Labrador supporter admits he used 'propaganda' to defeat Vaughn Ward

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Lucas Baumbach, the most vocal of Raul Labrador's supporters, has admitted that the viral YouTube video he created to help Labrador win a Congressional primary race over Vaughn Ward was "a piece of propaganda." Baumbach heavily edited his video to give the impression that Ward plagiarized Obama’s 2004 DNC speech by juxtaposing phrases from speeches Ward and Obama.

“No, it wasn’t accurate - it was a piece of propaganda,” Baumbach told Eye on Boise today, “and people thought that there was enough truth in it to change their votes.” Baumbach said he decided to exercise his video-editing skills after a May 13 blog post from the Idaho Statesman’s Dan Popkey pointed out similar turns of phrase in the two speeches, and Dustin Hurst of the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s IdahoReporter.com followed up with a May 21 story including video from both speeches. “That wasn’t attracting much attention,” Baumbach said. Simply posting both videos wasn’t enough, he said, “when you’re trying to get the word out, sensationalizing something.”

“I admit that there was a lot of editing that went on there,” Baumbach said.

But the good ol' boy Republican establishment just loved Baumbach's video takedown of Ward:

He’d just finished being congratulated by other like-minded Republicans after a GOP unity rally today at the state Capitol, where some were throwing around the word “brilliant;” last night, at GOP election-night headquarters, Baumbach attracted similar praise from some in the crowd who called him “the man of the hour.” Baumbach’s mash-up was featured on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” last night, though Leno left off the final scene in which Baumbach shows Ward’s face slowing morphing into Obama’s.

We just hope that the "Tea Partiers" who supported Labrador are proud of the fact that their guy is an immigration lawyer "who represents clients before immigration judges, sometimes to help them remain in the United States after they’ve violated laws and are subject to deportation," according to the Spokesman-Review, and has been critical of Arizona's tough immigration law. Because that's one of the reasons why Sarah Palin wisely endorsed Ward.

- JP

Some incovenient facts for Raul Labrador

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At NoisyRoom.net, Carolyn Cooke wants Idaho Republicans to say "no" to Raul Labrador in the GOP primary for Idaho's 1st Congressional District:

Fact: Immigration attorney Labrador fought to keep Javier Sotelo from deportation. He was convicted of smuggling illegal aliens and document fraud...

Fact: Labrador represents illegal aliens in his practice.

Fact: Attorney Labrador has worked for the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, ardent supporters of Larry Craig’s AgJOBs amnesty...

Fact: Idaho Rep. Labrador voted against SB 1157, a bill that required verification of legal status to receive non-emergency taxpayer-funded public benefits.

Fact: Labrador wants more foreign guest workers...

Yikes! No wonder Sarah Palin endorsed Labrador's primary opponent Vaughn Ward.

- JP

KTVB Video: Sarah Palin's speech at Vaughn Ward rally in Boise

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Courtesy of Boise television station KTVB:



- JP

Sarah Palin rallies a crowd of 1500 for Ward in Boise

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Sarah Palin delivered a rousing stump speech for Congressional candidate Vaughn Ward today at the Qwest Arena in Boise:

Gov. Sarah Palin took the stage at about 11:30 a.m. She made mention that her luggage hadn't arrived.

"I'm in borrowed clothes, again ... The more things change, the more they stay the same," Palin joked.

Palin talked about the "hometown feel" of Idaho, describing residents as unpretentious, hard-working, patriotic, average Americans.

Palin, who was born in Sandpoint and graduated from the University of Idaho, talked about her Idaho roots. Her father taught school and coached in Sandpoint. She mentioned others in her family who'd graduated from Idaho colleges.

"We're all a bunch of potato heads," Palin said.

Palin said her father didn't make it to Boise today because he was busy getting a new hunting dog.

"Does that tell you anything about the home I grew up in? Politics or hunting dogs?" Palin said.

Palin noted that her father is a huge Boise State Broncos fan.

"It's one of the highlights of his life," she said.

But the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate didn't forget why she was in Idaho, and she devoted most of her time at the podium to talking up Vaughn Ward:

“I like those bumper stickers that say, ‘You can keep the change,’” Sarah Palin told the crowd in Boise. She called Vaughn Ward “the real thing,” saying he’s pro-gun and pro-life. “Vaughn has been courageous enough to serve our country and fight for you, fight for all Americans, serving in the Iraq war,” she said. “Those are the qualities we need in leaders today who like Vaughn can go to Washington and take back a majority for common-sense conservatives, who understand the constitution, and they understand that freedom isn’t free, freedom is a God-given right and is worth fighting for.” That won Palin a loud cheer and round of applause.

Palin touted Ward's support for less government, lower taxes, a strong America "that we don't apologize for." She called him one of the most promising conservatives in the country.

"We need someone to take a stand against the big government agenda of Nancy Pelosi," she said.

Palin also talked about fixing "that ObamaCare scheme that was forced down our throats."

Gov. Palin warned her audience not to believe some of the things the “lamestream media” and the liberal left would be saying about Ward as the 1st Congressional District campaign wears on:

She said the media is afraid of Ward because he's a threat to "the left's hold on the First District."

She told the crowd to hold the media accountable when they "twist and turn what Vaughn said."

She referred back to her education at the University of Idaho, where she got a degree in communications. She said she learned then the "who, what, where, when and why," but she said modern journalists have strayed from the traditional journalistic values.

"I think it's appalling and a violation of our freedom of the press," Palin said.

Several times she referred to Ward's service as a U.S Marine and reminded the audience that Ward had already taken an oath to serve, protect and defend the United States Constitution. Ward is facing state Rep. Raul Labrador in Idaho’s GOP primary election on Tuesday. The winner will challenge freshman Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick in November's general election.

- JP

Gov. Palin is in Boise. Where is her luggage?

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Gov. Sarah Palin arrived safely in Boise this morning to help out Congressional candidate Vaughn Ward in his primary race to represent Idaho's 1st Congressional District. But where her luggage is, no one seems to know, apparently including Alaska Airlines, says a Ward campaign spokeswoman. So she may have needed to fit a quick shopping detour into her schedule to find something to wear to Qwest Arena for the events.

Mike Tracy, a media consultant and spokesman for the Ward campaign, said all the $10 tickets to the event were sold. He did not immediately know exactly how many tickets had been sold, or how many people signed up for the $250 VIP meet-and-greet or the $1,000 photos with Palin. Tracy said the Ward campaign has made enough money to pay the cost of using the Qwest Arena for two days; set up began on Thursday. He did not immediately know the cost of that. Palin's visit to Boise to stump for Ward has been in the works since last summer -- it wasn't spur-of-the-moment or last-minute, as some have suggested, Tracy said. He said Palin's father and father-in-law attended a fund-raising event last July.

Tracy said Palin was not paid for the Ward rally, and she has made a sizeable contribution to Ward's campaign.

After the event, Gov. Palin is headed to the airport to catch a plane to Colorado. Hopefully her luggage will meet her there.

Update: CNN (via KTVB) is live streaming video of the event here.

- JP

Gov. Palin will rally for Vaughn Ward in Idaho today

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Sarah Palin will be in Idaho today to appear at a rally in Boise with GOP Congressional candidate Vaughn Ward, an Iraq veteran fighting for the opportunity to challenge Democrat Walt Minnick for the 1st Congressional District U.S. House seat. First Ward must win Tuesday's Republican primary against state Rep. Raul Labrador.

Gov. Palin has endorsed Ward, while Labrador secured the backing of Idaho's largest tea party organization last week. But Tea Party Boise organizer Russ Smerz says Palin will be well received and admits that she is expected to give Ward's campaign a boost. That contradicts Labrador press secretary Dennis Mansfield, who said he doesn’t believe Gov. Palin's visit will do much to help the Ward campaign. Nevertheless, Mansfield admitted in a e-mail to supporters that he and many Labrador supporters would likely go to the Ward rally to see the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate:

“I’ll bet a lot of our supporters would go to bask in her star power,” Mansfield said. “She’s pretty cool.”

Meanwhile, Labrador, perhaps worried that attacks on Sarah Palin by his supporters could backfire on his campaign, posted on his Facebook page:

“It’s not unusual to see posts of disappointment in Gov. Palin by those who do not call themselves conservative. They are everywhere. What IS of interest is when solidly conservative Bloggers write about a prevailing and expanding disappointment in her. Sarah Palin’s visit to Idaho on behalf of the... Vaughn Ward Congressional Campaign has prompted many comments by conservatives. We are disappointed with her coming into this Primary Race... but we urge conservatives to STOP the attacks on Gov. Palin.”

Ward said that his campaign is not paying Gov. Palin to appear in Boise. She will be there as a family friend.

- JP

More details on Palin - Ward rally in Boise Friday

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The Ward campaign has made details public for the fundraising rally in Boise Friday with Sarah Palin that was announced Tuesday.

The event will be held at the Qwest Arena in Boise Friday morning beginning at 9:00 Mountain Time. Ward campaign spokesman Mike Tracy told left wing Politico that getting the rally scheduled is a coup for Ward:

"This has been in the planning stages for a while, and the timing is beautiful with four days before the primary," Tracy said. "Love her or hate her, the media covers her a lot. And there's tremendous excitement – her visit is the lead story everywhere on every newscast in the state."

Todd and Sarah Palin's respective dads, Jim Palin and Chuck Heath, have already done some campaigning in Idaho for Ward last year.

- JP

AP: Sarah Palin to rally for Vaughn Ward Friday in Boise

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Vaughn Ward's campaign spokesman Mike Tracy tells the AP that Sarah Palin will appear with the congressional candidate at a public campaign rally Friday in Boise. Ward has also announced this on his Facebook page):

The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee was an early supporter of Ward’s bid to win the nomination to compete against Democrat Walt Minnick to represent Idaho’s 1st Congressional District. In March, Palin endorsed Ward on her Facebook page.

The time and place of the rally is yet to be announced. The visit by Gov. Palin is well-timed, as the rally takes place just five days before the primary election. Ward is opposed by state Rep. Raul Labrador in the GOP primary. The winner will challenge Minnick in the November general election.

- JP

Sarah Palin endorses three veterans for U.S. Congress

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Posting on her Facebook Notes page Monday, Sarah Palin endorsed Lt. Col. Alan West (Ret.) and two other military veterans in their races for the U.S. House of Representatives:

American Heroes Ready and Willing to Serve in Congress

America, if you love your freedom, thank a vet! And if you’re looking for leaders who believe in integrity, service, and country first, look to our veterans.

Last week I campaigned for a true American hero, John McCain, and this week I’d ask you to join me in supporting a new generation of heroes who are heeding their country’s call for leadership in Washington.

There are a number of great veteran candidates running for office this year, and there are some excellent organizations dedicated to helping them, including: Iraq Vets for Congress and Combat Veterans for Congress (please click on the links to visit their websites).

There are three veterans in particular I’ll be supporting this week.

The first is Major Vaughn Ward, a fourth-generation Idaho native who grew up on his family’s farm in Shoshone and is running in Idaho’s 1st Congressional District. Coming from a family with a proud military tradition, Vaughn enlisted in the Marine Corps after college and was finishing up his service when the September 11th attacks occurred. He put his life on hold and heeded his country’s call – serving first as a CIA Operations Officer and later volunteering with the Marine Corps for a combat tour in Iraq, during which he was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V. After returning from Iraq, Vaughn went to work for the McCain/Palin campaign. I was grateful for his support then, and I’m happy to support him now because I know that he believes in the same commonsense conservative ideals that we cherish. Vaughn knows that real job growth comes from the private sector, not government. He believes in free market reforms, tax relief for families and small businesses, and a return to a constitutionally limited government that lives within its means. He’ll carry the conservative banner to Washington and will rein in the reckless growth of government to get it back on our side. And remember, a vote for Vaughn is a vote to remove the gavel from Nancy Pelosi’s grip. Please visit Vaughn’s website here to make a donation to his campaign, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

The second veteran is Captain Adam Kinzinger, a decorated special-operations pilot who flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adam is running for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District against a freshman incumbent congresswoman who seemed to pull a bait and switch on voters to get elected. She sounded like a blue dog on the campaign trail, but didn’t vote like one in Washington. Instead, she voted in lockstep with the Pelosi agenda – on Obamacare, the stimulus, cap-and-tax – and the list goes on. She’s part of the reason for Congress’ 11% approval rating. Adam is a strong fiscal conservative with a proven track record as a reformer from his years serving on his local county board. Adam started out in local office, and, like many of us, believes in making government more accountable to the people. When you serve in local office, your constituents truly are your neighbors. Adam understands this, and I know that he will listen to his constituents and work for us, not against us, in Washington. Please visit Adam’s website here to make a donation to his campaign, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

The third veteran is Lieutenant Colonel Allen West, a decorated war hero who’s served with distinction in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of you may have heard of Allen from a speech he gave last year that became a viral video on YouTube with over 2 million viewers. Allen’s personal story is a testament to the commonsense conservative belief that our nation’s greatness is rooted in freedom, because with freedom comes equal opportunity, and that, coupled with hard work, leads to success. Allen is a small government fiscal conservative running against a leftwing ideologue who’s marched to the beat of Nancy Pelosi on every issue from cap-and-tax to the stimulus, TARP, and, of course, Obamacare. It’s time to send Allen to Washington in his place. Please visit Allen’s website here to donate to his campaign, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

I believe that these great veterans will fight for us in D.C. to uphold and defend our constitution as courageously in the halls of Congress as they did on the field of battle. I’m so honored to offer my support to these American heroes, and I hope you’ll join me in helping them so that they can serve us all in Washington.

- Sarah Palin

- JP

Palin dads to campaign for Vaughn Ward in Idaho

About a week ago Jim Geraghty noted a tweet from Vaughn Ward, a candidate for the U.S. House in Idaho's 1st Congressional District, and we passed along the information. What captured Geraghty's attention was Ward's Twitter message that "two Alaskans" would be coming to Idaho to stump the district for him. Now we know which two Alaskans he was Twittering about:

The fathers of Sarah and Todd Palin will be joining forces this month to help an Idaho congressional candidate who's getting an early start on his 2010 election bid.

Both Chuck Heath and Jim Palin will be in Idaho later on this month to help out Vaughn Ward, a Republican candidate for Congress. They’ll be attending events for Ward at the end of the month in Boise and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Ward's campaign spokesman said.

The former Alaska governor's father is an Idaho native who graduated from Sandpoint High School in northern Idaho. Palin, Sen. John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate last year, is herself is a 1987 graduate of the University of Idaho.

As we mentioned in our August 3 post, Todd Palin's parents have contributed to Ward's campaign. We also expressed our curiosity about whether Ward would be one of those conservative candidates that former Governor Sarah Palin said she would campaign for. No confirmation on that yet, but it wouldn't surprise us at all. Ward fits the bill.

- JP

Will Sarah Palin campaign in Idaho for Vaughn Ward?

Given Sarah Palin's announced plans...

"I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe
in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation."

...we hope she will campaign for Vaughn Ward in Idaho. Ward, who as a Major commanded a USMC rifle company in combat in Fallujah, is a candidate for the U.S. House to represent Idaho's 1st Congressional District. Ward says he's running because he wants "to protect our liberties - not grow the government and mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren":

"I have spent my adult life serving Idaho and America. I can't stand idly by and watch our leaders take our country, a country that I swore an oath to protect, down its current path."

Jim Geraghty reports that Ward has posted a Twitter message that "two Alaskans are coming to stump" for him in his home state. We are curious if Ward is referring to Jim and Faye Palin of Wasilla, Alaska. The former First Dude's parents are among the contributors to Ward's campaign. We hope that their famous daughter-in-law will also stump the state of her birth for the appealing young conservative candidate. She has had some degree of success on the campaign trail, once she was liberated from Team McCain's straight jacket.

- JP