Subject: Re: counsel issues
From: "Begala, Paul" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008 09:12:19 -0500

I want a careful and conservative lawyer, not an aggressive one. With that said, I think adding new counsel is a good idea. 

----- Original Message -----
From: [email-masked] <[email-masked]>
To: Susan Mccue <[email-masked]>; Begala, Paul; [email-masked] <[email-masked]>; john podesta <[email-masked]>
Sent: Thu Mar 06 07:47:51 2008
Subject: counsel issues

Hey Guys, I just want to flag that we're having problems getting our
outside counsel to be as responsive as we need. I'm contemplating
adding another firm or changing counsel. This is after I spoke with
them about it.

We need a bigger firm with more than 2 lawyers. I also think the DNC
optics with Sandler could create problems. He is really the DNC
General Counsel and then has some other clients. But we are using
counsel on a day to day basis now so we need somebody more focused on
us.

I think I'd engage with Larry Gold at Lichtman, Trister, Singer &
Ross. Larry represents mostly unions, 527s and c4s. No party
committees and only a few candidates. He was Associate General Counsel
at the AFL-CIO when I was there so I have a good working relationship
with him. He has also been one of the most aggressive advocates for
the free speech rights of advocacy groups in election years including
as one of the litigants in the lawsuit that broke some of the BCRA
restrictions last year.

See exchange below about Sandler issues.

I'm going to go forward with talking to Larry unless folks have
concerns and want to discuss this.

-Tom

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Malea Stenzel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 7:28 AM
Subject: RE: FW: McCain Hub- please approve
To: [email-masked]

Sandler assumed you were using express.

 I see two problems with the communication with Sandler:
        1.  He isn't paying close enough attention to our questions-
        2.  He has been too busy and isn't on the same page with Neil.

 Hope to get the questions of issue advocacy, electioneering and express
 worked out on Friday.  As much as it is a bad week for this to come up, on
 Friday we (hope) to be on the same page and all staff will have written
 guidelines they can follow (which I have already done for Issue Advocacy).

 FYI- Christina was not ready for the site to go as written yesterday at 3pm-
 don't know is she was comfortable releasing it today.

 Malea Stenzel
 [email-masked]
 Direct: 202-609-7675
 Cell: 651-261-3166
 Fax:  888-712-7990

-----Original Message-----
 From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Tom
 Matzzie
 Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 7:10 AM
 To: [email-masked]

Subject: Re: FW: McCain Hub- please approve

 Hey, why are we getting mixed signals with this? If we get a go-ahead
 in writing from the lawyers we use it.

 On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 10:14 AM, Malea Stenzel
 <[email-masked]> wrote:
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > We are good to go from Sandler.
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > Malea Stenzel
 >
 > [email-masked]
 >
 > Direct: 202-609-7675
 >
 > Cell: 651-261-3166
 >
 > Fax:  888-712-7990
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >  ________________________________
 >
 >
 > From: Joseph E. Sandler [mailto:[email-masked]]
 >  Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 9:42 AM
 >  To: [email-masked]; Neil P. Reiff
 >  Cc: Rachel Steinberg
 >  Subject: RE: McCain Hub- please approve
 >
 >
 >
 > Malea-
 >
 > (1)     Disclaimer is okay
 >
 > (2)     Not a problem to link to media websites or websites of other
 > nonprofits
 >
 > (3)     Discussing where he gets his campaign funds, etc on a website of
 > this nature is okay for CDA
 >
 > How much is this site itself costing you?
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > Joseph E
 >
 >  Sandler
 >
 > Sandler Reiff & Young PC
 >
 > 300 M Street, S.E.  Suite 1102
 >
 > Washington, D.C. 20003
 >
 > Tel:  (202) 479 1111
 >
 > Fax (202) 479-1115
 >
 > Cell  (202) 607 0700
 >
 >
 >
 > This message is intended only for the use of the intended  addressee and
 may
 > contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from
 > disclosure. If you have received this message in error, please immediately
 > delete it from your system and notify us  via email or telephone
 > 202.479.1111.
 >
 >
 >
 > IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements
 imposed
 > by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in
 this
 > communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be
 > used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under
 > the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to
 > another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >  ________________________________
 >
 >
 > From: Malea Stenzel [mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Malea
 > Stenzel
 >  Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 7:13 PM
 >  To: Neil P. Reiff; Joseph E. Sandler
 >  Cc: Rachel Steinberg
 >  Subject: McCain Hub- please approve
 >  Importance: High
 >
 >
 >
 > Hey Neil and Joe-
 >
 >
 >
 > I know you all looked at this last week, but I have some questions
 regarding
 > specifics on McCainhub.com.
 >
 >
 >
 > You can login to mccainhub.com at http://www.mccainhub.com/.  The user is
 > Ari and password is 1123rd.
 >
 >
 >
 > Questions
 >
 >
 >
 > Is the disclaimer ok for CDA?
 > Please review the links.   Where can we and can't we link to? (Such as
 > McCain's own website?)
 >
 > Is it ok to link to outside media sources?    Such as
 > http://www.mccainhub.com/homefront?id=0003 from the AFLCIO to the blog at
 > the AFLCIO?
 >
 http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/21/mccains-health-care-plan-higher-taxes-less
 -coverage/
 > Note the Miami Herald from the FEC--
 > http://www.nba.com/heat/contact/directory_arison.html
 > Note link to "White House for Sale"
 > http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/candidate.cfm?CandidateID=C0005
 >
 >      3.  We imbed many YOUTube clips on the site-is this ok?   See
 > http://www.mccainhub.com/videos?id=0003 and
 > http://www.mccainhub.com/videos?id=0002.
 >
 >      4.  Please note the topics we cover-can we talk about where McCain
 gets
 > his campaign funds from?  See "Cold Hard Facts"
 > http://www.mccainhub.com/corruption?id=0001 or "Arison Family Gave McCain
 > Thousands" at http://www.mccainhub.com/corruption?id=0001, or Qwest
 Arizona
 > President is Top McCain Fundraiser on same link.
 >
 >      5.  What are the words we can say (such as avoid "candidate" or
 > "campaign" or "vote," etc.  This would be helpful in giving the web
 > designers parameters.
 >
 > 6.  Any other thoughts?
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > Malea Stenzel
 >
 > [email-masked]
 >
 > Direct: 202-609-7675
 >
 > Cell: 651-261-3166
 >
 > Fax:  888-712-7990
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >