Subject: ATTY CLIENT PRIV Call Update
From: "Debbie Fine" <[email-masked]>
To: "John Podesta" <[email-masked]>
Cc: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008 16:11:23 -0500

hey john -- wow.  so jen and i called into the call that mary pat
organized to deal with the fallout from FFA donors re the CDA ad.  on
the call was mary pat, marc elias, amy dacey, david brock, tom mattzie,
frank smith, susie mchugh, tara mcguiness, paul begala for a few
minutes.  joe sandler (CDA lawyer) was not on the call.  (marc elias,
lyn utrecht, joe sandler and my team are getting on the phone today to
discuss some of CDA's thinking.  i can update on you that as well.  we
are confused about what's been happening and once get a better sense of
it, will confer with out CDA on the call, and then i'll be in a better
position to advise you.)  

here is a very quick summary of this call -- jen feel free to add:

1.    Mary Pat is calling the FFA donors named in the NPR ad to ask them
to please not to talk to the press for 24 hours.  she will then get them
talking points that describes in part what FFA vs CDA is, and i imagine
what their money supported.  those talking points will originate from
amy dacey, to be vetted by marc elias.  i assume amy will send them to
you as well, but will specifically ask for that.

2.  David Brock was very concerned that no CDA plan had been in place to
address possible concerns raised by the story that they knew would break
-- esp regarding the impact on donors.  i.e. no one at FFA knew how this
ad was going to be filed (on this i will note that i actually understand
that CDA did not need to list FFA on the filing -- but i will confirm
this), so that donors could be contacted in advance. he was concerned
that the CDA bd/prospective bd had no idea, nor did FFA.  (in this
context, somebody mentioned -- i think it was susie -- that you were on
the CDA call making decision to run the ad.  i said that while i
couldn't speak for you, i'm sure you had no idea what they were planning
to do with filings. that that was not your role on the call.)

3.  It's not clear to me what the press strategy is -- there was some
support for trying to get a more full bodied FFA story in the press.
Jen can talk more about that.  

4.  Begala talked positively about the press coverage, but about the
need for there always to be a lawyer on the call on this stuff.  On
that, we'll try to set up some sort of system so that we know what's
happening. 

let me know if you want to discuss or want more info. thx. 

Debbie Fine
General Counsel
Center for American Progress
Phone:  202.741.6253
Mobile:  917.373.8308
Fax:      202.682.1867