Peter Feldman---McCain Campaign worker who pushed the fake attack story

[goodgd_yall]

Remember that name. He's McCain's communications director for Pennsylvania.

This was McCAin's Pennsylvania strategy, no doubt---stir up racial bigotry among Pennsylvania whites.

"A source familiar with what happened yesterday confirmed that the unnamed spokesperson was communications director Peter Feldman. Feldman was also quoted yesterday making virtually identical assertions on the Web site of another local TV station...After the story appeared on KDKA's site and this and other pieces in the local press started flying around the political world, an Obama spokesperson in the state angrily insisted to KDKA that it was irresponsible for the station to air the McCain spokesperson's incendiary version of events before the facts were fully known, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

After that, KDKA went back to McCain's Pennsylvania spokesperson, Feldman, and asked if he stood by the story as he'd earlier told it, but he started backing off the story, a source familiar with the talks says. That prompted KDKA to remove the grafs."

Feldman couldn't immediately be reached, and a McCain HQ spokesperson declined to comment."

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/mccain_aide_gave_reporters_inc.php

[Ian David]

1. We should send him flowers. n/t

[goodgd_yall]

You mean

lilies?

[brettdale]

2. Do you have a picture of this guy?

Do you have a picture of this guy?

[goodgd_yall]

3. No

Could you try to dig one up?

[brettdale]

8. I guess I could do a google search

I guess I could do a google search

[TornadoTN]

4. I guarantee that Ashley the Liar had this guys number on speed dial

Or dare I suggest, he called her first?

[Essene]

33. the photo was taken by a law student, sent to the College Republicans and then???

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08299/922849-53.stm

This Garcia guy took the photo, called the cops and then called their employer, the College Republicans. He apparently was a little skeptical about her story but treated her as if it was real. He's now "furious" about the entire thing.

Anyways... he sent the photo to the police and to the College Republicans.

From there... it got into the hands of this PA campaign guy, probably as part of a "all hands on deck" type email chain.

I think Ms Todd was way low in the feeding chain.

[DontTreadOnMe]

5. But what about Bill?

[sohndrsmith]

9. oh, so the B was for Billo? (snark) : ) n/t

[yardwork]

6. I wonder if Miss Ashley and Peter Feldman have ever met?

I wonder if they have been in contact at any time?

[RagAss]

7. Pieces of Fucking Shit...All of Them....I want these shitbags away from my government !!!!!!!

[speedoo]

10. Some google results...

google "Peter Feldman mccain"....

He's been a busy McCain asswipe..

Used to be on the McCain NJ staff, now in PA.

Made excuses for Palin's Bridge to Nowhere flip-flop.

That's as far as I got in a few minutes. He's NOT some low level staffer that they can just throw under the bus.

[goodgd_yall]

11. He's the Pennsylvania communications director

Nope, wouldn't call that a low-level staffer.

[TheEuclideanOne]

21. Oh Reallllyyyyyyyy

The Pennsylvania Communications director you say....Hmmmm.....The one state that could really benefit from a racially divisive story. How interesting. I am guessing that a story like this could help them put a dent in Pennsylvania since it has no early voting. They should cover this story heavily in Pennsylvania.

[Essene]

35. actually....a Regional Spokesman for the McCain campaign

see posts below.

he seems to be a major Mccain campaign PR person. one of the regional PR people.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. McCain spokesman Peter Feldman says this:

McCain spokesman Peter Feldman says this: “The fact is that once Governor Palin was elected and had an opportunity to look closely at the project, she killed it. She fought for Congress to kill the provision, but they sent the funds anyway. Palin fired the kill shot by not using a dime of that money on the bridge. ” The timeline : The Bridge to Nowhere was killed in 2005, a year before Palin even ran for governor. And when she ran in 2006 she ran as a strong pro-Bridge candidate.

[Overseas]

27. Wow, Peter Feldman follows the McLiar model to a T -- lying through his teeth.

Without batting an eyelash I'll bet.

I guess it goes with the spokesman territory for Republicans-- gotta be a smooth liar.

Guess he sorta messed up on this one. Or maybe he was also drunk & looking into the mirror with her when she scratched her face ?

[dgibby]

13. Soon to increase the ranks of the unemployed by at least one.

[sohndrsmith]

14. Okay, this seems like Feldman just may be a national staffer. I'm confused. Story below:

NEWS: New Jersey
McCain's NJ campaign: 'We're here and plan to stay'
By Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter October 6, 2008

If the McCain campaign’s decision to end operations in Michigan doesn’t exactly produce a rush of new resource opportunities in New Jersey, McCain at least does not intend to fold up his Garden State headquarters, according to spokesman Peter Feldman.

"Obviously as we move closer to Election Day, the campaign is making strategic decisions about limited resources and taking a closer look at the electoral map," said the Woodbridge-based Feldman. "The McCain campaign continues to fight for New Jersey’s 15 electoral votes, which are still up for grabs.

"With resources coming out of Michigan, we expect more attention on the traditional battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, but also other states like Maine and New Jersey," the spokesman added .

(my emphasis added)

http://www.politickernj.com/tags/peter-feldman

---------------so is this guy a national communications director, seems like its the case, which would mean this story IS in fact connected to the NATIONAL campaign (which is how they're trying to spin it - to distance themselves from this being a local issue, unrelated to the campaign). Bullhockey.

Anyone else confused?

[goodgd_yall]

15. It seems like

he works in whatever state he's needed at the time. I didn't get the impression that just because he was identified as the Pennsylvania communications director that it meant his position was low level. He's working for the McCain campaign for the whole state of Pennsylvania, a hot battleground state. Upthread, Post #10 mentions his work in New Jersey. Anyway, I get your point that it could be taken as "just a local guy." But he apparently has been very valuable and visible in McCAin's campaign.

[sohndrsmith]

17. well said. It sort of makes it hard for the campaign to distance themselves

in order to skirt any culpability for his "glee" in pushing this story. I'm not saying McCain himself was involved, in fact, I sincerely doubt it. But it is his campaign and he is ultimately responsible for both the tenor of his message delivered by paid staffers, as well as handling inappropriate action of his staffers when it happens. His actions on both counts so far, in my estimation? Massive Fail.

Anyone who is not aware that there is deliberate opportunistic use of racism, (directly or indirectly) or race-baiting or any related ugliness has to have been unconscious for the last few months. If McCain is truly unaware of these things he's not qualified to run for crossing guard. Unfortunately for him, he's equally unqualified for being aware of it and either encouraging it or letting it happen.

This is intolerable and inexcusable, as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, there are a lot of card-carrying hate fueled folks out there who think this is all just fine and dandy. Worth committing crimes for, even, because of their insane view of people who are not "white" or, as they see it I'm guessing, "real Americans".

It's truly horrifying to me..

[goodgd_yall]

18. As you say

"If McCain is truly unaware of these things he's not qualified to run for crossing guard...."
:thumbsup:

[stillcool]

19. He's the regional spokesman...

for the McCain Campaign...

[Essene]

36. this guy is a major player in the Mccain PR machine... see this link

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/mccain/mccainorg.html

whether he reports to one of the regional directors or to the central PR director, this is not a low level position.

id wager any email he was a part of was almost instantly shared with the top tier of the Mccain campaign.

edit:

yes, google searching indicates the is a small number of PR people for the 11 regional offices.

Look at the list of "eleven regional campaign managers" at that website, and look at how each has an address. Some of them have a name attached to them. Feldman is listed for NY & NJ, but obviously works with the OH & PA office as well.

YOu'll see that several of these people represent multiple regional offices.

THis is a major player in the campaign's PR.

[HughMoran]

25. I'd like to see this linkage discussed on the Sunday political shows tomorrow morning

Perhaps a few targeted emails perhaps? :D

[Essene]

34. that sounds right

he's a major communications guy for the campaign, if he's been popping up in multiple battleground states in the last month.

he's a front-line PR guy.

[yellowcanine]

16. And why should Feldman not be forced to resign or be fired over this?

He pushed a racially charged story without the facts. He should resign or be fired.

[Karenina]

23. Fired immediately.

[HughMoran]

26. "He was.." ??????

Was he fired immediately??

[Karenina]

28. He SHOULD be, IMHO

Sorry for the confusion! :hi:

[bettyellen]

20. he should resign..

[Terran]

22. Hmmm...this would explain (perhaps) why McCain re-focused

on Pennsylvania. They thought they could ignite a racial shitstorm in western PA and flip the state.

[vaberella]

24. We've got a name, let's make this viral.

We can't let this go for nothing.

[Waiting For Everyman]

29. She'll rat him out any minute now.

I agree, this was part of the intention in shifting to PA.

[bluedawg12]

30. Desperation and flop sweat stink from mcpuke campaign. n/t

[bluedawg12]

31. More on Petey the Rat

http://mithras.blogs.com/blog/2008/10/the-stink-of-desperation.html


------

http://aplayingwithfireproduction.blogspot.com/2008/10/iceberg-dead-ahead.html

The McCain spokesperson's claims -- which came in the midst of extraordinary and heated conversations late yesterday between the McCain campaign, local TV stations, and the Obama camp, as the early version of the story rocketed around the political world -- is significant because it reveals a McCain official pushing a version of the story that was far more explosive than the available or confirmed facts permitted at the time.


A source familiar with what happened yesterday confirmed that the unnamed spokesperson was communications director Peter Feldman. Feldman was also quoted yesterday making virtually identical assertions on the Web site of another local TV station, WPXI. But those quotes, which we also preserved here, are also no longer available on WPXI's site, for reasons that are unclear.

This is problematic because the McCain campaign doesn't want to have been perceived as pushing an incendiary story that not only turned out to be a hoax but which police officials said today risked blowing up into a "national incident...read more here with links..

----

For a run down on how the story developed with links:
http://www.wikio.com/news/Peter+Feldman

[Essene]

32. why hasnt he been fired yet?

leaking the story to drudge... is understandable.

embellishing it and spinning it?

unacceptable.

[bluedawg12]

37. Apparently they like his style over at mclame central. n/t