Subject: RE: Atlas scope of work document
From: "Begala, Paul" <[email-masked]>
To: "Susan McCue" <[email-masked]>, [email-masked], "john podesta" <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
Cc: "Tara McGuinness" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 17:22:40 -0500

I cannot be on the call Monday, so let me say at this point that I am a
deep skeptic.  The one-pager is mighty thin:  basically just help with
targeting.  For a four-state $40 million campaign to spend $450,000 on
targeting -- over and above what our media-buying firm, Tom and others
are already working on -- seems to me to be not worth it.  My
understanding is that ATLAS is looking at at least a dozen states, maybe
14.  So we'd be buying field plans we don't need, and media targeting
for as many as ten states where we're not advertising.  

I'm sure America Votes and Fund for America will find ATLAS's work much
more suitable for their endeavors.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan McCue [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 5:02 PM
To: [email-masked]; Begala, Paul; 'john podesta';
[email-masked]
Cc: 'Tara McGuinness'
Subject: RE: Atlas scope of work document

Let's discuss on Monday call.  

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Tom
Matzzie
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:18 PM
To: Paul Begala; [email-masked]; john podesta;
[email-masked]
Cc: Tara McGuinness
Subject: Atlas scope of work document

As you may know the Fund for America has asked us to sign onto the Atlas
Regional Accountability Program. It costs $450,000 over 10 months. I
have resisted spending this money to date because resources have been
scarce. Steve Rosenthal and I chatted today and he reminded me that FFA
wants us to do this. He implied that some of the stresses that are being
put on us to deliver plan documents would be lifted and funds might come
easier.

I have attached the scope of work from Atlas. I still can't say in good
faith that I feel this scope is adequate or necessary for us given our
media-specific focus. Their services are much more field-focused. We get
a lot of these services from our media buyer. If you compare the scope
of work and our state media plans it is hard to see what more we'd get
from Atlas. I've attached the state media narratives again. However
Atlas is a key part of the requirements from FFA. On that basis I'm
inclined to sign the contract.

We need to decide what we want to do and I need your support if we
decide not to engage since it will probably piss some folks off (Atlas,
America Votes, FFA, SEIU).

Thanks,

Tom