I reported here a few years ago about The Israel Project’s “Hasbara Handbook,” created for it by Republican master strategist, Frank Luntz. He was paid handsomely for his work, earning over $200,000 from the group in 2009. Apparently, TIP is strengthening its ties to the Republican far-right even farther. Think Progress reports that Ralph Reed has a $140,000 contract to consult in the field of “political affairs” for TIP. The author of the piece notes Reed has founded a new right-wing group, the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which hosted Likud ultra-hawk Danny Danon at its last convention, which was also attended by most of the Republican presidential candidates.
It would seem that Reed’s main purpose as a paid consultant is to deliver the Christian Zionist community to TIP’s doorstep. I should note that TIP is “bi-partisan” in that sense, as it also contracts with Democratic flacks like Lanny Davis who no doubt was paid handsomely to defend the Israeli killing machine (1,400 Gazan dead) during Operation Cast Lead. Davis had the dubious distinction of accepting lucre from Laurent Bagbo, the butcher of Ivory Coast, who was recently overthrown in a peaceful coup by Alessane Ouatarra, who trounced him in the country’s most recent election. Another Democratic pollster and consultant, Stanley Greenberg, is being paid $300,000 by TIP for “research.”
I’ve noted in the past that TIP’s director of global affairs, Laura Kamm is married to the former deputy of mission of Israel’s embassy in Washington DC (and current deputy director general of the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs under Danny Ayalon), Jeremy Issacharoff. The web of influence between TIP and the Israeli government hasbara apparatus is seamless.
Further, another brilliant husband/wife duo affiliated with TIP are the Ledeens. Barbara Ledeen is listed as TIP’s Iran “specialist.” Expertise derived, no doubt from her husband, Michael Ledeen, who believes America should exercise its male dominance on the world stage by kicking around a few crappy little countries every couple of years to remind everyone who’s boss.
” Laurent Bagbo, the butcher of Ivory Coast, who was recently overthrown in a peaceful coup by Alessane Ouatarra, who trounced him in the country’s most recent election. ”
i can’t believe you, out of all the bloggers” can put such BS!!! what a shame!!! Laurent Bagbo wasn’t the best president but he was pushed out because he refused to continue to sell his countrys natural ressources to France but instead to the country that would pay the most for it.
peaceful coup by Alassane Ouatarra?!? are you for real?!? have you seen how many died in the 2 weeks that followed the coup?
Dude, if you bring Africa in your blogg, please verify your info… don’t be just a CNN / BBC / France 24 or whatever news channel’s relay…
Bgagbo wasn’t God’s gift to Ivory Coast. He at the end of his rule was as much a tyrant & bloodletter as the forces which helped bring Outarra to power.
I was wrong in saying it was a peaceful coup. YOu’re right to take me to task for that error. Unfortunately, not having an army of his own Outarra resorted to alliances with some nasty, unsavory characters. But I believe they are now gone from the scene & order & security has been restored. If you see things differently let me know.
In fact, I don’t know what to think of the whole mess in the Ivory Coast. What I do know is that French Prime Minister François Fillon went off to Abidjan on Friday with a whole bunch of French businessmen, and he’s going to do everything to restablish the “Françafrique” – this very particular neo-colonial relationship between France and its former colonies – which at least Gbagbo tried to break.
But you’re right, Gbagbo had become nothing more than another corrupt, power-obsessed dictator. I really wonder how someone who was an idealistic politician in the opposition for decades, who refused all posts during the former dictatorship and was a refugee abroad for many years, can turn out to be exactly the same as the one he fought against. Money, I guess.
Stanley Greenberg is also behind the newest ‘poll’, sponsored by TIP, that has been posted by right-wing Zionists since yesterday morning, ‘prooving’ that the Palestinians don’t want ‘peace’:
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=229493
It is off -topic but since you mentioned it: the description of Laurent Gbagbo as a butcher and Alassane Ouattara as taking over in a peaceful coup is very one-sided.
Many of the mass graves discovered recently were filled up with Gbagbo-supporters, and testimonies show that the violence was both ways.
I’m not defending Gbagbo. I USED to admire him, particularly for a very courageous standpoint on Palestine when he was still a young history teacher and for being the only historical opponent to former dictator Hophouët Boigny that Quattara served as Prime Minister, but Ouattara, the man of the West, is not ‘all white’ – unfortunate expression – either.
Outtara used some quite unsavory characters to bring down Gbagdo & you’re correct that there was violence on both sides. Gbagbo earlier in his career was someone admirable. But not at the end. I think that Ouattara wants to do the right thing, but the jury is still out.
Thanks for news about that poll. TIP is known for its fake polls which prove whatever they want to prove.
Netanyahu receives numerous standing ovations in Congress, Glen Beck is welcomed in Israel as a conquering hero, now Ralph Reed enters the scene, and then there’s your mention of the barbarian Ledeens. Throwing up, it seems to me, is the only reasonable response.
RE: “It would seem that Reed’s main purpose as a paid consultant is to deliver the Christian Zionist community to TIP’s doorstep.” ~ R.S.
MY COMMENT: All I can say is that The Israel Project and Ralph Reed deserve one another.
Even the Republican voters of Georgia had enough sense to reject Ralph Reed (as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2006).
What doe’s it matter ? with Aug deadline, and the predictions for the devaluation of the USD, with the money Ralph Reed from Israel Project, he will not be able to buy bubble gum.