Randy Shannon – 4/17/08

This page was last updated on April 19, 2008.

The Democrats’ best bet; Randy Shannon; Beaver County Times; April 17, 2008.

In 2006 Mr. Shannon penned a letter to the editor entitled “The [Beaver County] Times is a tool of the GOP,” and he was serious.

For background info about Mr. Shannon, see my notes on his speech of October 16, 2004, in front of the Beaver County Courthouse.

I wish Mr. Shannon would cite the sources of his “information.” I suspect that info would be at least as entertaining as his letters.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“One can’t help but notice U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain often joining in harmonious criticism of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

“The Clintons have praised McCain in comparison to Obama. A look at their campaign organizations explains their coordination.

“The consultanting [sic] firm Burson-Marsteller provides Clinton with her chief strategist and other operatives. It has ‘loaned’ her $1.5 million, more than 650 times the campaign contribution limit. Its ‘elite government consulting and strategic lobbying’ subsidiary, BKSH & Associates, provides McCain with his chief strategist and other operatives.”

[RWC] Pet peeve alert: When did “loan” become a verb? At St. Titus grade school and Center High in the 1960s, I learned you lend something, not loan it.

“If either McCain or Clinton wins the presidency, the London conglomerate WPP Group, which owns Burson-Marsteller and BKSH, will become power brokers in the White House.

“Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark Penn, who John Edwards called the Karl Rove of the Clinton campaign, has retreated to the shadows after recent revelations he was lobbying for the Columbia free trade agreement that Clinton says she opposes.

“He also successfully lobbied for Allegheny Power’s 240-mile power line across Pennsylvania, which Clinton says she opposes. While Clinton condemned the Blackwater mercenaries, Penn prepped them for an appearance at a Senate hearing.

“Burson and BKSH have made the news for political dirty tricks and false-flag operations in Serbia, Venezuela, the United States, Germany, Iraq and Columbia. They managed President Bush’s advertising campaign against Al Gore. In 2007, union leaders asked Clinton to change consultants since hers ‘is helping a company fight a unionization drive.’

“Clinton’s continued campaign against Obama, the leading Democratic candidate, will help Burson-Marsteller’s effort to market McCain in November.

“In comparison, Obama’s consultant, AKP Media, is Democratic Party regular. It has consulted for the Democratic National Committee, former presidential candidates Richard Gephardt and John Edwards, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and the AFL-CIO.

“Obama is the best bet for Democrats who want change.”

[RWC] Given my experience with Mr. Shannon’s “facts,” I strongly suggest you check Mr. Shannon’s assertions if you care.

This letter is all about who is associated with the various campaigns and how that matters. Should anyone mention the association of Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko, et cetera, with Mr. Obama, how much do you want to bet Mr. Shannon would find those associations irrelevant?

Note what’s important to Mr. Shannon. Mr. Shannon used approximately 300 words to describe some kind of alleged conspiracy, but not one word to describe the “change” Mr. Obama would provide. In that, at least, Mr. Shannon appears to be consistent with most other Obama supporters.