Subject: CDA Research Update: 1-11-08
From: "Benjamin Jones" <[email-masked]>
To: "Ana Iparraguirre" <[email-masked]>, "Andrew Baumann" <[email-masked]>, "Begala, Paul" <[email-masked]>, "Benjamin Jones" <[email-masked]>, "Cammie Croft" <[email-masked]>, "David Donnelly" <[email-masked]>, "Ian Mandel" <[email-masked]>, "Jeff Klueter" <[email-masked]>, "Jesse Contario" <[email-masked]>, "John Podesta" <[email-masked]>, "Kristi Fuksa" <[email-masked]>, "Lauren Levenstein" <[email-masked]>, "Michelle Jeung" <[email-masked]>, "Sarah Berns" <[email-masked]>, "Stan Greenberg" <s
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:55:50 -0500

Team,

Significant updates this week on Romney and McCain.  Thanks for the many
suggestions and places to focus for the last 10 days - it always helps us
move in a good, useful direction instead of going down rabbit holes that are
useless.  

Next week, we have plans to flesh out the many thematic documents with rich
details and deeper research where available.  We also plan on re-focusing
some of our time back on Huckabee since we stopped working on his memo in
late December.  

All updates are highlighted yellow in the attached files.

ROMNEY UPDATES

.      Editorial Criticism: We expanded the editorial criticism section of
the document with recent editorial that have been written. 

.      Ties to Bush: We added clips to the "I love Bush" section as well as
comments from Bush about Romney

.      Romney and Bain: This week we continued to develop Romney's record on
Bain and added criticisms from former colleagues. We also expanded the
Indiana bankruptcy issues and Romney's association with companies that were
fined for Medicare Fraud.

.      Romney and Corporate Boards: We developed a section on Romney's
involvement on corporate boards.

.      Romney and Staples: We also expanded the section on Romney and his
ties to Staples. 

.      Romney and Non-Profit Boards: This week continued to develop Romney's
position and influence on non-profit boards. 

.      Romney as Governor: We expanded Romney's record as governor. Under
that headline, we created thematics detailing his blatant neglect on and off
the job. 

.      Various Issues: This week we expanded many of the various issues
areas outlined in the document. 

.      Romney and Foreign Policy: We expanded Romney's foreign policy record
in two areas. The first is his reckless foreign policy and the other is his
complete lack of knowledge of foreign policy issues. 

.      Romney Lies: We developed a section about the various lies Romney has
told. This goes one step further that the flip flops. 

.      Romney and Flip Flops: It appears that the flip flops won't end so we
will continue to update this section each week. 

.      Controversial Support: We created a section detailing some of the
controversial support Romney has received in the past. 

MCCAIN UPDATES

.      Bio:  More bullets added to the biography section.  Most notable:
McCain close to abandoning GOP; Cindy McCain was addicted to painkillers and
stole pills from a medical relief agency she had founded.

.      Lifestyle section added: Section includes property information about
condo in Arlington county

.      Political Notes: information from daily clips added

.      Ties to Bush: Section added about 2000 primary; CQ vote study added.
Note: We are working on a thematic "Ties to Bush" document and this will be
further developed in a separate document.

.      Budget:  GOP budget resolution bills added to Economy section;
bullets added to economy section.

.      Energy:  Bullets added to energy section regarding contributions from
oil and gas, etc.

.      Environment section added.  Note: This section needs further
development.

.      Ethics:  Information regarding Rick Davis included; McCain and jets

.      Guns section added.

.      Health Care: Information about McCain's votes to benefit health care
and insurance industries; sub-section added on 2003 Medicare prescription
drug bill (McCain voted against)

.      Immigration:  Information added to immigration section: "Securing the
Border" reorganized to sub-section.

.      Iraq:  More information added to Iraq section.  Iraq scorecard added.

.      Personal Corruption: More information added

.      Special Interests and Money: More information added

.      Social Security: Section created

.      Stem Cell Research:  Section added

 

--------------------------------------

Benjamin Jones

Hildebrand Tewes Consulting

202-261-2385 (o)

202-841-9909 (c)