. Norquist became economic adviser. According to Nina J. Easton's book Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Crusade, this entailed ghostwriting pro-capitalist manifestos for The Wall Street Journal op-ed page. Savimbi's byline hovered over text proclaiming, "I believe that in Angola the farmer must be exempt from all taxes. The state cannot claim the produce of a farmer's hard work. This would be theft."</div><div>
</div><div>There are a lot of details in the record about Abramoff’s work for Angola. In the aftermath of the meeting in Jamba another one of the shadow group connected to Abramoff was formed. This one was called "Democratic International". Articles connect Jack to the lobbying effort in DC and an office that was set up. I’ve always suspected that it was housed in a DC lobbying firm. I’ve always suspected that it was Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly and that Abramoff worked there—perhaps in the coming months that will be proven.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">What is proven is that Charlie Black and Jack Abramoff were working for the same client at the same time and that, that client was a murderous butcher named Jonas Savimbi.</span></div><div>
</div><div>Over the years, Charlie Black has had many clients. And he has used those connections time and time again to enrich himself.</div><div>
</div><div>1986 was a bad year for the GOP and Black. All of his clients lost. And yet, he still landed on his feet as Jack Kemp’s campaign manager for his 1988 run at the White House. In December of 1986, the Washington Post profiled Charlie Black as a "Hard-Hitting 'Spin Doctor'":</div><div>
</div><div>None of Black's clients came even close to winning Nov. 4. Former Tennessee governor Winfield Dunn lost a comeback bid by 8 percent; former Vermont governor Richard Snelling failed to unseat Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) by an embarrassing 29 percent; Hawkins lost by 10 percent.</div><div>
</div><div>But in this, the age of the permanent campaign, Black, one of the Republican Party's premier political tacticians, won't be short of work. "Everyone knows '86 wasn't a good year for Republicans," explained one GOP consultant. "Nobody blames Charlie for what happened to his candidates."</div><div>
</div><div>Today, just one month after his worst Election Day as a consultant, Black is to assume leadership of the presidential exploratory committee of Rep. Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.). [snip]</div><div>
</div><div>Politics has made Black a rich and influential figure during the Reagan presidency. The political consulting company he founded in 1980 with two other young political operatives, Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, has expanded into a lobbying firm and ad placement agency that employs 49 people. Partners in the firm earned $ 450,000 each last year, according to one report that Black asserts was exaggerated.</div><div>
</div><div>He is a tall, slender, soft-spoken southerner, conservative in philosophy, manner and dress. This day, like almost every other day, he wears a white shirt and nondescript dark suit and tie. His dark brown hair is close-cropped. On the street, he could easily be mistaken for a prosperous small town banker or lawyer.</div><div>
</div><div>Black's roots are in the right wing of his party. He has been deeply involved in politics and business with some of his party's most controversial groups, campaigns and personalities. Yet Black, unlike some of his clients and business partners, has made surprisingly few enemies along the way.</div><div>
</div><div>One business partner, Stone, who will also have a key role in the Kemp campaign as a "senior consultant," has been a lighting rod for criticism. In a cover story last December, The New Republic magazine called Stone "The State-of-the-Art Washington Sleazeball." Another partner, Manafort, came under fire earlier this year for representing former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. The flamboyant rhetoric of another partner, Lee Atwater, has made him one of the most quoted political operatives in Washington.</div><div>
</div><div>Black, by contrast, is relatively colorless. "It's not the nature of my personality to attract a lot of attention," he said. "My job is to help my clients get publicity and present their cases and not get publicity for myself."</div><div>
</div><div>The irony is that few people in American politics have been associated with as many controversial campaigns or groups. A native of Wilmington, N.C., Black has been a key player in each of Helms' campaigns and worked several years on the North Carolina Republican's Senate staff.</div><div>
</div><div>He once was <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">executive director of Young Americans for Freedom,</span> a conservative student group, and was founding chairman of the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">National Conservative Political Action Committee,</span> one of the New Right's most controversial groups. He was part of the management team led by John Sears that Reagan fired after the 1980 New Hampshire primary, and he accepts responsibility for a decision that had Reagan all but ignore the Iowa precinct caucuses -- a move that almost cost Reagan the GOP nomination. Yet Black, four years later, was accepted back into the Reagan fold as a senior consultant. </div><div>Black is a firm believer in the kind of hard-hitting negative television advertising that became NCPAC's trademark in the late 1970s and rose to a vicious art form in Helms' 1984 reelection campaign. "I don't see any evidence that negative advertising doesn't work," he said the night of Hawkins' defeat.</div><div>
</div><div>Black campaigns are typically rough-and-tumble affairs. He says he feels most comfortable with underdog candidates. His candidates play tough, sometimes bending the truth to their political advantage.</div><div>
</div><div>This is the guy shaping John McCain’s Campaign.</div><div>
</div><div>It will be dirty and nasty as long as Black has anything to do with it. By having Black on his team, McCain has once again shown a willingness to embrace the culture of corruption. By keeping Black on his team, McCain is showing a willingness to surround his campaign with lobbyist/consultants who will cash in on their connections to him just as they have cashed in on every connection over the last thirty years.</div><div>
</div><div>On January 17, 1989, the Washington Post ran part one of a series on THE NEW POLITICAL BOSSES. Of course Black, Atwater and the gang made the cut</div><div>
</div><div>The firm best known for this is Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly Public Affairs Co. All of the Republicans in the firm were active in Ronald Reagan's 1980 and 1984 presidential bids, and they have been consultants to numerous Senate candidates, including Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Phil Gramm (R-Tex.). The firm's client list for lobbying is dominated by Fortune 500 companies, including Bethlehem Steel Corp., the Tobacco Institute, Trans World Airlines and Johnson & Johnson.</div><div>
</div><div>Charlie Black, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and Lee Atwater have also been partners in a campaign consulting company. Two years ago, Atwater took a leave of absence from the firm to manage Bush's campaign. Around the same time, Black and Stone went to work pro bono for GOP presidential hopeful Jack Kemp. When Kemp's candidacy folded after "Super Tuesday," Atwater brought Black and Stone into the Bush campaign -- along with consultants for most of the other losing GOP candidates.</div><div>
</div><div>Now Atwater is slated to become chairman of the Republican National Committee, completing a circle of sorts. Two decades ago, the national political parties began to wane in influence as the consultants became the "new bosses" in a political era dominated by personalities, campaign tactics and advertising. But over time, the parties (especially the GOP) have reinvigorated themselves in part by becoming a funding base for the consultants. Now, a consultant will be running the party.</div><div>
</div><div>Now Kemp did not become President, but he did become Secretary of HUD under Bush the First. And—of course—Charlie cashed in on the connection. On July 3, 1989, an article in U.S. News & World Report, "Can Jack Kemp clean up the HUD mess?" connected Black to a growing scandal at HUD:</div><div>
</div><div>To begin with, Kemp has to scrub down a department that is suffering from the bureaucratic equivalent of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. At least $ 20 million, and perhaps as much as $100 million, has been filched by escrow agents hired to collect money from the sale of homes seized for mortgage defaults. They simply kept the money, and the home office, strapped by personnel cutbacks, never seemed to notice. Consultants with high-level connections, including former Interior Secretary James Watt and Kemp's own presidential-campaign manager, Charlie Black, have taken huge fees after arranging grants to developers for rehabilitating apartments. Political influence has been used to steer scarce federally subsidized houses to friends of Republican big shots such as Senator Alfonse D'Amato of New York. Other scandals are bubbling to the surface, including gross overcharges by builders who used federal funds to install bathtubs in housing at four times the normal cost.</div><div>
</div><div>No wonder McCain has so much confidence in Black, they were both players in Washington scandals at the same time: McCain with the Keating Five and Black with HUD. Cashing in on your political connections must be a bond they share.</div><div>
</div><div>And it is a bond they share with Jack Abramoff. Only Jack is in jail and Black and McCain are still at large.</div><div>
</div><div>When the Abramoff scandal broke it was clear that some Republican lobbyists were leaking stories about Jack to the press. I wouldn’t be surprise if Black was one of those lobbyists.</div><div>
</div><div>By removing Jack both McCain and Black removed competition in Washington. They got to create a bit of "maverick mythology" for McCain and remove a few obstacles to power. Politics among the greedy is cut-throat. McCain quickly realized that the Abramoff Scandal would take down his entire party if it was fully investigated. He quickly organized a cover-up.</div><div>
</div><div>McCain actively controlled the story and he put the investigation into slow motion. He ensured that the Abramoff Scandal was a not a factor in the 2004 election. Then he worked to ensured that voters would not know about how closely Abramoff, Rove and Bush worked together. Then McCain worked to actively limited the damage the Abramoff scandal had on the GOP in the 2006 election. And then he used his access to Jack’s little black book to discourage serious competition and build support for his 2008 run for the White House.</div><div>
</div><div>And in the process truth, honor and justice have become the victims of McCain’s ambition. An ambition that has led him to hide the most damning details of the Abramoff scandal:</div><div>
</div><div>* Jack’s role as a 25-year bagman for the GOP: hidden.</div><div>* Jack’s close working relationship with the Bush White House: hidden.</div><div>* Jack’s close working relationship with the Republican Congressional Leadership: hidden.</div><div>* Jack’s role in dirty tricks and off-the-books money for the GOP: hidden.</div><div>* Jack’s role in Medicare reform: hidden.</div><div>* Jack’s role energy policy: hidden.</div><div>This long graphic tells the story: </div><div>Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com</div><div>
</div><div>More details can be found in this diary.</div><div>
</div><div>John McCain should be forced to remove Charlie Black from ANY role in his campaign.</div><div>
</div><div>Anything less is tainted.</div><div>
</div><div>Only somebody naive enough to still support George W. Bush could believe the hype about McCain. He is not a "maverick". He only plays one on the teevee for shits and giggles. It is an act that is (like John) getting old.</div><div>
</div><div>Perhaps his carefully crafted hype is about to crash and burn. I hope so.</div><div>
</div><div>Recently his dependence on lobbyists has been causing him some problems. Five key staffers have left in recent days because of their lobbying careers (and that doesn’t even touch the fundraisers, advisors and other sycophants in his entourage). A McCain White House will only continue the Bush era of corruption.</div><div>
</div><div>And we must end the corruption if we are ever going to take this country back.</div><div>
</div><div>In a funny way, Jack Abramoff is now in a unique position to do a good deed for the Nation. He could return the "favor" from Black and McCain and drop a "dime" on them.</div><div>
</div><div>All Jack would have to do is reveal the connections he has with the lobbyists behind the curveball express and Dishonest John would be out of the game.</div><div>
</div><div>So, Jack. Call me.</div><div>
</div><div>Cheers</div><div>
</div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Black is </span><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20884696/site/newsweek/page/0/">currently working</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> with <b>AT&T </b>in its lobbying campaign to be given retroactive immunity against lawsuits for having assisted the administration in its warrantless wiretapping program.</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div>

<div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">informal advisor romney, then started <b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">new firm Prime Pol GP</span>: walmart, google,</b> finance; this town; </font></div>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.">.</a></font></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Charles R. "Charlie" Black, Jr.</b> served as chair of<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=BKSH%26_Associates" title="BKSH & Associates" class="mw-redirect">BKSH & Associates</a>, a lobbying firm associated with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Burson-Marsteller" title="Burson-Marsteller">Burson-Marsteller</a>.</span> In March 2008, Black left his BKSH position to work full time for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_McCain:U.S.presidential_election,2008" title="John McCain: U.S. presidential election, 2008">presidential campaign</a> of Senator <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_McCain" title="John McCain">John McCain</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup></font></p>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></h2>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#McCain_campaign_role"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">McCain campaign role</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#Terror_Attack_Would_Be.22A_Big_Advantage.22_for_McCain"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Terror Attack Would Be "A Big Advantage" for McCain</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#Background"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Background</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#Black_and_the_tobacco_industry"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Black and the tobacco industry</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#Black_helped_defeat_McCain.27s_1998_tobacco_control_bill"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Black helped defeat McCain's 1998 tobacco control bill</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#Other_affiliations"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Other affiliations</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#Praise_for_Tom_DeLay"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Praise for Tom DeLay</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#MoveOn_Wants_McCain_to_Fire_Black.3B_McCain_Digs_In"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">MoveOn Wants McCain to Fire Black; McCain Digs In</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#SourceWatch_resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">SourceWatch resources</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">8</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">8.1</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#Articles"><span class="tocnumber">8.2</span> <span class="toctext">Articles</span></a>

</font><ul>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

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

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">McCain campaign role</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When Senator McCain's relationship with<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> telecom lobbyist </span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vicki_Iseman" title="Vicki Iseman">Vicki Iseman</a> was questioned in early 2008, Black "made the rounds of television networks to defend McCain ... even before McCain finished his news conference," reported the <i>Washington Post</i>. Black's lobbying clients at the time included <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=General_Motors" title="General Motors" class="mw-redirect">General Motors</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=United_Technologies" title="United Technologies" class="mw-redirect" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">United Technologies</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=JPMorgan" title="JPMorgan" class="mw-redirect">JPMorgan</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AT%26T" title="AT&T">AT&T</a>. </span><sup id="cite_ref-Iseman_1-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-Iseman-1" title="">[2]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black's "relationship with McCain ... goes back more than two decades, from the time McCain first came to Washington. They got to know each other well during <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Phil_Gramm" title="Phil Gramm">(former <span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Senator Phil) Gramm</b></span></a><b><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">'</span>s</b> 1996 presidential run;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Gramm, now an investment banker</span>, is a major supporter and adviser to McCain." <sup id="cite_ref-Iseman_1-1" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-Iseman-1" title="">[2]</a></sup> Washington Post, June 24, 2008</font>

<h3><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Terror Attack Would Be "A Big Advantage" for McCain</font></span></h3>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charles R. Black, Jr., in his position as a top adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain, commented in a June 2008 interview with Fortune magazine that another terrorist attack inside the U.S. would "be a big advantage" to McCain in the November presidential election. Black's comments brought the politics of fear and terrorism back into the 2008 presidential campaign, mirroring the 2004 campaign between Senator John Kerry and George W. Bush. McCain disagreed with Black's comments, saying he has long worked to prevent terrorist attacks in the the U.S. and could not imagine why Black had said such a thing. Democratic candidate Barack Obama's campaign called Black's comments "a complete disgrace." Black later backpedaled, telling reporters, "I deeply regret the comments. They were inappropriate." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_Ben-Veniste" title="Richard Ben-Veniste">Richard Ben-Veniste</a>, a close campaign adviser and representative for Obama, called Black's comments a “very disappointing glimpse into the thinking of one of McCain’s closest advisers.”<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-3" title="">[4]</a></sup></font>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Background</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black "served as senior advisor to<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Presidents <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_H.W.Bush" title="George H.W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George H.W. Bush</a>. He also served as a principal public spokesman for President Bush in the 1992 presidential campaign. During 1990, Mr. Black served as chief spokesman for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee">Republican National Committee</a>. He served on President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George W. Bush</a>'s 2000</span> campaign as a volunteer political advisor and surrogate spokesman," states his BKSH profile. <sup id="cite_ref-BKSH_4-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-BKSH-4" title="">[5]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black also "managed the successful elections of more than ten members of the U.S. Senate and more than a dozen Members of Congress. He acted as political consultant to U.S. Senators<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jesse_Helms" title="Jesse Helms">Jesse Helms</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Robert_Dole" title="Robert Dole" class="mw-redirect">Robert Dole</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Phil_Gramm" title="Phil Gramm">Phil Gramm</a> a</span>nd <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Dave_Durenberger&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Dave Durenberger (page does not exist)">Dave Durenberger</a> and as political director of the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Republican National Committee under Chairman <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bill_Brock" title="Bill Brock" class="mw-redirect">Bill Brock</a>,</span>" adds the BKSH profile. <sup id="cite_ref-BKSH_4-1" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-BKSH-4" title="">[5]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At the lobbying firm, Black was "the principal legislative and public affairs advisor to several Fortune 500 companies and trade associations." <sup id="cite_ref-BKSH_4-2" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-BKSH-4" title="">[5]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Black's "ties with the Bush family go back to 1972, when he and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Karl_Rove" title="Karl Rove">Karl Rove</a> were jockeying for control of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=College_Republicans&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="College Republicans (page does not exist)">College Republicans</a> in a campaign so dirty that George H.W. Bush, then head of the Republican National Committee, had to step in and sort matters out</span>," reported Muriel Kane. <sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-5" title="">[6]</a></sup></font>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black and the tobacco industry</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 1991, as more public and private organizations were discovering that indoor air quality problems stemming from<b> secondhand tobacco </b>smoke could be easily solved by banning smoking indoors, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Steven_C.Parrish" title="Steven C. Parrish">Steven C. Parrish</a> of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Philip_Morris_Corporate_Affairs" title="Philip Morris Corporate Affairs"><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Philip Morris </span>Corporate Affairs</a> <span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">retained Black to help push the Administration to take jurisdiction over indoor air away from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S.Environmental_Protection_Agency" title="U.S. Environmental Protection Agency">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> and instead move it to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Administration" title="Occupational Safety and Health Administration">Occupational Safety and Health Administration</a> </span>which the company believed posed a lesser regulatory threat. PM's strategy to deal with the issue include i<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">nfluencing labor unions to push for a broad definition of the indoor air quality problem -- i.e., focusing on all the substances that could potentially contaminate air in buildings, as a way to divert attention from cigarettes as a point-source of indoor air pollution, and instead focus attention on improved ventilation as the best solution</span>.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-6" title="">[7]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In 1991, Black devised a strategy to "raise the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Philip_Morris" title="Philip Morris" class="mw-redirect">Philip Morris</a> profile in a favorable manner in the Executive Branch of the federal government</span>." [Bush1]At the same time, Black proposed raising Philip Morris' profile within the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect">Republican Party</a>, and recommended that the two strategies, since they were closely related, be pursued simultaneously. The strategy involved<b> setting up tailored meetings between carefully-selected key company representatives and influential members of the Administration</b>. The goal was to "establish independent personal relationships between the PM representatives and the official visited."<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-7" title="">[8]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-8" title="">[9]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black's <font color="#ff0000">lobbying</font> firm, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Black,Kelly,Scruggs%26_Healey" title="Black, Kelly, Scruggs & Healey">Black, Kelly, Scruggs & Healey</a>, was owned by the PR giant <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Burson_Marsteller" title="Burson Marsteller" class="mw-redirect">Burson Marsteller</a>, of which Philip Morris was a client.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-9" title="">[10]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 1993, <span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Black assisted Philip Morris with organizing and operating its pro-smoking front group, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Smokers_Alliance" title="National Smokers Alliance">National Smokers Alliance</a></span>.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-10" title="">[11]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-11" title="">[12]</a></sup></font>

<h4><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Black helped defeat <font color="#ff0000">McCain</font>'s 1998 tobacco</span> control bill</font></span></h4>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 1998, McCain crafted a bill that was approved by his Senate Commerce Committee by a vote of 19-1 that would have raised the tobacco tax by $1.10 over five years, capped the amount of damages the industry would pay plaintiffs at $6.5 billion a year, limited the cigarette industry's ability to advertise, given the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate nicotine, imposed up to $3.5 billion a year in fines if youth smoking did not fall by agreed-upon goals, and provided $28.5 billion in relief for tobacco farmers. Philip Morris opposed the bill and retained Charlie Black, to defeat the bill. Black was successful.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-12" title="">[13]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-13" title="">[14]</a></sup></font>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other affiliations</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black has served "on the boards of directors of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Conservative_Union" title="American Conservative Union">American Conservative Union</a>, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fund_for_American_Studies" title="Fund for American Studies" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Fund for American Studies</a>, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S.Air_Force_Academy_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="U.S. Air Force Academy Foundation (page does not exist)">U.S. Air Force Academy Foundation</a> and The <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mills_Corporation&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mills Corporation (page does not exist)">Mills Corporation</a>." <sup id="cite_ref-BKSH_4-3" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-BKSH-4" title="">[5]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black is a member of the managing board of<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Civitas_Group,LLC" title="Civitas Group, LLC">Civitas Group, LLC</a>, a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Homeland_security" title="Homeland security" class="mw-redirect">homeland security</a>-</b>focused consulting firm.</span> <sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-14" title="">[15]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2005, Black was listed as one of two BKSH lobbyists (along with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gardner_Peckham" title="Gardner Peckham">Gardner Peckham</a>) representing the PR firm <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lincoln_Group" title="Lincoln Group">Lincoln Group</a> on issues of defense and foreign relations. Lincoln Group paid BKSH $40,000 for lobbying services in 2005, according to U.S. Senate lobbying disclosure forms. <sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-15" title="">[16]</a></sup></font>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Praise for <span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Tom DeLay</span></font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In April 2006, Black told the <i>Washington Post</i> that disgraced Congressman <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_DeLay" title="Tom DeLay" class="mw-redirect">Tom DeLay</a> "would be very valuable to any firm if the legal cloud is lifted from him. </span>He could come over here and be my boss if he wanted to be." <sup id="cite_ref-DeLay_16-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-DeLay-16" title="">[17]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Tom DeLay has been the greatest strategist for getting legislation through the House in his generation in addition to having a lot of great relationships with Republicans in the House and Senate. His strategic insight on how to get things done up there is unsurpassed. And for clients, that's absolutely needed. There are 30,000 workaday lobbyists but very few who have the strategic insight and an understanding of the tactical process of getting something through Congress like he does," Black added. <sup id="cite_ref-DeLay_16-1" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-DeLay-16" title="">[17]</a></sup></font>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MoveOn Wants McCain to Fire Black; McCain Digs In</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In May 2008, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=MoveOn" title="MoveOn">MoveOn</a> launched an advertisement calling on McCain to fire Black as his campaign adviser.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-17" title="">[18]</a></sup> "Charlie Black, McCain's campaign chairman, ran a lobbying firm that represented brutal<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> dictators l</span>ike Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mobutu_Sese_Seko" title="Mobutu Sese Seko">Mobutu Sese Seko</a> in Zaire -- along with terrorist rebel Jonas Savimbi in Angola. Together, these men have been responsible for massive human suffering," the MoveOn e-mail states.<sup id="cite_ref-Mosk_18-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-Mosk-18" title="">[19]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black told <i>Washton Post</i> reporter Matthew Mosk that<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> he never worked for foreign clients "without first talking to the State Department and the White House and clearing with them that the work would be in the interest of U.S. foreign policy."</span> Blacked defended working for Marcos on the grounds that he was a US ally at the time. <b>"When the White House pulled the plug on Marcos, we resigned the account the same day,"</b> he stated.<sup id="cite_ref-Mosk_18-1" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-Mosk-18" title="">[19]</a></sup> Mosk reported that Black "said his firm was hired to help show Mobutu how to form political parties and conduct elections, and when Mobutu canceled the results of the parliamentary election, 'we quit'."<sup id="cite_ref-Mosk_18-2" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-Mosk-18" title="">[19]</a></sup></font>

<font face="Times New Roman" size="4">[confirm?]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">However, McCain defended Black's role as a campaign adviser.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> "Charlie Black and Rick Davis are not in the lobbying business; they've been out of that business ...</span> Charlie Black has been involved in every presidential campaign going back to President Reagan's first campaign.<b> He has severed his connections with the lobbying group that he was with</b>," McCain said.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-19" title="">[20]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Black dismissed the controversy over the number of lobbyists ties to McCain's campaign -- after five lobbyists turned campaign advisers had resigned -- as ""complete inside-the-beltway nonsense.</span>"<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-20" title="">[21]</a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"I think you can change professions and unless you did something unethical or criminal, your past profession should not be injected into the candidate’s campaign ... It’s absurd," he said.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_note-21" title="">[22]</a></sup></font></p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SourceWatch resources</font></span></h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=BKSH_%26_Associates" title="BKSH & Associates" class="mw-redirect"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BKSH & Associates</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Burson-Marsteller" title="Burson-Marsteller"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Burson-Marsteller</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_McCain:U.S.presidential_election,_2008" title="John McCain: U.S. presidential election, 2008"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John McCain: U.S. presidential election, 2008</font></a></li>

</ul>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">External links</font></span></h2>

<h3><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">References</font></span></h3>

<li id="cite_note-0"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> "<a href="http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/archived_stories_2008/march/0328black_mccain.html" class="external text" title="http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/archived_stories_2008/march/0328black_mccain.html" rel="nofollow">Black Joins McCain's Team</a>," <i>O'Dwyer's PR Daily</i> (sub req'd), March 28, 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-Iseman-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">↑ <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-Iseman_1-0" title="">2.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-Iseman_1-1" title="">2.1</a></sup> Michael D. Shear and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022101131_pf.html" class="external text" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022101131_pf.html" rel="nofollow">The Anti-Lobbyist, Advised by Lobbyists</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>, February 22, 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-2" title="">↑</a> Michael D. Shear, Washington Post <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/23/AR2008062301979.html" class="external text" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/23/AR2008062301979.html" rel="nofollow">Terror Strike Would Help McCain, Top Adviser Says</a> Tuesday, June 24 2008.Page A04</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-3" title="">↑</a> Michael Falcone, New York Times Politic Blog <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/obama-camp-hits-mccain-aide-over-terrorism-remark/" class="external text" title="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/obama-camp-hits-mccain-aide-over-terrorism-remark/" rel="nofollow">Obama Camp Hits McCain Aide Over Terrorism Remark</a> June 24, 2008</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-BKSH-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">↑ <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-BKSH_4-0" title="">5.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-BKSH_4-1" title="">5.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-BKSH_4-2" title="">5.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-BKSH_4-3" title="">5.3</a></sup> "<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070820075200/http://www.bksh.com/charlie-black.html" class="external text" title="http://web.archive.org/web/20070820075200/http://www.bksh.com/charlie-black.html" rel="nofollow">Charlie Black</a>," BKSH & Associates Worldwide, accessed March 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-5" title="">↑</a> Muriel Kane, "<a href="http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Blackwater_PR_firm_aided_Chalabi_Works_1022.html" class="external text" title="http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Blackwater_PR_firm_aided_Chalabi_Works_1022.html" rel="nofollow">Blackwater PR firm aided Chalabi; Works to polish AT&T's image</a>," Raw Story, October 23, 2007.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-6"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-6" title="">↑</a> Guy L. Smith, IV, Philip Morris <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/eyr70b00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/eyr70b00" rel="nofollow">000700 Monthly Report</a> Memorandum. 4 pp. August 5, 1991. Bates No. 2047378029/8032</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-7"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-7" title="">↑</a> Black C, Black Manafort <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/hko16e00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/hko16e00" rel="nofollow">Executive Branch Strategy</a> Memorandum. Nov. 7, 1991. Philip Morris Bates No. 2048139524</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-8"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-8" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/iko16e00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/iko16e00" rel="nofollow">A Strategy to Raise the Profile of the Philip Morris Companies, Inc. in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government</a> Report/proposal. November 7, 1991. Bates No. 2048139525/9527</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-9"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-9" title="">↑</a> Black C, Black Kelly Scruggs and Healey <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/rbu84a00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/rbu84a00" rel="nofollow">Political Development Target List</a> Memorandum. February 1, 1997. Bates No. 2077087921</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-10"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-10" title="">↑</a> National Smokers Alliance <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dcf77e00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dcf77e00" rel="nofollow">National Smokers Alliance Weekly Report as of 930903</a> Report. 5 pp. September 3, 1993. Philip Morris Bates No.2048588935/8939</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-11" title="">↑</a> National Smokers Alliance <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/uqg77e00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/uqg77e00" rel="nofollow">National Smokers Alliance Weekly Report as of 940318</a> Report. 5 pp. March 18, 1994. Philip Morris Bates No. 2023342204/2208</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-12"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-12" title="">↑</a> Mike Roselli, CNN and Associate Press <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/05/18/tobacco/" class="external text" title="http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/05/18/tobacco/" rel="nofollow">Intense Senate Debate Starts on Tobacco Bill</a> May 18, 1998</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-13"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-13" title="">↑</a> Murray H. Bring, Philip Morris Companies, Inc. <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vmv42c00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vmv42c00" rel="nofollow">Untitled letter expressing appreciation for the defeat of the McCain bill</a> June 18, 1998. Bates No. 2073804395/4396</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-14"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-14" title="">↑</a> "<a href="http://www.civitasgroup.com/team.php#black" class="external text" title="http://www.civitasgroup.com/team.php#black" rel="nofollow">Civitas team</a>," Civitas Group, accessed March 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-15"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-15" title="">↑</a> Year-end report for 2005, BKSH & Associates for Lincoln Group, U.S. <a href="http://sopr.senate.gov/" class="external text" title="http://sopr.senate.gov/" rel="nofollow">Senate Office of Public Records</a>, accessed March 2008. (Direct link not available)</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-DeLay-16"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">↑ <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-DeLay_16-0" title="">17.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-DeLay_16-1" title="">17.1</a></sup> Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600607.html" class="external text" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600607.html" rel="nofollow">Lobbyists Say DeLay Could Be One of Them</a>", <i>Washington Post</i>, April 17, 2006.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-17"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-17" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjCYmjjxp8I" class="external text" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjCYmjjxp8I" rel="nofollow">"McCain: Fire Charlie Black"</a>, YouTube, May 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-Mosk-18"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">↑ <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-Mosk_18-0" title="">19.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R.Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-Mosk_18-1" title="">19.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-Mosk_18-2" title="">19.2</a></sup> Matthew Mosk, <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/13/moveon_targets_mccain_aides_lo.html" class="external text" title="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/13/moveon_targets_mccain_aides_lo.html" rel="nofollow">"MoveOn Targets McCain Aides"</a>, "The Trail" (blog), <i>Washington Post</i>, May 13, 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-19"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-19" title="">↑</a> Michael D. Shear, <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/16/mccain_staffers_run_afoul_of_c.html" class="external text" title="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/16/mccain_staffers_run_afoul_of_c.html" rel="nofollow">"McCain Staffers Run Afoul of Campaign Ethics Policy"</a>, "The Trail" (blog), <i>Washington Post</i>, May 16, 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-20"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-20" title="">↑</a> Elizabeth Holmes, <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/19/top-mccain-adviser-defends-his-lobbyist-past/?mod=WSJBlog" class="external text" title="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/19/top-mccain-adviser-defends-his-lobbyist-past/?mod=WSJBlog" rel="nofollow">"Top McCain Adviser Defends His Lobbyist Past"</a>, <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-21"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.#cite_ref-21" title="">↑</a> Michael Luo, <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/mccain-top-aide-defends-lobbying-work/" class="external text" title="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/mccain-top-aide-defends-lobbying-work/" rel="nofollow">"Top Aide to McCain Defends Lobbying Work"</a>, <i>New York Times</i>, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

</ol>

<h3><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Articles</font></span></h3>

<ul>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"<a href="http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=922974" class="external text" title="http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=922974" rel="nofollow">Charles R Black Jr</a>", <i>Forbes</i>, accessed February 2007.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">American Conservative Union, "<a href="http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/speakers/black.asp" class="external text" title="http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/speakers/black.asp" rel="nofollow">Charles R. Black Jr.</a>", Speakers Bureau, accessed February 2007.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600607.html" class="external text" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600607.html" rel="nofollow">Lobbyists Say DeLay Could Be One of Them</a>", <i>Washington Post</i>, April 17, 2006; Page D01.</font></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Christy Hardin Smith, "<a href="http://firedoglake.com/2008/02/22/mccains-cronies-meet-charlie-black-political-fixer-and-top-beltway-lobbyist/" class="external text" title="http://firedoglake.com/2008/02/22/mccains-cronies-meet-charlie-black-political-fixer-and-top-beltway-lobbyist/" rel="nofollow">McCain’s Cronies: Meet Charlie Black, Political Fixer And Top Beltway Lobbyist</a>," Firedoglake blog, February 22, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kate Zernike, "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/us/politics/13black.html" class="external text" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/us/politics/13black.html" rel="nofollow">'Steady Hand' for the G.O.P. Guides McCain on a New Path</a>," <i>New York Times</i>, April 13, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ken Silverstein, "<a href="http://harpers.org/archive/2008/04/hbc-90002843" class="external text" title="http://harpers.org/archive/2008/04/hbc-90002843" rel="nofollow">McCain's 'Courtly Southerner'</a>," <i>Harper's Magazine</i>, April 15, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Shaun Booth, <a href="http://www.politicallore.com/election-2008/mccains-looming-charlie-black-problem/264" class="external text" title="http://www.politicallore.com/election-2008/mccains-looming-charlie-black-problem/264" rel="nofollow">"McCain’s Looming Charlie Black Problem"</a>, <i>Political Lore</i>, May 5th, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nick Juliano, <a href="http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Senior_McCain_adviser_helped_arrange_to_0509.html" class="external text" title="http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Senior_McCain_adviser_helped_arrange_to_0509.html" rel="nofollow">"Senior McCain adviser helped arrange Rev. Moon coronation"</a>, <i>Raw Story</i>, May 9, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Progressive Media USA, <a href="http://mccainsource.com/mccain_fact_check?id=0007" class="external text" title="http://mccainsource.com/mccain_fact_check?id=0007" rel="nofollow">"McCain’s Lobbyists In Trouble For Foreign Lobbying"</a>, <i>McCain Source</i>, May 11, 2008</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Matthew Mosk, <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/13/moveon_targets_mccain_aides_lo.html" class="external text" title="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/13/moveon_targets_mccain_aides_lo.html" rel="nofollow">"MoveOn Targets McCain Aides"</a>, "The Trail" (blog), <i>Washington Post</i>, May 13, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Marc Ambinder, <a href="http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/mccain_campaign_to_revet_entir.php" class="external text" title="http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/mccain_campaign_to_revet_entir.php" rel="nofollow">"McCain Campaign To Re-Vet Entire Staff"</a>, <i>The Atlantic.com</i>, May 15, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Susan Davis, <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/16/mccain-vets-staff-for-lobbying-ties/" class="external text" title="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/16/mccain-vets-staff-for-lobbying-ties/" rel="nofollow">"McCain Vets Staff for Lobbying Ties"</a>, "Washington Wire", <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, May 16, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael D. Shear, <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/16/mccain_staffers_run_afoul_of_c.html" class="external text" title="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/16/mccain_staffers_run_afoul_of_c.html" rel="nofollow">"McCain Staffers Run Afoul of Campaign Ethics Policy"</a>, "The Trail" (blog), <i>Washington Post</i>, May 16, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Libby Quaid, <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i0tU6okiu4DcVweBLpOFmUDEeJQAD90N16J80" class="external text" title="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i0tU6okiu4DcVweBLpOFmUDEeJQAD90N16J80" rel="nofollow">"McCain asks staff to disclose lobbying ties"</a>, <i>Associated Press</i>, May 16, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael D. Shear, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603614.html" class="external text" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603614.html" rel="nofollow">"More Campaign Staffers Out Because of New Ethics Policy"</a>, <i>Washington Post</i>, May 17, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">David D. Kirkpatrick, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/17/us/politics/17lobby.html?ref=us" class="external text" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/17/us/politics/17lobby.html?ref=us" rel="nofollow">"In Effort to Avoid Conflicts, McCain Issues New Rules for Staff"</a>, <i>New York Times</i>, May 17, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Elizabeth Holmes, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121098331044600365.html?mod=googlenews_wsj" class="external text" title="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121098331044600365.html?mod=googlenews_wsj" rel="nofollow">"Campaign Tightens Rules on Lobbying"</a>, <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, May 17, 2008; Page A4.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Marc Ambinder, <a href="http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/political_action_for_immediat.php" class="external text" title="http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/political_action_for_immediat.php" rel="nofollow">"Charlie Black On His Lobbying Career"</a>, <i>The Atlantic.com</i>, May 17, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael D. Shear, <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/18/mccains_finance_cochair_resign.html?hpid=topnews" class="external text" title="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/18/mccains_finance_cochair_resign.html?hpid=topnews" rel="nofollow">"McCain's Finance Co-Chair Resigns in Ongoing Lobbyist Purge"</a>, "The Trail" (blog), <i>Washington Post</i>, May 18, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael D. Shear, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802212.html" class="external text" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802212.html" rel="nofollow">"A Fifth Top Aide To McCain Resigns Finance Co-Chairman's Lobbying Ties Are Cited"</a>, <i>Washington Post</i>, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Elizabeth Holmes, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121113621392101631.html?mod=googlenews_wsj" class="external text" title="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121113621392101631.html?mod=googlenews_wsj" rel="nofollow">"A Top McCain Aide Quits Departure Over Ties To Lobbying Group; Is Fourth in 2 Weeks"</a>, <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, May 19, 2008; Page A6.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2008/05/19/mccain?blog=109" class="external text" title="http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2008/05/19/mccain?blog=109" rel="nofollow">"McCain Campaign Chairman received $380k to stop Cape Wind"</a>, <i>Cape Cod Today</i>, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mark Murray, <a href="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/19/1039056.aspx" class="external text" title="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/19/1039056.aspx" rel="nofollow">"Adviser Calls Lobbyist Scrutiny 'Nonsense'"</a>, MSNBC, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Elizabeth Holmes, <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/19/top-mccain-adviser-defends-his-lobbyist-past/?mod=WSJBlog" class="external text" title="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/19/top-mccain-adviser-defends-his-lobbyist-past/?mod=WSJBlog" rel="nofollow">"Top McCain Adviser Defends His Lobbyist Past"</a>, <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael Luo, <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/mccain-top-aide-defends-lobbying-work/" class="external text" title="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/mccain-top-aide-defends-lobbying-work/" rel="nofollow">"Top Aide to McCain Defends Lobbying Work"</a>, <i>New York Times</i>, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Liz Sidoti, <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jN4XqApKN78eKFB8NUMHKwVDtR7gD90P0EC01" class="external text" title="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jN4XqApKN78eKFB8NUMHKwVDtR7gD90P0EC01" rel="nofollow">"Analysis: Flap conflicts with McCain's image"</a>, <i>Associated Press</i>, May 19, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nikolas Kozloff, "<a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/kozloff06242008.html" class="external text" title="http://www.counterpunch.org/kozloff06242008.html" rel="nofollow">Charlie Black's Play Book: 'McCain Needs Another 9/11 Attack'</a>," CounterPunch.org, June 24, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ari Berman, "<a href="http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/332544" class="external text" title="http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/332544" rel="nofollow">Charlie Black's History of Dirty Politics</a>," <i>The Nation</i> "Campaign 08" blog, June 25, 2008.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Glenn R. Simpson, "<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122084290788909275.html" class="external text" title="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122084290788909275.html" rel="nofollow">McCain Adviser Had Russian Ties</a>," <i>Wall Street Journal</i> (sub req'd), September 8, 2008.</font></li>

</ul>

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<h2><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Charlie%20Black"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Charlie%20Black</font></a></h2>

<h2><span class="diaryTitle"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Top McCain Strategist Has Racist Campaign History</font></span></h2>

<h3 class="byline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">by <a href="http://latest-outrage.dailykos.com">latest outrage</a></font></h3>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GOP operatives like Lee Atwater whose names are synonymous with slimy politics cut their teeth working on departed Republican Senator Jesse Helms' racist campaigns.  One of the top Helms aides was<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <a href="http://mccainsource.com/corruption?id=0023">Atwater's mentor, Charlie Black</a>.</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He went on to a <a href="http://harpers.org/archive/2008/04/hbc-90002843">long lobbying career</a> representing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjCYmjjxp8I">disgraced foreign dictators</a> like the Philippines' Ferdinand Marcos and Mobuto Sese Seko of Zaire.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black currently serves as a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/us/politics/13black.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">senior advisor</a> to John McCain's presidential campaign, and the results of his most recent handiwork have become evident as the McCain-Palin message has swerved shamefully <a href="http://thelatestoutrage.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-and-palin-inciting-violence-in.html">into the gutter</a>.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More on a disgraceful, little known chapter from Black's history below the fold</font></p>

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<h2><span class="diaryTitle"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">McCain's Campaign Led by Tainted Lobbyists</font></span></h2>

<p><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/16/18011/7455/519/517136"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/16/18011/7455/519/517136</font></a></p>

<h3 class="byline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">by <a href="http://dana-houle.dailykos.com">Dana Houle</a></font></h3>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John McCain talks straight, but he acts crooked.  Mr. Reform strays from the straight path by following crooked lobbyists for their money, money that comes from corporations and brutal foreign governments.  </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">McCain's been embarrassed several times the last few weeks by lobbyists connected to his campaign.  Last week he was forced to fire two lobbyists who had worked for the brutal military junta in Burma/Myanmar, the oppressive goons who are killing people through their refusal to let aid workers in to the country and help the millions of Burmese affected by the cyclone.  This morning we learned about a lobbyist working for McCain who also worked for the <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0508/McCains_conflict_policy.html">governments of Serbia and Qatar</a>.  </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">McCain also had to <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10394.html">dismiss</a> one of his top operatives in Virginia, <font color="#ff0000">Craig Shirley</font>.  Shirley's has long been involved in <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Craig_Shirley">shady dealings</a> on behalf of the GOP, including hyping the orchestrated "rescue" of US soldier <font color="#ff0000">Jessica Lynch</font> from a hospital in Iraq, and the scurrilous Willie Horton ad used against Michael Dukakis in 1988. </span> Shirley was simultaneously an official with McCain's campaign and involved in an independent campaign against Democrats.  The McCain campaign is spinning his dismissal as a matter of principle, when in fact <strong>Shirley was <em>breaking the law</em></strong> by being on both sides of what should be a divide, the candidate campaign, and an independent operation that is legally prohibited from coordinating its activities with the campaign.  </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Most of these lobbyists are mid-level operatives who are primarily relied on to collect checks.  But in a campaign jammed full of lobbyists, one lobbyist stands above all others: longtime McCain advisor <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.">Charlie Black</a>.  Charlie Black's mitts haven't only been all over grubby money from corporate special interests.  As <a href="http://pol.moveon.org/charlieblack/video.html#facts">MoveOn</a> shows, one of John McCain's top supporters has taken blood money:</font>

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<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="diaryTitle">Trouble for McCain: Jack Abramoff, Charlie Black & the 1980s...</span><a href="http://dengre.dailykos.com">dengre</a></font></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This weekend I was engaged in research. As is my habit, I take a break every now and then to check email, Daily Kos and other sites I’m in the habit of visiting.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While checking in with Big Orange, I came across a post on the front page that caused me to make a change in my research plan. It was "<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/16/18011/7455/519/517136">McCain's Campaign Led by Tainted Lobbyists</a>".</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That McCain is dependent upon lobbyists for his career, campaign and myth is not a surprise. Anybody who digs into McCain’s record quickly realizes that it is one curveball of deception after another.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the ad, MoveOn focused on McCain’s brain, lobbyist <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_R._Black%2C_Jr.">Charlie Black</a>. Specifically the ad focused on Black’s work as a lobbyist for despots in Angola, Zaire and the Philippines back in the 1980s.  </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That got my attention. Jack Abramoff was also a lobbyist for some of these same despots back in the 1980s.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And yes, Charlie Black and Jack Abramoff are linked.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">They would have worked together.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And Charlie is far worse than Jack.</font>

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<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://dengre.dailykos.com/">dengre's diary</a> :: ::</font></li>

<li>

</li></ul>

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<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charlie Black is a long time GOP operative. He has been in the game for years.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He is the prototype of the modern Washington lobbyist. He has been trading on his connections for profit and power for more than thirty years. He is the model for the K Street Project. His record is amazing and I’ve only scratched the surface.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">So far in this cycle he has gotten away with being a "longtime GOP consultant" or some other bland set of words designed to hide his role in creating the culture of corruption destroying our nation and our government.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He should be in jail. Instead, he is running John McCain’s run to make Washington safe for the corrupt, incompetent and greedy (aka: a McCain Presidency).</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Listen, I have spent a lot of time over the last decade digging into Jack Abramoff and his impact on Washington’s Culture of Corruption. I’ve often <a href="http://www.dengre.dailykos.com">posted diaries about my research</a>.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jack was bad, but Charlie Black is in a league of his own. The guy is a serious prick.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Much of the Abramoff Scandal can be understood by going back to the Eighties. Every aspect of the scandal had its roots in the people and politics of the years between 1975 and 1990.<b> Jack came to Washington as a kid in 1981 after he helped Reagan take Massachusetts by delivering an overwhelming number of absentee ballots with his best friend, Grover Norquist.</b></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jack and Grover quickly became young turks in the politics and scandals of the day. Their role models were the slightly older young turks who were already cashing in on the "Reagan Revolution". Greed and One-Party Rule were the motivators for Grover, Jack and the punks they emulated.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charlie Black was one of those punks.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In 1978, he was the Political Director for the RNC.</b> That was the year when the right first lunched the politics of personal destruction as a key element of the permanent campaign. It was the year that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Viguerie">Richard Vigueri</a> and other founders of the modern conservative movement took their new type of politics out for a test drive.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The game plan was field tested in New Hampshire and Iowa in 1978. In 2001, the Cook Report highlighted <a href="http://www.cookpolitical.com/column/2001/022401.php">the importance of 1978 to the angry Right-wing warriors</a> (emphasis added):</font></p>

<blockquote><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When [Iowa Senator Dick] Clark came up for re-election in 1978, Roger Jepsen, then the state's conservative Republican lieutenant governor, challenged him in a hard-edged race that focused on abortion rights and Clark's support for a treaty "giving away" the Panama Canal. Jepsen beat Clark, 51 percent to 48 percent, in one of two key "New Right" Senate victories that year. The other Republican victory was in New Hampshire, where Gordon Humphrey defeated Democrat Thomas McIntyre. <strong>These two New Right wins served as a model for conservative challengers nationwide.</strong> They helped spur the conservative sweep of 1980 and the introduction of the abortion issue into American electoral politics.</font></blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charlie Black was one of those angry warriors. A flock of young College Republicans became the foot soldiers of the cause. Two students in Massachusetts name Abramoff and Norquist joined the effort. Black would have been a role model.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A Washington Post story from April 7, 1985, <em>"Partners in Political PR Firm Typify Republican New Breed"</em> was rich in details about Black and his gang as they created the prototype of the modern Republican grifter:</font></p>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On the day after President Reagan defeated Walter F. Mondale, <b>H. Lee Atwater was a rich man.</b></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The deputy campaign manager of the Reagan-Bush '84 Committee became a full partner in the political consulting arm of Black, Manafort and Stone,</b> a firm that exemplifies a key element of the vitality of the Republican Party: the potential for young tough, savvy political operatives to move into the political market and make big bucks.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In just five years, Black, Manafort and Stone -- and now Atwater -- has become a major new presence in the capital, specializing in connections, influence and hardball politics. It combines a political client list of influential elected officials with a lobbying clientele of corporations, foreign governments and trade associations.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Atwater and his colleagues represent the cream of Republican inside operatives. Charlie Black was a senior adviser to the Reagan '84 campaign and the campaign strategist for Sens. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Phil Gramm (R-Tex.). <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Paul Manafort was the political director of the GOP convention in Dallas. </span>Roger Stone was Northeast coordinator for Reagan-Bush.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidates are lining up to buy the firm's campaign services, and the list of lobbying clients is growing steadily.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The list includes: the investment banking firm of <b>Salomon Brothers, which last year paid $135,000 to Black, Manafort and Stone; Kaman Aerospace, which laid out $255,000; the Dominican Republic, which signed on at $69,788 a quarter, and <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Rupert Murdoch's Australia-based The News Corp. </span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Ltd., which is paying $180,000 a year for what the firm describes as an "activity limited to internal conferences and phone calls with client.</span>" [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All between the ages of 32 and 36, Black, Manafort, Stone and Atwater were adolescents and college students in the 1960s and early 1970s, when the civil rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam war animated many of the nation's youth. [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the years that followed, these young men threw themselves into the trench warfare of the College Republicans and Young Republicans In 1977, at 25, Stone won the presidency of the Young Republicans in a campaign managed by Manafort.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Four years earlier, Atwater managed the successful campaign of Karl Rove to be president of the College Republicans, defeating John T. (Terry) Dolan, whose drive was run by Stone, Manafort and Black. Black and Stone were the founders of the National Conservative Political Action Committee in 1975, with Dolan.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At the same time they began to move up the ladder of political campaigns, working variously for<b> Helms, Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), James Buckley, who was then a senator from New York, Richard M. Nixon, the Republican National Committee and, ultimately, Ronald Reagan. [snip]</b></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The firm was formed out of political upheaval in the 1980 campaign. Immediately after the New Hampshire primary, Reagan fired his top staff, including Black, his field director. Black then founded the firm and Manafort and Stone joined, continuing work for the campaign as consultants. [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One of the key talents they bring to a campaign is a killer instinct for what is known in the trade as <font color="#ff0000">"driving up the opposition's negatives."</font> [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 1978, this translated into the Atwater-designed destruction of Charles D. (Pug) Ravenel, the Democratic nominee challenging Thurmond. [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Similarly Black, who served as campaign strategist for Gramm's successful fight for a Texas Senate seat against Democrat Lloyd Doggett in the recent election, recalled:

"Doggett got the endorsement of the big gay PAC in San Antonio. That wasn't unusual, but then we got onto the fact that the<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> gays had a male strip show at some bar and Doggett takes that money. That became a matter of his judgment, so we rolled it out there."</span></font></p>

</blockquote>

So, that tells us a few things about the ethics of Charlie Black and the role model he provided for young men like Grover Norquist and Jack Abramoff:</font></p>

<ol>

<li value="1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Anything goes if it helps you "win" and dirty tricks are to be celebrated.</font></li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li value="2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trading on your political connections to make money is not only a Republican virtue, it is the ultimate goal of a life in politics.</font></li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li value="3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The people you meet when you’re coming up will be your network for life.</font></li>

</ol>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charlie Black has had a major role in shaping the modern Republican Party<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">. He helped to create the idea of a permanent lobbyist/consultant class that was partisan, greedy and immoral.</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black’s long-time pal and partner was <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Roger_Stone">Roger Stone</a>. A June 16, 1989 WP profile of Stone explain how Roger and Charlie became a team:</font></p>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">After serving as Ronald Reagan's "youth director" in 1976, he [Stone] became close to conservative fund-raiser Richard<b> </b> His wife was working for Viguerie at the time.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">With his friends Terry Dolan and Charlie Black, Stone formed the National Conservative Political Action Committee, serving as its treasurer. In 1977, he ran for national president of the Young Republicans. Black managed his campaign.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A popular, soft-spoken man, Black is widely thought to be Stone's protector, the man who helped transform him from political pariah to powerful New Right activist. "Somebody could say I was looking after him," Black now says, "But Roger and I are peers. I've never thought of myself as an older brother."</font></p>

</blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The article also mentioned some details about their client base:</font></p>

<blockquote><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Much of Stone's success, observers say, is tied in with the success of Black Manafort Stone & Kelly. BMS&K handles clients such as a group of businessmen closely tied to former Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos (the firm stopped working for them when Reagan asked Marcos to resign), Angolan rebel leader <b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Jonas Savimbi, </b>the government of Nigeria, Kamen Aerospace and Salomon Bros. Inc.</font></blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Now Jack Abramoff and Jonas Savimbi were tight. In the late 1980s Jack helped him in his role as a lobbyist for the Apartheid’s secret police in South Africa.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> In the early 1980s he worked with Savimbi in his role as the head of Citizens for America, a fake grassroots lobbying effort run out of the basement of Reagan’s White House.</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000857.html">Founding Fakers</a> a 2003 article in The New Republic has a good summation of the link between <font color="#ff0000">Jack Abramoff’</font>s work for Savimbi and the work of Charlie Black.</font></p>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The right-wing revolutionary impulse begins with the Reagan Doctrine, and the<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Reagan Doctrine begins, by some accounts, with an </span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">adventurer named Jack Wheeler. </span>[s</b>nip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He pointed to Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and Angola. "I realized that these [conflicts] were not isolated. This was a worldwide rejection of Soviet imperialism. The tables had turned." Wheeler booked a ticket to Washington, where he visited his friend, presidential speechwriter <b>Dana Rohrabacher.</b> "Dana told me that I had to go out there to study these people fighting the Soviets." So, funded by a grant from the libertarian Reason Foundation, Wheeler set off to visit anti-communist insurrections.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After six months among the Nicaraguan Contras, Afghan mujahedin, and African rebels, he landed at Washington's National Airport, where Rohrabacher greeted him. "He drove me straight to the [Old Executive Office Building]. I had been sending him back photos, which I hadn't seen myself at this point. He took me to a room, where there was a slide carousel," as well as speechwriters, officials from the CIA, and Constantine Menges and <b>Paula Dobriansky</b> of the National Security Council. Wheeler began to tell stories of the global phenomenon he had just witnessed. As one White House official told Sidney Blumenthal, then a reporter with The Washington Post,<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> "[Wheeler] took random struggles and crystallized the concept that they were part of the same historical movement." Soon after, Reagan's speeches were filled with references to "freedom fighters." [snip]</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">To turn the Reagan Doctrine from theory to practice, Wheeler set about creating the antithesis of the Communist International, a broad coalition of anti-Marxist insurgents to be known as the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Democratic International. </span>And, in 1985, Wheeler helped convince the conservative drugstore mogul--and defeated New York gubernatorial candidate--Lew Lehrman to finance the venture.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> <strong>Working with Grover Norquist and Jack Abramoff, now arguably the two most powerful Republican lobbyists in Washington, Wheeler invited anti-communist rebel leaders from Nicaragua, Laos, and Afghanistan to <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Jamba, </span>Angola, the headquarters of Jonas Savimbi's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (unita).</strong> There, Lehrman gathered his guests and had them sign a communiqué declaring "our solidarity with all freedom movements in the world and ... our commitment to cooperate to liberate our nations from the Soviet imperialists." At a rally in Jamba's stadium, Lehrman handed them framed copies of the American Declaration of Independence and replica Mount Vernon bowls.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">There was a reason the meeting took place in Jamba: Savimbi had become the poster child for this new breed of freedom fighter. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Like Chalabi, he had a superb understanding of the conservative movement and made frequent trips to Washington to cultivate its activists. </span>Take the itinerary for a 1986 visit: In one week, he attended a seminar at the American Enterprise Institute, hosted by Jeanne Kirkpatrick; a reception thrown by the Heritage Foundation; and another confab at Freedom House. This strategy wasn't just the product of Savimbi's savvy. He had lots of help. <strong>Unita paid a $600,000-per-year retainer to the Republican lobbying firm<span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly.</span> Savimbi's allies in South Africa's apartheid government donated consulting work by Reagan's 1980 campaign manager, Stuart Spencer, and a cast of ideologues happily volunteered their services. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Norquist</span> became economic adviser.</strong> According to Nina J. Easton's book Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Crusade, this <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">entailed ghostwriting pro-capitalist manifestos for The Wall Street Journal op-ed page.</span> Savimbi's byline hovered over text proclaiming, "I believe that in Angola the farmer must be exempt from all taxes. The state cannot claim the produce of a farmer's hard work. This would be theft."</font></p>

</blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">There are a lot of details in the record about Abramoff’s work for Angola. In the aftermath of the meeting in Jamba another one of the shadow group connected to Abramoff was formed. This one was called "Democratic International". Articles connect Jack to the lobbying effort in DC and an office that was set up. I’ve always suspected that it was housed in a DC lobbying firm. I’ve always suspected that it was Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly and that Abramoff worked there—perhaps in the coming months that will be proven.</font>

<strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What is proven is that Charlie Black and Jack Abramoff were working for the same client at the same time and that, that client was a murderous butcher named Jonas Savimbi.</font></strong>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Over the years, Charlie Black has had many clients. And he has used those connections time and time again to enrich himself.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1986 was a bad year for the GOP and <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Black. All of his clients lost. And yet, he still landed on his feet as Jack Kemp’s campaign manager for his 1988</span> run at the White House. In December of 1986, the Washington Post profiled Charlie Black as a "Hard-Hitting 'Spin Doctor'":</font></p>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">None of Black's clients came even close to winning Nov. 4. Former Tennessee governor Winfield Dunn lost a comeback bid by 8 percent; former Vermont governor Richard Snelling failed to unseat Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) by an embarrassing 29 percent; Hawkins lost by 10 percent.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But in this, the age of the permanent campaign, Black, one of the Republican Party's premier political tacticians, won't be short of work. "Everyone knows '86 wasn't a good year for Republicans," explained one GOP consultant. "Nobody blames Charlie for what happened to his candidates."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Today, just one month after his worst Election Day as a consultant, Black is to assume leadership of the presidential exploratory committee of Rep. Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.). [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Politics has made Black a rich and influential figure during the Reagan presidency. The political consulting company he founded in 1980 with two other young political operatives, Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, has expanded into a lobbying firm and ad placement agency that employs 49 people. Partners in the firm earned $ 450,000 each last year, according to one report that Black asserts was exaggerated.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>He is a tall, slender, soft-spoken southerner, conservative in philosophy, manner and dress</b>. This day, like almost every other day, he wears a white shirt and nondescript dark suit and tie. His dark brown hair is close-cropped. On the street, he could easily be mistaken for a prosperous small town banker or lawyer.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black's roots are in the right wing of his party. He has been deeply involved in politics and business with some of his party's most controversial groups, campaigns and personalities. Yet Black, unlike some of his clients and business partners, has made surprisingly few enemies along the way.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One business partner, <b>Stone</b>, who will also have a key role in the Kemp campaign as a "senior consultant," has been a lighting rod for criticism. In a cover story last December, The New Republic magazine called Stone "The State-of-the-Art Washington Sleazeball." Another partner, Manafort, came under fire earlier this year for representing former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. The flamboyant rhetoric of another partner, Lee Atwater, has made him one of the most quoted political operatives in Washington.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black, by contrast, is relatively colorless. "It's not the nature of my personality to attract a lot of attention," he said. "My job is to help my clients get publicity and present their cases and not get publicity for myself."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The irony is that few people in American politics have been associated with as many controversial campaigns or groups. A native of Wilmington, N.C., Black has been a key player in each of Helms' campaigns and worked several years on the North Carolina Republican's Senate staff.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He once was executive director of <b>Young Americans for Freedom,</b> a conservative student group, and was founding chairman of the <b>National Conservative Political Action Committee</b>, one of the New Right's most controversial groups. He was part of the management team led by John Sears that Reagan fired after the 1980 New Hampshire primary, and he accepts responsibility for a decision that had Reagan all but ignore the Iowa precinct caucuses -- a move that almost cost Reagan the GOP nomination. Yet Black, four years later, was accepted back into the Reagan fold as a senior consultant.

Black is a firm believer in the kind of hard-hitting negative television advertising that became NCPAC's trademark in the late 1970s and rose to a vicious art form in Helms' 1984 reelection campaign. "I don't see any evidence that negative advertising doesn't work," he said the night of Hawkins' defeat.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black campaigns are typically rough-and-tumble affairs. He says he feels most comfortable with underdog candidates. His candidates play tough, sometimes bending the truth to their political advantage.</font></p>

</blockquote>

<p><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This is the guy shaping John McCain’s Campaign.</font></strong>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It will be dirty and nasty as long as Black has anything to do with it. By having Black on his team, McCain has once again shown a willingness to embrace the culture of corruption. By keeping Black on his team, McCain is showing a willingness to surround his campaign with lobbyist/consultants who will cash in on their connections to him just as they have cashed in on every connection over the last thirty years.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On January 17, 1989, the Washington Post ran part one of a series on THE NEW POLITICAL BOSSES. Of course Black, Atwater and the gang made the cut</font></p>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The firm best known for this is Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly Public Affairs Co. All of the Republicans in the firm were active in Ronald Reagan's 1980 and 1984 presidential bids, and they have been consultants to numerous Senate candidates, including Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Phil Gramm (R-Tex.). The firm's client list for lobbying is dominated by Fortune 500 companies, including Bethlehem Steel Corp., the <b>Tobacco Institute</b>, Trans World Airlines and Johnson & Johnson.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charlie Black, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and Lee Atwater have also been partners in a campaign consulting company. Two years ago, Atwater took a leave of absence from the firm to manage Bush's campaign. Around the same time, Black and Stone went to work pro bono for GOP presidential hopeful Jack Kemp. When Kemp's candidacy folded after "Super Tuesday," Atwater brought Black and Stone into the Bush campaign -- along with consultants for most of the other losing GOP candidates.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Now Atwater is slated to become chairman of the Republican National Committee, completing a circle of sorts. Two decades ago, the national political parties began to wane in influence as the consultants became the "new bosses" in a political era dominated by personalities, campaign tactics and advertising. But over time, the parties (especially the GOP) have reinvigorated themselves in part by becoming a funding base for the consultants. Now, a consultant will be running the party.</font></p>

</blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Now Kemp did not become President, but he did become Secretary of HUD under Bush the First. And—of course—Charlie cashed in on the connection. On July 3, 1989, an article in <em>U.S. News & World Report</em>, "Can Jack Kemp clean up the <span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">HUD mess</span>?" connected Black to a growing scandal at HUD:</font></p>

<blockquote><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">To begin with, Kemp has to scrub down a department that is suffering from the bureaucratic equivalent of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. At least $ 20 million, and perhaps as much as<b> $100 million, has been filched by escrow agents hired to collect money from the sale of homes seized for mortgage defaults. They simply kept the money, and the home office, strapped by personnel cutbacks, never seemed to notice. Consultants with high-level connections, including former Interior Secretary James Watt and Kemp's own presidential-campaign manager, Charlie Black, have taken huge fees after arranging grants to developers for rehabilitating apartments.</b> Political influence has been used to steer scarce federally subsidized houses to friends of Republican big shots such as Senator Alfonse D'Amato of New York. Other scandals are bubbling to the surface, including gross overcharges by builders who used federal funds to install bathtubs in housing at four times the normal cost.</font></blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">No wonder McCain has so much confidence in Black, they were both players in Washington scandals at the same time: McCain with the Keating Five and Black with HUD. Cashing in on your political connections must be a bond they share.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And it is a bond they share with Jack Abramoff. Only Jack is in jail and Black and McCain are still at large.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When the Abramoff scandal broke it was clear that some Republican lobbyists were leaking stories about Jack to the press. I wouldn’t be surprise if Black was one of those lobbyists.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By removing Jack both McCain and Black removed competition in Washington. They got to create a bit of "maverick mythology" for McCain and remove a few obstacles to power. Politics among the greedy is cut-throat. McCain quickly realized that the Abramoff Scandal would take down his entire party if it was fully investigated. He quickly organized a cover-up.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">McCain actively controlled the story and he put the investigation into slow motion. He ensured that the Abramoff Scandal was a not a factor in the 2004 election. Then he worked to ensured that voters would not know about how closely Abramoff, Rove and Bush worked together. Then McCain worked to actively limited the damage the Abramoff scandal had on the GOP in the 2006 election. And then he used his access to <em>Jack’s little black book</em> to discourage serious competition and build support for his 2008 run for the White House.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And in the process truth, honor and justice have become the victims of McCain’s ambition. An ambition that has led him to hide the most damning details of the Abramoff scandal:</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">* Jack’s role as a 25-year bagman for the GOP: <em>hidden</em>. * Jack’s close working relationship with the Bush White House: <em>hidden</em>. * Jack’s close working relationship with the Republican Congressional Leadership: <em>hidden</em>. * Jack’s role in dirty tricks and off-the-books money for the GOP: <em>hidden</em>. * Jack’s role in Medicare reform: <em>hidden</em>. * Jack’s role energy policy: <em>hidden</em>.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>This long graphic tells the story:</strong>

 </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More details can be <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/23/03912/3990/390/462347">found in this diary</a>.</font>

<strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John McCain should be forced to remove Charlie Black from ANY role in his campaign.</font></strong>

<strong><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Anything less is tainted.</font></em></strong>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Only somebody naive enough to still support George W. Bush could believe the hype about McCain. He is not a "maverick". He only plays one on the teevee for shits and giggles. It is an act that is (like John) getting old.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Perhaps his carefully crafted hype is about to crash and burn. I hope so.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Recently his dependence on lobbyists has been causing him some problems. Five key staffers have left in recent days because of their lobbying careers (and that doesn’t even touch the fundraisers, advisors and other sycophants in his entourage). A McCain White House will only continue the Bush era of corruption.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And we must end the corruption if we are ever going to take this country back.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a funny way, Jack Abramoff is now in a unique position to do a good deed for the Nation. He could return the "favor" from Black and McCain and drop a "dime" on them.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All Jack would have to do is reveal the connections he has with the lobbyists behind the curveball express and Dishonest John would be out of the game.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cheers</font></p>

</div>

<p id="tags"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tagLabel">Tags:</span> <span id="tagLinks"><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Jack%20Abramoff">Jack Abramoff</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Culture%20of%20corruption">Culture of corruption</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/CNMI">CNMI</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/sweatshops">sweatshops</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Scandal">Scandal</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Angola">Angola</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Charlie%20Black">Charlie Black</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/John%20McCain">John McCain</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Jonas%20Savimbi">Jonas Savimbi</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Grover%20Norquist">Grover Norquist</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/President">President</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/2008">2008</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/elections">elections</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/lobbyists">lobbyists</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Roger%20Stone">Roger Stone</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Lee%20Atwater">Lee Atwater</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Recommended">Recommended</a></span> (<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag">all tags</a>) :: <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag_version/2008/5/19/13037/3146">Previous Tag Versions</a></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font color="#ff0000"><b>Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly</b> </font>is a Washington D.C. lobbying firm.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An internal 1993 budget review document for the Philip Morris group of companies pencilled Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly in with a preliminary budget line item of $117,500.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The document described the reason for the consultancy as being "Charlie Black, former Republican National Committee Chairman and Bush operative, is principally working to buttress our access to Republican Senators".<a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wqq02a00" class="external autonumber" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wqq02a00" rel="nofollow">[1]</a></font></p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">External links</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Philip Morris, "<a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wqq02a00" class="external text" title="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wqq02a00" rel="nofollow">Corporate Affairs: corporate cost review</a>, Bates No 2046996735, July 1993 (estimated), page 4.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly</b> (often simply <b>Black, Manafort</b>) was a lobbying firm based in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a>. Formed in 1982, it merged with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gold%26_Liebengood&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gold & Liebengood (page does not exist)">Gold & Liebengood</a> to form <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BKSH_%26_Associates" title="BKSH & Associates" class="mw-redirect">BKSH & Associates</a> in 1996.</font></p>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></h2>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#History"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">History</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#Personnel"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Personnel</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#Principals"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Principals</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#Others"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Others</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#External_links"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

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

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline" id="History">History</span></font></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The firm was one of the first political consulting concerns to work for Ronald Reagan's presidential candidacy in 1980,<sup id="cite_ref-nyt1_0-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#cite_note-nyt1-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup>, and would later also have extensive connections to the presidential administrations of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H.W.Bush" title="George H. W. Bush">George H. W. Bush</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton" title="Bill Clinton">Bill Clinton</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-bmsk_1-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#cite_note-bmsk-1"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The firm has represented numerous foreign governments and heads of state, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Siad_Barre" title="Mohamed Siad Barre" class="mw-redirect">Mohamed Siad Barre</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia" title="Somalia">Somalia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos" title="Ferdinand Marcos">Ferdinand Marcos</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobutu_Sese_Seko" title="Mobutu Sese Seko">Mobutu Sese Seko</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaire" title="Zaire">Zaire</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Savimbi" title="Jonas Savimbi">Jonas Savimbi</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angola" title="Angola">Angola</a>. In the 1988 presidential campaign in the United States, it was disclosed that Black, Manafort retained the island nation of the Bahamas was a client at a time its leadership was being attacked for alleged ties to drug traffickers. BMSK officials insisted that they intended only to help the Bahamas obtain more United States aid for efforts to curb drug smugglers.<sup id="cite_ref-nyt1_0-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#cite_note-nyt1-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Domestically the firm has represented <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem_Steel" title="Bethlehem Steel">Bethlehem Steel</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Institute" title="Tobacco Institute">Tobacco Institute</a>, and helped elect a slew of lawmakers—including Senators <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Gramm" title="Phil Gramm">Phil Gramm</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Helms" title="Jesse Helms">Jesse Helms</a>, Charles McC. Mathias Jr., <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlen_Specter" title="Arlen Specter">Arlen Specter</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Hawkins" title="Paula Hawkins">Paula Hawkins</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_F._Durenberger" title="David F. Durenberger" class="mw-redirect">David F. Durenberger</a>, and worked on legislation that benefitted the firm's clients.</font></p>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Personnel">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline" id="Personnel">Personnel</span></font></h2>

<h3><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Principals">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline" id="Principals">Principals</span></font></h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_R._Black_Jr." title="Charles R. Black Jr." class="mw-redirect"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Charles R. Black Jr.</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_J._Manafort" title="Paul J. Manafort"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Paul J. Manafort</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_J._Stone" title="Roger J. Stone" class="mw-redirect"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Roger J. Stone</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_G._Kelly" title="Peter G. Kelly"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peter G. Kelly</font></a></li>

</ul>

<h3><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Others">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline" id="Others">Others</span></font></h3>

<ul>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Atwater" title="Lee Atwater">Lee Atwater</a> was a senior partner when he joined the Reagan campaign in 1984.</font></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolan_Civil_War" title="Angolan Civil War"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Angolan Civil War</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbying_in_the_United_States" title="Lobbying in the United States"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lobbying in the United States</font></a></li>

</ul>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: External links">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span></font></h2>

<ul>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Black%2C_Manafort%2C_Stone_and_Kelly" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Black, Manafort, Stone, Kelly</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SourceWatch" title="SourceWatch">SourceWatch</a></font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.namebase.org/main3/Manafort-Stone-kelly-Black.html" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Manafort Stone Kelly Black</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NameBase" title="NameBase">NameBase</a></font></li>

</ul>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: References">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span></font></h2>

<li id="cite_note-nyt1-0"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">^ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#cite_ref-nyt1_0-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#cite_ref-nyt1_0-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED7103EF932A15755C0A96F948260" class="external text" rel="nofollow">A Political Power Broker</a>, New York Times, June 21, 1989</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-bmsk-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly#cite_ref-bmsk_1-0">^</a></b> <span class="citation web">Steve Burkholder (1993). <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1554/is_n1_v19/ai_13571831" class="external text" rel="nofollow">"On the town with Jonas Savimbi - huge U.S. lobbying expenditures by Angola"</a>. Common Cause Magazine<span class="printonly">. <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1554/is_n1_v19/ai_13571831" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1554/is_n1_v19/ai_13571831</a></span><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved 2007-11-11</span>.</span><span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=On+the+town+with+Jonas+Savimbi+-+huge+U.S.+lobbying+expenditures+by+Angola&rft.atitle=&rft.aulast=Steve+Burkholder&rft.au=Steve+Burkholder&rft.date=1993&rft.pub=Common+Cause+Magazine&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ffindarticles.com%2Fp%2Farticles%2Fmi_m1554%2Fis_n1_v19%2Fai_13571831&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly"><span style=" display: none;"> </span></span></font></li>

</ol>

</div>

<div class="printfooter"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Retrieved from "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,Manafort,Stone_and_Kelly</a>"</font></div>

<div id="mw-normal-catlinks"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <span dir="ltr"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lobbying_firms" title="Category:Lobbying firms">Lobbying firms</a></span></font></div>

</div>

<a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960803,00.html"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960803,00.html</font></a>

<div>

 </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When <b style=" background-color: transparent;">Savimbi </b>came to Washington last month to seek support for his guerrilla organization, UNITA, in its struggle against the Marxist regime in Angola, he hired Black, Manafort. What the firm achieved was quickly dubbed <span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"Savimbi chic."</span> Doors swung open all over town for the guerrilla leader, who was dapperly attired in a Nehru suit and ferried about in a stretch limousine. Dole had shown only general interest in Savimbi's cause until Black, the Senate majority leader's former aide, approached him on his client's behalf. Dole promptly introduced a congressional resolution backing UNITA's insurgency and sent a letter to the State Department urging that the U.S. supply it with heavy arms. The firm's fee for such services was reportedly $600,000.</font>

Read more: <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960803-2,00.html#ixzz150tyo22A" style=" color: rgb(0, 51, 153);">http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960803-2,00.html#ixzz150tyo22A</a></font></span></p>

</div>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> I ran across this 1986 article from Time Magazine while looking for stuff on Jesse Helms and found it interesting enough to post here -- both for its general entertainment value and for the light it sheds on McCain's current campaign advisers.

<a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960803,00.html?iid=chix-sphere" target="_blank">http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960803...</a>

A lobbyist can perform no greater favor for a lawmaker than to help get him elected. It is the ultimate political IOU, and it can be cashed in again and again. No other firm holds more of this precious currency than the Washington shop known as Black, Manafort.

Legally, there are<b> two firms.</b> Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly, a lobbying operation, represents Bethlehem Steel, the Tobacco Institute,<b> Herbalife,</b> Angolan "Freedom Fighter" Jonas Savimbi and the governments of the Bahamas and the Philippines. Black, Manafort, Stone & Atwater, a political-consulting firm, has helped elect such powerful Republican politicians as Senator Phil Gramm of Texas and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Jesse Helms. . . .

The partners charge six-figure fees to lobby and six-figure fees to manage election campaigns. As a result, they take home six-figure salaries. (Their stated aim is to make $450,000 apiece each year; they are assumed to have achieved it last year.) They unabashedly peddle their access to the Reagan Administration. The firm's proposal soliciting the Bahamas as a client, for instance, touted the "personal relationships between State Department officials and Black, Manafort & Stone" that could be "utilized to upgrade a backchannel relationship in the economic and foreign policy spheres." . . .

<b>Stone</b>, who practices the hardball politics he first learned as an <b>aide to convicted Watergate Co- Conspirator Charles Colson</b>, fancies $400 suits and lawn parties. With his heavy-lidded eyes and frosty demeanor, he openly derides Atwater's client, Vice President Bush, as a "weenie." . . . For all its diverse interests, the firm remains "loyal to the President," says Black. "We would never lobby against Star Wars, for example." The firm has nonetheless attacked the President's tax-reform bill on behalf of corporate clients seeking to preserve their loopholes, and it did not hesitate to lobby for quotas on shoe imports on behalf of the Footwear Industries of America, even though Reagan strongly opposed the bill as protectionist.+</font>

<b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The firm that "coached" Blackwater CEO Eric Prince for a Congressional hearing previously represented Iraq intelligence launderer Ahmed Chalabi and is now working with AT&T to repair their image in the wake of their involvement in President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program.</font></b>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The communications firm BKSH, a subsidiary of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller, is run by a man with extremely close ties to the Bush Administration.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The founder and current head of BKSH is <a href="http://www.clas.ufl.edu/alumni/alumninotes/05spring/alumnispotlight_black.shtml">Charlie Black</a>, whose ties with the Bush family go back to 1972, when he and Karl Rove were jockeying for control of the College Republicans in a campaign so dirty that George H.W. Bush, then head of the Republican National Committee, had to step in and sort matters out. Black then worked for Ronald Reagan's and George H.W. Bush's presidential campaigns from 1976 to 1992. He served as an adviser to George W. Bush's campaigns in 2000 and 2004 and is often quoted in news stories as an unofficial White House spokesman.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BKSH was representing Iraq exile Ahmed Chalabi as early as 1999 and continued doing so until the invasion of Iraq. An international con-man found guilty in absentia in Jordan for bank scams, <span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Chalabi is most widely known for being one of the key pre-Iraq war intelligence propagandists who supplied skewed information to support the Pentagon's ultra-secretive Office of Special Plans and the now-discredited pre-war reporting of Judith Miller for the New York Times. </span>During 2004, Francis Brooke of the Rendon Group, which had represented Chalabi since the early 90's, was working on contract in Baghdad for BKSH. Then in the summer and fall of 2005, Lincoln Group, which had been tasked by the <b>Pentagon</b> with providing pro-US stories to Iraqi media, was subcontracting the work to BKSH, as the same time as BKSH was registered to represent the government of Iraq as its US lobbyist.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Because of Black's personal ties to the Bush administration, it seems reasonable to wonder whether his lobbying assignments might be selected as much to help his friends there as his nominal clients.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black is <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20884696/site/newsweek/page/0/">currently working</a> with AT&T in its lobbying campaign to be given retroactive immunity against lawsuits for having assisted the administration in its warrantless wiretapping program.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Longtime political junkies know that Charlie Black was among a handful of angry young rightwingers who remade the Republican Party after the debacle of Richard Nixon’s resignation. Along with Roger Stone, Terry Dolan, Lee Atwater, Karl Rove and George Bush Jr., he is one of the inventors of today’s GOP <b>attack machine</b>, a style of media-driven slash and burn politics that can be traced to the establishment by Black, Stone and Dolan in 1975 of a political action committee that raised millions from conservatives using deceptive direct-mail advertising and spent the money on TV ads that slimed Democrats.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Black, one of the most successful lobbyists and political strategists of the Reagan and Bush eras, has backed his share of losers over the years, too. But even when he has bet on the wrong horse, he has always landed on his feet — which may explain why John McCain needs Charlie Black this year much more than Black needs McCain.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here are 10 things to know about Charlie Black:</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1. <strong>He’s a Tarheel</strong>: Charles R. Black Jr. was born on Oct. 11, 1947, in the North Carolina seaport city of Wilmington.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2. <strong>A Goldwater Boy</strong>: He told the New York Times that he fell in love in politics when he worked on the presidential campaign of Republican Barry Goldwater as a high school student in 1964. Goldwater lost to Pres. Lyndon Johnson in a rout.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3. <strong>A Jesse Helms Man</strong>: In 1972, at age 25, Black served as political director for the first senatorial campaign of Jesse Helms, the North Carolina crypto-racist and uber-homophobe. In 1996, he told the New York Times, at the beginning of the race “everybody knew he was too conservative, he’d never run for office, and couldn’t win. But it was a good conservative cause, so I went down and worked on his campaign for the last six months. And lo and behold, we did win.”</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4. <strong>Smear Group Founder</strong>: In 1975, with Terry Dolan and Roger Stone, Charlie Black was a founder of the National National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC), which used deceptively written direct mail solicitations to bankroll television ads smearing Democrats in congressional campaigns in the Reagan era.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Roger Stone</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> has to be one of the sleaziest Republican operatives of all time. Earlier this year, he warned Florida Gov. Charlie Crist that in order to be considered as John McCain’s vice president, Crist, a 49-year-old longtime bachelor, would have to get married — </span><a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/12/17/gov-crist-would-not-be-first-bachelor-vice-president/" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 204, 170); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">incorrectly stating</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> that “bachelors don’t get elected vice president.” In fact, Franklin Pierce’s vice president, William Rufus de Vane King, was a confiirmed bachelor. Known as “Aunt Fancy,” King was one of the first two senators from Alabama, who shared digs in Washington for 25 years with fellow bachelor James Buchanan, Pierce’s successor in the presidency.</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Earlier this year, Stone <a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/02/25/gop-launches-anti-clinton-group-citizens-united-not-timid/" style=" font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 204, 170);">launched</a> an anti-Hillary Clinton organization he called <b>Citizens United Not Timid,</b> which he promoted online by using its acronym. In 1996, he had to resign from a volunteer position on the Dole presidential campaign after an ad in a swingers’ magazine surfaced that featured a photo of Stone and his wife.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Black and Stone moved on from NCPAC soon after it was established, parting ways with Terry Dolan. In 1979 and 1980, NCPAC spent over the then-unheard of figure of $7 million on spurious TV ads against Democrats. Dolan once called </span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">NCPAC a ”gut-cutting organization</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.” The macho rhetoric is notable because </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Dolan</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, along with the McCarthyite Roy Cohn and Sen. “Tailgunner” Joe McCarthy himself, was a </span><a href="http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/11/14/2006-terry-dolan-award/" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 204, 170); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">classic self-hating gay Republican homophobe</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. While he worked tirelessly to slime liberals and their causes by day, at night Dolan was rumored to frequent leather bars where he picked up rough trade. He died from HIV disease in 1986 at the age of 36. (Additional source: New York Times, May 31, 1981)</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5. <strong>Fired By Reagan</strong>: In 1980, Charlie Black worked as field director for Ronald Reagan’s second presidential campaign. After advising Reagan to ignore the Iowa caucuses — advice that almost cost Reagan the nomination — he was among the senior staff Reagan fired after he lost the New Hampshire primary.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6. <strong>Formed Mega-Lobbying Group</strong>: Soon after being fired by Reagan, Black and Stone, with Paul Manafort, formed Black, Manafort and Stone, a political consulting firm. The firm’s lobbying clients have included Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Ltd. and the investment firm of Salomon Brothers, as well as foreign politicians, including Mohamed Siad Barre of Somalia, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, and Jonas Savimbi of Angola.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">More recently, Black was an <a href="http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0803/080703nj2.htm" style=" font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 204, 170);">early supporter of Ahmed Chalabi</a>, the Iraqi conman who helped Dick Cheney and his cabal of neocons float false intelligence that laid the groundwork for Bush-Cheney’s disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003</span><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">. Black’s firm helped open doors for <b>Chalabi’s front group, the Iraqi National Congress (INC),</b></span><span style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b> with U.S. corporations, including AT&T, Cummins Engine and Fluor. I</b>n 2003, Black said, “Due to our past representation of the INC, we know and have worked with a lot of people who will be in the provisional government. We have a number of clients who are interested in doing business in Iraq.” Black adds that his firm is “strongly considering” opening an office in Baghdad. It is unclear whether Black’s firm ever opened a branch office in Iraq.</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">7. <strong>Lee Atwater</strong>: In 1985, Lee Atwater, the man who taught Karl Rove and George Bush Jr. everything they know about political hatchet work and the dark art of manipulating the masses, joined Black’s lobbying firm within months after serving as deputy campaign manager in the 1984 Reagan-Bush campaign. Black and Atwater went way back.<b> In 1973, Atwater managed the campaign of Karl Rove to become president of the College Republicans, defeating his opponent, Terry Dolan, </b>whose campaign had been managed by </span><font color="#ff0000">Charlie Black</font><font color="#333333">, Roger Stone and Paul Manafort.</font></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In March 1990, Lee Atwater was serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor (which many people believed developed because of his constant use of a then new-tech cordless telephone). Atwater named Charlie Black as his “mouthpiece” at the RNC while he dealt with his illness. As the disease progressed, Atwater came to see the error of his ways and made rounds of phone calls seeking forgiveness from Democrats and others whose reputations and careers he had destroyed. There has never been any evidence that Black, Rove, Bush Jr. and the others learned anything from Atwater’s end-of-life come-to-Jesus.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8. <strong>Ailes on Black</strong>: About Black, Roger Ailes, then (as now) a Republican media consultant (only now he masks his party operative role behind the legit-sounding title of president of Fox News), said ”Charlie’s the kind of guy who if he came home and found somebody making out with his wife on a rainy day, he’d break the guy’s umbrella and ask him to leave, then have him killed a year later. [Lee Atwater] would blow the house up.” (New York Times, July 21, 1990)</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">9. <strong>Homophobic Remarks</strong>: In March 1993, when the gays in the military issue was in the headlines, Charlie Black and Iran-Contra scandal figure Oliver North made headlines when they chimed in with homophobic remarks at a banquet in Northern Virginia for retired Republican Rep. Rep. Stan Parris. According to the New York Times (March 19, 1993), before Black and North spoke, Virginia state Senator Warren E. Barry began his keynote comments by referring to “‘the Clinton fags-in-the-foxhole’ policy and then joked about how Mr. Parris, when he was in Congress, seemed to be constantly at odds with the officials of the District of Columbia, who are mostly black. He recalled that Mr. Parris had once called a bridge leading from Washington to Virginia ‘the longest bridge in the world because it connects Virginia to Africa.’ He went on, with a laugh, to say Mr. Parris sought to rename the bridge ‘Soul Brothers Causeway.’”</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When it was Black’s turn, he joked that Clinton was going to change the words of the Marine Corps hymn to “Don we now our gay apparel.” (ROTFL.) When it was time for Ollie North’s comedic turn, the Times reported that he “included a line about how he had repeatedly tried to place a telephone call to Mr. Clinton but could not get through until he lisped to the operator, ‘Excuse me!’”</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">10. <strong>Friends Like These</strong>: In a New York Times profile of Black in February 1996, one anonymous “friend” said of Charlie, “He’s very folksy, but he’s tough. Charlie will pat you on the back one moment, stab you in the back the next.”</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John Buckley, an admirer, said, “Charlie would never stab you in the back. You would be gutted from the front. You just wouldn’t know it until you’re dead.”</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Charlie Black</b> was one of those angry warriors. A flock of young College Republicans became the foot soldiers of the cause. Two students in Massachusetts name Abramoff and Norquist joined the effort. Black would have been a role model.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A Washington Post story from April 7, 1985, <em>"Partners in Political PR Firm Typify Republican New Breed"</em> was rich in details about Black and his gang as they created the prototype of the modern Republican grifter:</font></p>

<p style=" margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On the day after President Reagan defeated Walter F. Mondale, H. Lee Atwater was a rich man.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The deputy campaign manager of the Reagan-Bush '84 Committee became a full partner in the political consulting arm of Black, Manafort and Stone, a firm that exemplifies a key element of the vitality of the Republican Party: the potential for young tough, savvy political operatives to move into the political market and make big bucks.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Atwater and his colleagues represent the cream of Republican inside operatives. Charlie Black was a senior adviser to the Reagan '84 campaign and the campaign strategist for Sens. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Phil Gramm (R-Tex.). Paul Manafort was the political director of the GOP convention in Dallas. Roger Stone was Northeast coordinator for Reagan-Bush.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidates are lining up to buy the firm's campaign services, and the list of lobbying clients is growing steadily.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The list includes: the investment banking firm of Salomon Brothers, which last year paid $135,000 to Black, Manafort and Stone; Kaman Aerospace, which laid out $255,000; the Dominican Republic, which signed on at $69,788 a quarter, and<b> Rupert Murdoch's Australia-based The News Corp. Ltd., which is paying $180,000 a year for what the firm describes as an "activity limited to internal conferences and phone calls with client." [snip]</b></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At the same time they began to move up the ladder of political campaigns, working variously for Helms, Sen. <b>Strom Thurmond (</b>R-S.C.), James Buckley, who was then a senator from New York, Richard M. Nixon, the Republican National Committee and, ultimately, Ronald Reagan. [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One of the key talents they bring to a campaign is a killer instinct for what is known in the trade as "driving up the opposition's negatives." [snip]</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 1978, this translated into the Atwater-designed destruction of Charles D. (Pug) Ravenel, the Democratic nominee challenging Thurmond. [snip]</font>

"Doggett got the endorsement of the big gay PAC in San Antonio. That wasn't unusual, but then we got onto the fact that the gays had a male strip show at some bar and Doggett takes that money. That became a matter of his judgment, so we rolled it out there."...If you've been paying attention, you know that John McCain has a lobbyist problem. A longtime critic of special interests and Washington's lobbying culture, John McCain has built a campaign with lobbyists in <a href="http://mediamattersaction.org/freeride/lobbyists/" target="new" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">dozens of key positions</a>. Under pressure to clean up his shop last week, McCain forced all of his staffers to fill out a disclosure form that detailed lobbying contracts and possible conflicts of interests. The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802212.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008051802293" target="new" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">first to leave this week</a>, and the fourth to leave in the last two weeks due to lobbying connections, is one of McCain's national finance chairman, Tom Loeffler. Loeffler's lobbying for Saudi Arabia and other foreign governments was revealed by <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/137522" target="new" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>Newsweek</i></a>over the weekend.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">McCain's critics are <a href="http://www.firethelobbyists.com/facts.html" target="new" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">pushing hard</a> for the <a href="http://pol.moveon.org/charlieblack/video.html" target="new" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">resignation of Charlie Black</a>, the man who reportedly plays the role of McCain's Rove. McCain told the media that "Charlie Black and Rick Davis are not in the lobbying business; they've been out of that business." (Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, is also a former lobbyist.) But according to the <i>Washington Post</i>, Black was the chairman of the super-powerful lobbying shop he helped found, BKSH and Associates, until March 2008. So Black has been "out of that business" for all of two months. And don't forget that Black doesn't mind mixing his lobbying work with his campaign work; in February, he admitted that he makes <a href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/top_mccain_adviser_says_he_doe.php...lobbying calls from on board the Straight Talk Express">.</a></font>In February, we posted <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">all the lobbying clients of BKSH and Associates that we could find since 1998[the atlantic] 

ACCURAY- $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Accuray Inc - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Accuray Incorporated - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Advertising Co Art-Eria - $200,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Agency for Humanitarian Technolgoies - $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Alcoa - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Amerada Hess Corp - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

American Financial Group - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

American Hotel & Lodging Assn - $460,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

American Hotel & Motel Assn - $240,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

American Kidney Fund - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

American Management Systems - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

American Medical Response - $840,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

American Psychological Assn - $940,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

AMR Corp - $280,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Arc Enterprises - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Asoex <b>Chilean </b>Exporters Assn - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Assn of American Medical Colleges - $420,000</span>
<b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

AT&T -</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> $1,185,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

AT&T Inc - $720,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Authentix - $210,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Baxter International - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Bethlehem Steel - $540,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Biochem Resources - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Bristol-Myers Squibb - $690,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

California School Employees Assn - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Carlton Co - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Cavendish Digicom - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Center of the Development of Information - $50,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

CGI Group - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Chenega Corp - $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

ChevronTexaco - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Childrens Memorial Medical Center - $470,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Chilean Salmon Farmers Assn - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Cintas Corp - $95,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Citizens for Liberty in Cuba - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

City of Chesapeake, VA - $10,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

City of Muncie, ID - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

City of Muncie/Delaware County, ID - $160,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

City of Napoleon, OH - $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

City of Sunnyvale, CA - $70,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Coca-Cola Co - $380,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Colombian Textile & Apparel Industry - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Comasa, de la Optica - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico - $2,400,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Compusa - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Conservation Trust Fund of Puerto Rico - $240,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>

Contran Corp - $505,000</b></span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Cook Childrens Health Care System - $660,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Cummins Engine - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Cummins Inc - $1,300,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

DaimlerChrysler - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Dairy Fresh - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

DARE America - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Dayton Advocacy Consortium - $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Dayton Chamber/Miami Valley Reg Commis - $160,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Delaware North Companies - $580,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Digene Corp - $815,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Dominican Republic-US Business Council - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Education Finance Council - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Egan & Assoc - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Eistream - $56,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

El Pomar Foundation - $50,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Emergent BioSolutions - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Energy Finance Team - $10,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Entergy Corp - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Featherlite Inc - $70,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Federation of State Medical Boards - $420,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

First Transit - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Fort Lauderdale Downtown Devel Authority - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Freddie Mac - $820,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

General Electric - $680,000

General Motors - $570,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Geovox Security - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>

Glaxo </b>Wellcome Inc - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

GlaxoSmithKline - $590,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Global Strategies Group - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Goodman Corp - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

GTECH Holdings Corp - $980,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Harper, Meyer et al - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Harris Corp - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Health Industry Manufacturers Assn - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>

Honeywell International - $220,000</b></span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Importers Service Corp - $540,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Impulso 2000 - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Indiana Dept of Transportation - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Insors - $330,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Instinet - $440,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>

Institute for Democratic Strategies - $10,000</b></span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

International Franchise Assn - $290,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

International Org/Masters/Mates/Pilots - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

International Steel Group - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

International Tire & Rubber Assn - $50,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Intl Assn of Convention & Visitor Bureau - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Intl Council of Shopping Centers - $680,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Ion America - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Iprivacy - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Johnson & Johnson - $280,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

JP Morgan & Co - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

JP Morgan Chase & Co - $724,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Kosmos Energy - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>

Lincoln Group - $40,000</b></span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Liquidnet Inc - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Lockheed Martin - $487,500</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Lucent Technologies - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Lumenos - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

MacAndrews & Forbes - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Magellan Systems International - $350,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Mariner Post Acute Network - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Maxxam Inc - $430,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

McTigue & Brooks - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

MDA International - $320,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Medactinium Inc - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Medtronic Inc - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Methodist Health Care System - $500,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Michigan State University - $320,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Microbran Products - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Mortgage Bankers Assn of America - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Morton International - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Mtbe Litigation Inc - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

M-unit - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Assn of Home Builders - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

National Assn of Mortgage Brokers - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Assn of Rocketry $50,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Assn of Trailer Manufacturers $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Auto Dealers Assn - $320,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Automobile Dealers Assn - $200,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Football League - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Foreign Trade Council - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Mentoring Partnership - $150,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Propane Gas Assn - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National Renal Administrators Assn - $640,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

National Restaurant Assn - $760,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

National School Transportation Assn - $400,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Natl Assn of Classified School Employees - $300,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Natl Assn of Passport & Visa Services - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Natl Center For The American Revolution - $30,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Natl Conf of State Historic Preser Offcs - $360,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Nec Corp - $695,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Neopath/Tripath Imaging - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Nielsen Media Research - $240,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

North Americas Supercorridor Coalition - $440,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Northeast Utilities - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Occidental Petroleum - $1,650,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Occidental Petroleum - $1,650,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Ocean Duke Corp - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Oryxe Energy International - $170,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Osmose Holdings - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Pacific Supreme - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Par Technology - $70,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Partners for Democratic Change - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Payne Shea & Assoc - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

PCS Health Systems - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Peter NG Schwartz Management Co - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Pharmanex - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>

Philip Morris - $1,292,500</b></span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Policom Inc - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Popular Democractic Party - $260,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Psi International - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Public Broadcasting Service - $385,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Puerto Rico Highways & Transp Authority - $270,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Radio Sedaye Iran - $37,500</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Repeal PUHCA Now Coalition - $160,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Rhoads/Weber Shandwick Govt Relations - $10,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Roaring Fork Railroad Holding Authority - $220,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Roaring Fork Transportation Authority - $200,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>

Roche Group - $360,000</b></span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Rolls-Royce - $320,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Safety-Kleen Corp - $810,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

SafeView Inc - $80,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Sanborn - $165,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Santa Clara County - $100,000

Santa Clara County, CA - $1,403,752</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Auth - $1,070,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

SAP America - $440,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Screening for Mental Health - $30,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Securicor Gray - $40,000

Shaw Group - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Silverleaf Resorts - $30,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

South Carolina Dept of Health/Human Srv - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

South Carolina Judicial Dept - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Space Imaging Inc - $605,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Stand Up for Steel - $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

State of Indiana - $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Strategy Group International - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Sybase Inc - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Tam Bay Partnership - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Teck Cominco American - $100,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Texas Childrens Hospital - $320,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Thales - $1,055,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Tobacco Quota Warehouse Alliance - $120,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Travel Business Roundtable - $1,860,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Travel Industry Assn of America - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Trilogy International Partners - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Tripoli Rocketry Assn - $50,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

United Motorcoach Assn - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

United Network for Organ Sharing - $460,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

United Parcel Service - $50,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

United Technologies - $570,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

US Airways Group - $180,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

USEC Inc - $240,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

UST Inc - $1,360,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Ust Public Affiars - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Values First - $30,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Values Government Relations - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Vietnam Assn of Seafood Exporters & Prod - $340,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Viohl & Assoc - $220,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Visiting International Faculty Program - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Vladeck, Waldman et al - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Washington Group International - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Washington Metro Area Transit Authority - $440,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Washington Mutual - $20,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Webb County, TX - $40,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Western Wireless Corp - $435,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Williams Companies - $140,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Wolf, Block et al - $60,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

WPP Group - $200,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

Wye Oak Technology - $10,000</span>
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">

Yukos Oil - $155,000</span>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total - $57,426,252</font></p>

</blockquote></div>

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 </font></p>

</div>

Black, Chls

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