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Shadow White Houses?
August 24, 2007 10:17 AM
We took a look at Vlad Putin's baring of his midriff (as opposed to his soul, which is more President Bush's expertise) for Nightline last night.
Of perhaps far more international consequences that Putin's beefcake photos is the lobbying campaign against Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki by a big-time GOP lobbying firm in DC that has taken on former interim Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi as a client.
Allawi in an op-ed this month in the Washington Post (LINK) wrote that "there will be no lasting political reconciliation under Maliki's sectarian regime."
The firm, Barbour Griffith and Rogers (LINK), purchased the web domain "Allawi-for-Iraq.com" and has sent myriad emails from that address.
BGR's international president, Ambassador Robert Blackwill (LINK), served as President Bush's envoy to Iraq in 2004, during Allawi's reign.
Let's meet the rest of the team at the firm trying to bring down Maliki…
BGR also includes among its officers many folks with close ties to the White House and Bush administration….there's former Condi Rice adviser Philip Zelikow; Bush Ranger Lanny Griffith; former George H.W. Bush White House aide Ed Rogers; former Department of Energy chief of staff Eric Burgeson; and former HUD chief of staff Dan Murphy.
Hill connections? Say no more…
There's former counselor to ex-Speaker Dennis Hastert, Elliot Berke; former national security aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., Stephen Radamaker; former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., foreign affairs adviser Andrew Parasiliti; former Executive Director of the House Conservative Action Team Jennifer Larkin; House Committee on International Relations Deputy Staff Director Walker Roberts; and former policy director to the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, Shall Ross.
(You can read more about BGR and Allawi at ABC News' The Blotter, HERE).
BGR used to have as its Vice President Brad Blakeman, a former White House aide. But this week Blakeman announced he was becoming president of Freedom's Watch, a Republican issues group launching a $15 million pro-surge ad campaign, which we covered this week (MORE HERE).
What do you think?
- jpt
August 24, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (7)
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You guys cheated us on Sunday, Aug. 26...World News was scheduled, but delayed by the Little League World Series. But your spoken and written announcement said World News would follow the game, which had gone to extra innings. NOT!!! Instead, you broadcast a little fluff - Ebert and Roeper. That's news??? Shame on you. I know your weekend anchors were ready to go on. What's up with that??
Posted by: Ted Deisenroth | Aug 26, 2007 9:03:14 PM
wow. Administration gone wild. Can you imagine if the shoe were on the other foot - if an arab political party actively campaigned against the leader the american people elected. Democracy? what a sham.
Posted by: cordelia525 | Aug 25, 2007 9:42:10 AM
"former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb"???? WHat are you talking about? WHat is his name doing on that list?
Posted by: Azor | Aug 24, 2007 10:27:12 PM
All I can say about the photos is EWWWWWWWWW!
Posted by: phillygirl64 | Aug 24, 2007 3:55:00 PM
Wasn't there an election in Iraq? And didn't Allawi get his hindquarters handed to him?
Posted by: DKNY | Aug 24, 2007 2:49:01 PM
Excellent piece about this unfortunate trend of world leaders baring it all in public, Jake. I fail to understand the sudden fixation we seem to have with world leaders' physiques: Putin's pectorals and Sarkozy's "love handles" clearly show that they're not gym rats or Chippendale dancers, nor should they be.
And as for the lobbying campaign instigated by Mr. Allawi, it just goes to prove once again the flourishing of the all-too-cozy relationship lobbyists have with policymakers in this administration, especially if the lobbyists actually force a change of leadership in a foreign country. Here in the United States, money can buy the best of anything, including any government official you want, if the price is right.
Posted by: chuck | Aug 24, 2007 2:34:10 PM
Wasn't mr. zelikow on ABC News on August 20th commenting on this situation? Should there be a correction and point out that he was speaking as a paid lobbyist and not a impartial expert?
Posted by: c fedolfi | Aug 24, 2007 12:44:59 PM
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