See, this is the shit I was talking about in my last post. Now I don’t claim to be an Edward Bennett Williams or Hale Boggs, Jr. when it comes to Washington politics. So, perhaps there is some “this is how it is done” reason out there for Elizabeth Warren to have listed on her official federal election filings the Washington law firm/lobbyist Perkins Cole as her contact person. Okay, they were hired to keep her out of trouble with the Federal Election Commission But there are many lawyers and firms that can do that. Ones that don’t have clients paying them to fight Cape Winds like Cole Perkins.
So there’s Scott Brown’s come back to everything. And a T.V./radio ad. ‘The first thing that Elizabeth Warren did when considering a run was to hire Washington lobbyists. Lobbyists who clients include blah blah blah”.
This was dumb. Every move has to be vetted.
You see, one thing we can say about Scott Brown is he is not in the bag. And, like Puddy from Seinfeld, he’s likable to most people. Dumb, honest, and likable. Sure he has a few flaws, who doesn’t? But for the most part he’s an alright guy.. In the other hand most voters don’t know yet that Ms. Warren exists. And when they do they will immediately judge her from her first television go-around. That alone will be tough.
But now this. As soon as a microphone is put in front of Scott’s face and her name is mentioned he will respond with this easy to digest fact that is enough for Joe six pack to understand: Elizabeth Warren is a Washington puppet. Much anecdotal stuff sucker the voters into believing it is gospel truth.
And of course Setti and Tom and the others whose names I forget right now will be saying the same thing before the primary. Warren could very much be soiled by the time she wins the primary. Which she will.
Here’s a cliche for ya. Twenty-four hours is a long time in politics. These past 24 have me concerned.
and the average person equates “Washington Lobbyist” as someone who does not put their interests first.
In all campaigns the candidate will stumble what will show you the true metal of a candidate is how they rebound. This process is not all about the 5PM sound bite it is these details that can create issues that have little to do with the actual race but are how the electorate judge a Candidate Elizabeth Warren has had her first slip let see how she recovers.
I thought you were dead. Good too see you. (you know what I mean)
Soooo, what are your thoughts on Ms. Warren?
But still not good, I agree.
Don’t mind me.
Yes I am back Ernie . How have you been?
As far as Elizabeth Warren goes I like her message I like her guts and commitment. I have followed her writings for several years and I do support her views but, she is a rookie to the Massachusetts process and like some others here have posted I hope we are not endangering a key voice in trying to turn this economy around to a process that makes chum out of more seasoned individuals.
This campaign is not just a debate with Scott Brown on who would represent Massachusetts the best. It is a long complicated process just to get to that debate and she is late coming to the party. This makes the climb a little tougher and stumbles become more magnified.
I have my fingers crossed and I will watch for a while longer.
In the universe of law firms in DC who could help her with the potential problems she faced, I can’t imagine you’d be able to find one entirely “clean” one. It’s not work that every firm can handle well. Perkins is also the firm for the Democratic Party, John Kerry’s presidential campaign, and the President
It is unfortunate that Coie comes up relating to a significant MA issue, but it’s still better than being connected to defending BP after the spill, or the NRA.
Legal question – would attorneys at Perkins Coie be prohibited from donating to her campaign, or would disclosure be enough? If they couldn’t donate, it is smart that she did not choose a firm with a Boston office, like Ropes & Gray, Goodwin Procter, WilmerHale or the like, whose employees all regularly donate hefty amounts to Democratic candidates.
I think Ernie’s point has been made.
You (whoever you are)can say that, but people will laugh at you for saying it.
That sounds like something the right are throwing out there to disarm her during the primary. In the general, Scotto’s got his own check from the Koch Bros.
I don’t doubt that something like this could hurt, but the effects are going to be minimal. I don’t think there is enough there, there to really make an issue out of it. The whole “She’s from Oklahoma”/Harvard lifer gig is a better bet for them now, because frankly it raises money (more the Harvard, odd since GOP titans of industry have gotten MBA’s from there).
Frankly, though this is more cause for the state to push back the primary. Bob Massie said this a few months ago and I agree. Shortened general election seasons leave no time for healing and frankly benefit incumbents over anybody else Democrat or Republican. Frankly Republicans should get on board with this having lots of races to compete, if not always win, during this post-redistricting election in 2012.
Nothing against Elizabeth; but in Bob we in Massachusetts are truly fortunate to have a class candidate. Josh said it here better than I can: http://vps28478.inmotionhosting.com/~bluema24/2011/07/bob-massie-for-us-senate-why-im-backing-bob/
Similarly, in seeking to move the primary to give our nominee for the senate against the half-term senator more time to regroup after the primary, Bob shows again that he knows the game, he is a pro, and is acting on behalf of whomever gets the nomination.
I have known Bob for several years, so for me, this one is personal – the strength of character, breadth of vision, fighting spirit so unusually paired with generosity of soul is, for me, a candidacy of unusual depth and value, and one that I feel passionate about supporting.
…to vet the lists of all current and previous clients that a potential agent of theirs has had? If I have to hire an attorney does that make me responsible for that attorney’s previous clients, or even their other current clients?
yes.
I definitely don’t feel like I have to be my brother’s keeper on this one. These guys are in business; some get hired by people on different sides of different issues and work hard for anyone who hires them. I see no logical connection between one client and another. Candidates should be asked what they support, but to say if X and Y both hire Z means that X and Y support each other is a big time logical fallacy.
In the absence of a grassroots statewide Democratic Party – Democrats are only 36.48% of the electorate and shrinking – our campaigns are overwhelmingly dependent upon paid and free media.
Thus, seemingly minor symbolism – such as Scott Brown’s pickup truck – has electoral effects out of proportion to its tangible importance. This plays out both ways. There are reasons that opposition researchers check vendors and contributors.
This isn’t a deal-breaker for Elizabeth Warren, but it can be used (in isolation) as a political point.
In the absence of structured grassroots outreach, electoral politics is an exercise in applied psychology, not logic.
Who hired which consulting firm strikes me as a lot more inside baseball for political junkies than a pickup truck.
Although that is certainly an example of why politics is, as a rule, stupid with a capital S.
that is … they are based in Seattle, Washington.
Perkins Coie is an international law firm based in Seattle, Washington. It has been listed on the Fortune Magazine “100 Best Places to Work in America” for the past eight years. It is noted for its intellectual property, Labor and Employment, and Products Liability practice groups, and for its political law group, which Chambers regularly ranks first in the United States. The firm is counsel of record for the Democratic National Committee, and other political clients include nearly all Democratic members of the United States Congress, as well as several Presidential campaigns, including those of John Kerry and Barack Obama. Its corporate clients include international high-technology and telecommunications companies.
Bob Buer now White House counsel was top dog at Perkins with a change to Marc Elis has seen Lobbying almost eliminated from their specialty. You should check out this page to see how little they actually did. In fact the lobbying for cape wind was likely to be little more then hosting a meeting considering how few dollars and as far as a claim that they are the Koch Bros lobbying firm well that is a total fabrication.
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?id=D000036616&year=2009
Last time they did any major lobbying was 12 year ago but please look for your self.
So maybe Elizabeth Warren did not stumble maybe Ernie Did. What do you think Ernie? you really need to stop reading Red Mass.
At least she has some kick ass legal reps. And Scotty, who took a chunk of wall street cash to win and then did his best to keep them less taxed in Dodd-Frank has baggage in the special interest section.
GOP has nothing. This lame ass stuff is all they could come up with? No one gives a shit now and no one will give a shit next year what law firm she hired. Seems like a straight up choice, they work with a lot of Democrats, and do well, why wouldn’t she pick them.
Ernie, you fall for the slickness of Dave Wedge, Dan Winslow’s Proskauer has a freakin’ office in DC. Scott Brown chooses Washington DC law firm to represent him. This is going to capture the minds of everyone? I really don’t think so.
Are we certain that Wedge didn’t just make this up?
which is a great crapper book, informative and historical and lively, one dive bar at a time. Dave Wedge is a friend of author Luke O’Neil and apparently showed him around to all the best dive bars in Southie and Dorchester. Which is good for his cred if you ask me, a real writer’s writer.
were he a novelist. But then again, maybe he is a novelist.
Are slinging as a negative that Warren’s DC law firm may have had a connection to these clients? (I say may, since other comments cast doubts.) Are Wedge and Red Mass agreeing that these are bad guys? Senator Centerfold solicits contributions from the Koch brothers and opposes Cape Wind. Kind of ugly for their guy if they’re saying that the Koch brothers and opposing Cape Wind are so radioactive that they contaminate a potential candidate who simply hires a member of the same law firm that has also had some association with them. Scotto must be Fukushima Daiichi hot by this standard.
My conclusion: Scotto’s crowd have correctly identified Elizabeth Warren as the candidate who can beat him. She’s the one they’re afraid to face.
… but here’s their website. http://www.perkinscoie.com/
The idea that hiring a gigantic law firm associates you with every other client they’ve ever had, is just monumentally stupid. It’s a cheap shot that’s so cheap as to be worthless. Law firms like this work for whomever can pay them — angels, devils, everyone in between. That’s their job.
And the fact is that there aren’t that many lawyers who are go-to people for FEC compliance. Bob Bauer is one of them, and he’s the best. He also works for the good guys, most of the time.
I don’t know whether Bauer himself is representing Elizabeth Warren, but the point is that Perkins Coie’s FEC practice is the best there is on our side of the aisle.
As for hiring a firm that “doesn’t have a Massachusetts office” for FEC work … um, who the f&$# cares? Federal campaign finance law compliance is not exactly a big legal topic around here. If your whole practice is the FEC, you want to be near the FEC.
White House Counsel for Obama for a couple of years. He’s a heavy hitter.
Cf Edward’s comment above.
EaboClipper’s big find turned out to be that a Democratic Candidate for Senate hired a firm that has worked for the DNC? And that firm has a guy who was Obama’s White House Counsel?
So RMG was just blowing smoke.
SHOCKER!! đŸ˜‰