Revealed: The secret $850,000 plan by lobbyists to undermine Occupy Wall Street

Πηγή: MailOnline
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Nov 20 2011

A Washington lobbying firm with links to the financial industry has proposed an $850,000 plan to take on the Occupy Wall Street protest and the politicians who support it.

The secret proposal has been revealed in a memo obtained by the MSNBC program 'Up with Chris Hayes'.

The proposal was written on the letterhead of the lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford (CLGC) and addressed to one of its clients, the American Bankers Association (ABA), reports MSNBC.



Four page secret memo: Lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford has proposed an $850,000 plan to take on the Occupy Wall Street protest



MEMO: The proposal was written on the letterhead of the lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and was addressed American Bankers Association

CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct 'opposition research' on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct 'negative narratives' about the protests and allied politicians.

The memo also states that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and names specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead, the report says.

According to the memo, if Democrats embrace OWS, 'This would mean more than just short-term political discomfort for Wall Street.

'It has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bullseye.'

The memo also suggests that Democratic victories in 2012 should not be the ABA’s biggest concern. “… (T)he bigger concern,” the memo says, should be that Republicans will no longer defend Wall Street companies.'

Two of the memo’s authors, partners Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford, previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Geduldig joined CLGC before Boehner became speaker; Cranford joined CLGC this year after serving as the speaker’s assistant for policy.

A third partner, Steve Clark, is reportedly close with Boehner, according to a story by Roll Call that CLGC features on its website.

The memo indicates that CLGC would research who has contributed financial backing to OWS, noting that, 'Media reports have speculated about associations with George Soros and others.'

'It will be vital,' the memo says, 'to understand who is funding it and what their backgrounds and motives are. If we can show that they have the same cynical motivation as a political opponent it will undermine their credibility in a profound way.'



AUthor: One of the memo's authors, partner Sam Geduldig previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.



Secret proposal: Jeff Sigmund, an ABA spokesperson, confirmed that the association received the memo but said they would not act on it

Jeff Sigmund, an ABA spokesperson, confirmed that the association received the memo, MSNBC says.

'Our Government Relations staff did receive the proposal – it was unsolicited and we chose not to act on it in any way,' he said in a statement.

CLGC did not respond to calls from the programme asking for a comment.

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel declined to comment on the memo.

The memo outlines a 60-day plan to conduct surveys and research on OWS and its supporters so that Wall Street companies will be prepared to conduct a media campaign against OWS.




Media campaign: The memo says it will conduct research on Occupy Wall Street to give Wall Street companies ammunition to launch a media campaign against it

Wall Street companies 'likely will not be the best spokespeople for their own cause,' according to the memo.

'A big challenge is to demonstrate that these companies still have political strength and that making them a political target will carry a severe political cost.'

Part of the plan CLGC proposes is to do 'statewide surveys in at least eight states that are shaping up to be the most important of the 2012 cycle.'

Specific races listed in the memo are U.S. Senate races in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Mexico and Nevada as well as the gubernatorial race in North Carolina.