Tim Stewart Went After Bridgewater - SADDLE PAC

From the Salt Lake Tribune

» Phone calls went out to rural delegates who, if they identified themselves as Bridgewater supporters, were asked if they knew he was a lobbyist who worked to get federal stimulus money for businesses, Bridgewater's campaign said.

Saddle PAC, a political action committee, was behind those calls, though its director Tim Stewart, a former Bennett staffer, says the effort wasn't a push-poll or an attack, but an effort to raise Bennett's profile on public lands and energy issues.

"Saddle PAC has historically supported members with strong public lands and energy backgrounds and will continue to do so," Stewart said.

Bridgewater laid the blame squarely on competing challengers.

"As our campaign continues to gain momentum it is unfortunate that opponents choose to counter with dirty tactics like this," Bridgewater said. "Delegates are smarter than that."

For its part, Bennett's campaign denounced negative attacks from other groups.

"As he has throughout the race, Senator Bennett continues to denounce these outside groups whether they attack him or one of his opponents," said the senator's son and campaign spokesman, Jim Bennett. Several groups have spent cash in Utah making phone calls, mailing political mailers or airing television ads slamming Bennett.

"Lee and Bridgewater are selective in denouncing only those that attack their campaigns, and they have yet to comment on FreedomWorks and Club for Growth's involvement in Utah's election," Bennett added.

An Inconvenient Truth: Erick Erickson

From the blogger who brought you such classic catchy psuedojournalistic headlines and professional commentary like:

Is Obama Shagging Hookers Behind the Media’s Back?

"I assume not. I assume that Obama’s marxist harpy wife would go Lorena Bobbit on him should he even think about it, but I ask the question to make one simple point: Barack Obama, like Elliott Spitzer, is a creation of the liberal media and, as a result, could be a serial killing transvestite and the media would turn a blind eye."

And intellectual commentary on twitter:

and Conservative Christian dialogue such as:

"At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator's house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?" Erick Erickson Post

not to mention his admiration for the constitution and it's provision to take a census:

If the census worker came by his house he would "pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35338.html#ixzz0r3LLFsjN

Erick Erickson presents to you, the people of Utah Mike Lee for U.S. Senate.

Erick Erickson has not only endorsed Mike Lee but spends most of his time belligerently fabricating lies, innuendo, and outright deceptive hit pieces on the opponents of Mike Lee.

Targets of Erick Erickson's attacks included Senator Bob Bennett, Republican Senate Candidate Cherilyn Eager, and current Republican Senate Candidate Tim Bridgewater.

"This needs done very carefully - and by a non-Lee campaign connection"

Remember how RedState.com Erick Erickson's national enquirer style blog went out this morning and rattled around the Utah Political echo chamber? "Did a Candidate for the US Senate Use Your Tax Dollars to Help A Mexican Drug Trafficker? The source has been identified and clearly reinforces the need to push it out but in a very careful/tactful manner by a non-Lee campaign connection. The names of those connected are listed throughout the email chain.

"Whether or not it is usable, the Lee campaign can't be the one to break this as an issue, it would only hurt their effort. This needs done very carefully - and by a non-Lee campaign connection. (Throwing rocks like this usually only hurts a campaign, whether true or not.)"

----- Forwarded message -----

From: "Marie N."

Date: Mon, Jun 14, 2010 9:45 am

Subject: [ufiretalk] 11 month old victim of ID theft

To:

I went to read the story and it does sound consistent with what I heard Tim saying. I'll have to see if that was one of the few times I actually recorded the meeting I was at. The one problem I see in the article is that there is a date attached to the funding, but no date attached to when the US govt began to suspect the named beneficiary as being involved w/ drug trafficking. I wonder if the funding was given prior to any concern. That would be a leap, then, to tie the funding to Tim. But as the article points out, one of the many concerns I had was just why had Tim thought funding low-income housing in Mexico using US funds was really a good thing for America. I am curious to see what you are able to discover on this Russell.

~Marie

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 9:38 AM, Russell Sias <RussellSias@gmail.com> wrote:

Found the author, sent him a message. Will see what happens.

Russell

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 9:31 AM, Marie N. wrote:

I am always cautious of things like this coming up so close to the primary date. I am a strong supporter of Mike Lee, but I agree with Russell in proceeding with caution without it being verified. I don't recall this being brought up in any of my investigating of Tim or Mike. The closest thing I heard was when I was in a meeting where Tim was defending his business practice of seeking government funding for his clients. He talked about one project where funds were received was for low-income housing in Mexico, and said this was good for America because rather than have them come here they could stay in their own country. I just thought that was an odd thing to "brag" about, because why do we need to build low-income housing in Mexico? Perhaps this project ended up being tied into the drug trafficker? Again, it's all so speculative unless you confirm things. I think it is best to make our decision about our next senator based on substantive facts. Definitely look into this, as it would be a concern, but don't hold it against anyone without substantiation. This coming from a strong supporter of Mike Lee. ;)

Sincerely,

Marie Nuccitelli, registered and active voter

Strong Supporter of Mike Lee for US Senate 2010

www.MikeLee2010.com

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 9:18 AM, Russell Sias wrote:

Good grief! If this is true, Tim should be toast. Mike cannot bring it up either.

Can we verify this information? Arnold, do you know the outfit turning out this info? Can you contact them, and pursue verification of this? It HAS TO BE verified. If it isn't verified, then it can't be used.

Whether or not it is usable, the Lee campaign can't be the one to break this as an issue, it would only hurt their effort. This needs done very carefully - and by a non-Lee campaign connection. (Throwing rocks like this usually only hurts a campaign, whether true or not.)

Later,

Russell

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 5:27 AM, Arnold Young wrote:

this site says that Bridgewater got US loans for a mexican drug trafficker. can anyone verify this. the accusation came from Red State who is usually pretty accurate.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/06/14/did-a-candidate-for-the-us-senate-use-your-tax-dollars-to-help-a-mexican-drug-trafficker/

Thanks

Arnold Young

Cell 801-372-1585

my website arnoldyoung.info

or Freedomcalling.info

Lobbyist Lee

A Public Forum Letter in the Salt Lake Tribune Published June 12, 2010

Lobbyist Lee

The controversy about the failure of U.S. Senate challenger Mike Lee to register last year as a lobbyist gives us several important lessons in elementary government law.

Lee says he spoke with Michael Cragun, then a lawyer with the lieutenant governor's office, and was told that "answering questions about a bill's constitutionality wouldn't trigger a need to register as a lobbyist" ("Lawmakers say Lee acted as lobbyist," Tribune , June 4). The opinion was not reduced to writing, as it should have been.

Lee does not say he asked Cragun to refer his question to the attorney general's office, which Lee should have done, since it is the only state office authorized to issue legal opinions. Lee only says Cragun gave him an oral opinion, which is, as was said when I was attorney general, not worth the paper it is not written on.

The answer Lee says Cragun gave him -- that he would not actually be lobbying -- is on its face unbelievable. Surely the main law office of Lee's law firm, located in Washington, D.C., knows how to request a legal opinion from government that is worth something. Lee needs to learn how.

David L. Wilkinson Utah attorney general, 1981-89

Provo

Mike Lee for Senate 2010 - Thugs in Utah County

Mike Lee's complete answer to the Afghanistan question at the UCRW Debate on March 1, 2010 at the Provo Library.

Mike Lee: Meals on Wheels

Mike Lee's full answer to the Afghanistan question in Kaysville on March 19, 2010, in which he describes our efforts in Afghanistan as "meals on wheels" and "building self-esteem."

Mike Lee for Senate 2010 - The Utah Amicus

Mike Lee for Senate 2010 - A new standard of transparency and openness