Special Interests, or Why Philpot = Vouchers

Much has been made about how much of Jim Matheson's campaign funding has come from PACs.

However, Morgan Philpot's campaign has gotten help from PACs. But, they did it in a way that is nearly impossible to track just how much PAC help they are getting.

First, there was the ad run by "B Alice Baker" who usually goes by Barbra Baker. She spent $50,000 of her own money to run the radio ads.

She says that "Both parties have been at fault with ignoring how to maintain freedom, and getting bigger and taxing more and spending more." However, the only talking point she has in her ad is that Jim Matheson votes with the Democratic Leadership 90% of the time. In other words, according to her radio ad, she's voting for Morgan Philpot because he's a Republican.

Which kinda makes her statement to KSL seem fishy.

So, who is Barbra Alice Baker? She's the owner of Challenger Schools, and was a big proponent of vouchers. Remember vouchers? That initiative that Utah voters defeated by more than a 3 to 2 margin. In fact, it was defeated in every single county.

However, the biggest special interest running Philpot's campaign for him is FreedomWorks. FreedomWorks is a big backer of....

Vouchers.

Another big proponent of vouchers is FreedomWorks. FreedomWorks is behind those often illegally-placed Matheson=Pelosi signs you see around town, and most of the Philpot signs you see as well.

What is Morgan Philpot's position on vouchers? Well, the guy who invented the Utah Republicans' Web Communications Committee can't seem to give any communication on his web site about his view on education. Which can only lead us to assume one thing:

Philpot = Vouchers.

-Bob

Don't effin swear at people!

Come on now, you're not going to win any hearts and minds with this kind of talk:

Him: "Vouchers are F***ed up and so are you for working for them"
Me: "Well, have a good day sir"
Him: "F*** you"

I mean, really. "Him" couldn't come up with anything better? And I thought I was wound tight at the moment.

The "me" in the conversation is Jeffrey Isbell. Given his reaction, I think that he and I could actually get along.

One day while I was canvassing in Kearns, I introduced myself and before I could even say why I was on his doorstep, the guy said "I'm Mormon!" and slammed the door in my face. My reaction was the same as I gave every door slam in Minnesota:

"Jesus still loves you...."

-Bob

I'm not a stalker

"Young" Jeffrey Isbell has accused me of stalking him.

He makes it sound like I'm sitting outside of the PCE offices waiting for him to come out.

I'm not.

However, it is you, Mr Isbell, that has come into my home turf to sell my neighbors on vouchers. All I want to do is take you to lunch and ask you about it. In a nice way. You have my phone number. I'll even repeat it. 759-1080. That's an 801 area code, because I'm a local.

Oh, and while I've got you here, I wanted to clear up a few things:

*You are not a volunteer. At $1000 per week plus living expenses, hardly sounds like a volunteer gig to me.

*I would imagine that you are fairly concerned with the same political matter. Otherwise, why are you in Utah?

Again, I ask that Mr Isbell give me a call. Lunch is on me.

-Bob

More paid PCE "grassroots"

(Hat Tip: Accountability)

I've talked about Jeffrey Isbell, who stated on his blog that Parents for Choice in Education was flying him out to Utah to work as their "grassroots."

Now, we have someone else that has been caught.

From the Utah State Democratic Party blog:

Megan Risbon, treasurer of the Utah Democratic Party, was up at SnowBird last weekend enjoying Oktoberfest when she decided to ride the tram up to Hidden Peak.

One of the passengers struck up a conversation about vouchers with the other passengers. She seemed well-rehearsed: How dare a liberal, out-of-state, anti-voucher union come in and try to overturn a law enacted by Utah's very own Legislature and governor. She seemed appalled.

Megan had heard it all before and could not restrain herself. Her blood began to boil. Megan told the group, then jammed together hundreds of feet above the ground in a tram swaying back and forth, that a good chunk of that NEA money comes from Utah - donated by thousands of Utah educators who contribute to a national fund to defend local public schools everywhere in the U.S. from wealthy out-of-state conservatives and their secretive hirelings who would come in and tinker with our schools yet won't even identify themselves.

"Who pays your way to come to Utah and campaign for vouchers?" Megan demanded. The twentysomething pro-voucher activist replied in huff, "You don't need to know!"

The young woman did let on that she was from California, but that could have been apparent to anyone.

She was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. It was snowing on top of Hidden Peak.

This is serious business. I wonder just how many people have been hired to come and work for vouchers from out of state.

If someone starts talking to you about vouchers, ask them who they work for and where they are from. And then drop me a line. 759-1080 or bobiscookiemonster AT yahoo DOT com.

And, just a warning to PCE: we're alwys watching you.....

Have You Seen This Man?

A week ago, I informed you that Jeffrey Isbell was coming to Utah to blog in favor of vouchers. He even talked about it on his blog, until he took the post down. He has also removed several comments left by myself and others trying to get in contact wit him.

If you see him around town, call the tip line. 759-1080.

-Bob

VOUCHERS: Watch for paid pro-voucher bloggers coming soon!

Accountability has the details:

One young man, Jeffrey Isbell (http://www.blogger.com/profile/11159236207444335966), is coming from several states away just to write a weblog for Parents for Choice in Education from the end of September through Election Day. He writes,

Well, folks, from September 30 through Election Day (November 6), I will be blogging from the "great" state of Utah. No, I'm not becoming a Mormon like my home boy Mitt Romney. No, I'm not going out for the skiing, I'd break more than a leg or two. So, what am I doing?

Jeffrey writes about his temporary assignment here (http://jisbell.blogspot.com/2007/09/its-official-moving-to-utah.html). He says he was "offered a position to go out there for 5 weeks or so and make sure the good voters of Utah vote in favor of this awesome thing."

So, from September 30 through November 6, I'll be there. I know, I'll be away from friends and family, but they are more than welcome to come out and visit me, It's only 20 hours driving or 3 hours on a flight one way.

I consider this a great offer and jumped on the band wagon officially today. I look forward to working with the great people of Parents of Choice in Education (PCE) and meeting the voters of Utah. You'll know about this in the coming days.

Accountability also sends us a post from a blogger in Michigan who got the following email from the Young America's Foundation:

A group needs campaign workers. Details are as follows:

The teacher's union in Utah is trying to outlaw vouchers and there is a conservative group that is leading a ballot initiative to stop them. They are paying a lot of money, plus the roundtrip flight and a food stipend. Any YAFers that are interested can contact the person below. Here is the info.

Managers for Utah voucher ballot initiative battle...
Your compensation will be as follows:
1. PCE will pay you $6000, $3000 on October 15th and $3000 on November 6th.
2. PCE will provide your lodging.
3. PCE will provide a food stipend of $25.00 per day. This stipend will be paid in two payments, $550.00 on September 23rd and $600.00 on October 15th.
4. PCE will provide for your transportation.
5. PCE will pay for your flight to and from Salt Lake City .

You will report to Salt Lake City on September 23rd and will leave on November 7th.

thanks for the help.
Greg
Greg Graves
(505)400-7310
430 Phoenix Avenue, NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107
ggraves@gordianstrategies.com ggraves@gordianstrategies.com>

$6,000 plus food and lodging for six weeks of blogging? And to think, I'm doing this for the tiny amount I get from my ad space.

But seriously, watch for some new pro-voucher blogs to start soon. And, they are people from out of state. It's bad enough that they are buying columnists, but buying bloggers?

-Bob