UPDATE: Live from Iowa (Ames/Buses/Housing)

[libertyjam]

I am sorry but the information by Bergman is not correct. No Campaign staff has endorsed, approved or given a green light on what he is talking about.

As others mentioned, since by law the Campaign staff can do none of those things anyway, are you intentionally trying to throw cold water on a grassroots movement other than your own?

 

[Eric21ND]

Steve Beirfeldt just called me to help clear some things up.


1. Craig bergman is not involved with the campaign in any capacity, nor did anyone from the campaign encourage him to go ahead with a PAC or any transportation plans for the Straw Poll. Furthermore, his post can definitely get the campaign in trouble with the FEC.

2. The campaign puts Iowa at the highest priority, and a plan will be revealed in the next few days to the grassroots and will involve tickets, transportation and lots of other fun stuff.

3. Any attempt to go ahead with an Iowa bus plan on the part of the grassroots would be reinventing the wheel, and putting our efforts on something else will be better served.

4. RP and the campaign is very serious about winning not just educating.

5. Communication from the campaign to the grassroots (and the forums) will be very different this time, and it is the goal of the campaign to work with the grassroots (legally) but in much better ways than the 08 campaign.

6. Steve has an appointment to talk to Josh later today for more information.


Hope that clears things up, should I start a new thread?

Good deal, we're getting somewhere!

 

[Roxi]

As others mentioned, since by law the Campaign staff can do none of those things anyway, are you intentionally trying to throw cold water on a grassroots movement other than your own?

Please read the rest of the updates. Steve is part of the official campaign, and has the same goal as we do and that is getting Ron Paul elected. The campaign does NOT want to stifle the grassroots in any way. They want to help us in every legal way possible. Steve was pointing out that the OP was inaccurate, and that it can get the official campaign in trouble with the FEC.

 

[Roxi]

What can we legally work together on ? I'm not familiar with the campaign laws, but they seem rediculous.

I'm not completely sure, I know we coordinated with the campaign in NH legally in many different regards. I am now in the process of reading the most current FEC laws, and that is going to take me a while. I am sure there are some people qualified here that already know what I am to read, but would rather find out myself for sure, since I plan on being as involved as possible with the campaign this time around.

 

[The Dark Knight]

anyone have the phone number to the Iowa campaign office?

 

[libertyjam]

Please read the rest of the updates. Steve is part of the official campaign, and has the same goal as we do and that is getting Ron Paul elected. The campaign does NOT want to stifle the grassroots in any way. They want to help us in every legal way possible. Steve was pointing out that the OP was inaccurate, and that it can get the official campaign in trouble with the FEC.

ok, thanks. I just read the rest of the posts and it is much clearer now, nm.

 

[Roxi]

http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-ron-paul-opens-iowa-office-051011,0,1060188.story

 

[Sweman]

http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-ron-paul-opens-iowa-office-051011,0,1060188.story

00:40 "...how come I've been here so often?"

I Love that man.

 

[Badger Paul]

You know the funny thing about campaign law we all should realize...FEC usually decides on these cases well after the person who won sits in the Oval Office.

Just a word of friendly advice to the worried...

 

[Badger Paul]

"both should happen. The campaign can't be everywhere in the state, so grassroots needs to pick up the slack. For instance, in the last go-around, the campaign completely ignored the Eastern portion of the state, which includes some of the largest cities in the state nestled along the Mississippi River. If they intend to go that route again, grassroots needs to setup a plan to help get some of that populace to Ames."

Exactly and this is where there grassroots can be most productive is by organizing eastern Iowa. This is the part of the state with our greatest potential of support and as one who doesn't live too far away from eastern Iowa, I'll happy to help out with any organizing project this summer.This is where we need to focus our efforts identifying supporters and getting them to the straw poll.

 

[nayjevin]

The main story here from my view is people who want to jump out in front of the grassroots and create massive centralized operations should be met with skepticism.

ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY CLAIM THE CAMPAIGN ISN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING.

The leaders of this project and its cheerleaders have remained the same throughout. They were bumping the threads from the very beginning - and many of them have been saying all along that we have to hurry because if we don't the campaign won't have a plan to win the straw poll.

BUT U WANT TO WIN DON'T U? UR NOT A TERRIST R U?

Anyone cheerleading for this project from the beginning ought to be called into quesion IMO. And anyone STILL cheerleading the PAC plan after this new information doubly so.

Good thing Roxi actually contacted someone about it: (Thanks Roxi!)

Steve Beirfeldt just called me to help clear some things up.


1. Craig bergman is not involved with the campaign in any capacity, nor did anyone from the campaign encourage him to go ahead with a PAC or any transportation plans for the Straw Poll. Furthermore, his post can definitely get the campaign in trouble with the FEC.

2. The campaign puts Iowa at the highest priority, and a plan will be revealed in the next few days to the grassroots and will involve tickets, transportation and lots of other fun stuff.

3. Any attempt to go ahead with an Iowa bus plan on the part of the grassroots would be reinventing the wheel, and putting our efforts on something else will be better served.

4. RP and the campaign is very serious about winning not just educating.

5. Communication from the campaign to the grassroots (and the forums) will be very different this time, and it is the goal of the campaign to work with the grassroots (legally) but in much better ways than the 08 campaign.

6. Steve has an appointment to talk to Josh later today for more information.


Hope that clears things up, should I start a new thread?

Definitely... link to it here.

I agree with this too. I do think their intentions were probably good in nature. Though they were asked multiple times if this would be reinventing the wheel and had they talked to the campaign, or had any indication that the campaign wouldn't do this.

To me, if they were honest, they'd be here apologizing profusely by now, trying to clean up the mess they've made. I see more spin - even after you've dug up this information.

My personal opinion is that if Josh has a plan to get trusted members of this forum involved in a PAC that we should wait for that to become official.

Absolutely, anyone responsible would. The PAC plan was irresponsible from the beginning. Claiming to have inside knowledge about the campaign which now appears to be totally false.

I would also like to point out, that in the beginning of all this, nayjevin was merely trying to avoid reinventing the wheel on this matter, and pleaded many times with people to wait for some official word from the campaign, which now looks like what would have been the right thing to do. He was berated and flamed for this, which he admitted caused him frustration and to possibly go overboard in his posts, but that the initial reasoning for his hesitations remained. I don't speak for him in any way, but I wouldn't expect him to try so hard to point out possible objections in the future.

Well, thanks. I'd just like to say that I don't believe honest people act the way many of those I was 'bickering' against did.

It was frustrating, but I'm not going anywhere. Now, some responsible people are on this!

 

[nayjevin]

The main story here from my view is people who want to jump out in front of the grassroots and create massive centralized operations should be met with skepticism.

ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY CLAIM THE CAMPAIGN ISN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING.

The leaders of this project and its cheerleaders have remained the same throughout. They were bumping the threads from the very beginning - and many of them have been saying all along that we have to hurry because if we don't the campaign won't have a plan to win the straw poll.

BUT U WANT TO WIN DON'T U? UR NOT A TERRIST R U?

Anyone cheerleading for this project from the beginning ought to be called into quesion IMO. And anyone STILL cheerleading the PAC plan after this new information doubly so.

Good thing Roxi actually contacted someone about it: (Thanks Roxi!)

Steve Beirfeldt just called me to help clear some things up.


1. Craig bergman is not involved with the campaign in any capacity, nor did anyone from the campaign encourage him to go ahead with a PAC or any transportation plans for the Straw Poll. Furthermore, his post can definitely get the campaign in trouble with the FEC.

2. The campaign puts Iowa at the highest priority, and a plan will be revealed in the next few days to the grassroots and will involve tickets, transportation and lots of other fun stuff.

3. Any attempt to go ahead with an Iowa bus plan on the part of the grassroots would be reinventing the wheel, and putting our efforts on something else will be better served.

4. RP and the campaign is very serious about winning not just educating.

5. Communication from the campaign to the grassroots (and the forums) will be very different this time, and it is the goal of the campaign to work with the grassroots (legally) but in much better ways than the 08 campaign.

6. Steve has an appointment to talk to Josh later today for more information.


Hope that clears things up, should I start a new thread?

Definitely... link to it here.

I agree with this too. I do think their intentions were probably good in nature. Though they were asked multiple times if this would be reinventing the wheel and had they talked to the campaign, or had any indication that the campaign wouldn't do this.

To me, if they were honest, they'd be here apologizing profusely by now, trying to clean up the mess they've made. I see more spin - even after you've dug up this information.

My personal opinion is that if Josh has a plan to get trusted members of this forum involved in a PAC that we should wait for that to become official.

Absolutely, anyone responsible would. The PAC plan was irresponsible from the beginning. Claiming to have inside knowledge about the campaign which no appears to be totally false.

I would also like to point out, that in the beginning of all this, nayjevin was merely trying to avoid reinventing the wheel on this matter, and pleaded many times with people to wait for some official word from the campaign, which now looks like what would have been the right thing to do. He was berated and flamed for this, which he admitted caused him frustration and to possibly go overboard in his posts, but that the initial reasoning for his hesitations remained. I don't speak for him in any way, but I wouldn't expect him to try so hard to point out possible objections in the future.

Well, thanks. I'd just like to say that I don't believe honest people act the way many of those I was 'bickering' against did.

It was frustrating, but I'm not going anywhere. Now, some responsible people are on this!

 

[nayjevin]

It's good to hear the campaign wants to be involved with busing and stuff like that. They will have much more money to be able to do it. I am glad we will follow a centralized plan from the campaign as opposed to a decentralized campaign some were advocating for.

This forum account is a loyal cheerleader for the PAC plan, and has been since the beginning. This forum account has attacked me unduly for valid criticisms many times.

This post stirs up shit about the campaign's plan before even seeing it. And it presumes to speak for people who were critical of the plan as presented - not critical against ALL centralization.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

I spoke with national staff who were already aware of the 527 PAC plans and they shared some information both public and private. The public details follow: Ron Paul directly said our goal in Iowa is 1st. To win. And they are committed to that, much more seriously than previously. Much of this is due to our efforts and the attention being generated from the grassroots, here on this site, and many other sources, including grassroots leaders in other states who strongly encouraged an Iowa first strategy.

Collaboration between the official campaign and the grassroots is ILLEGAL!

I can say with absolute certainty three things: We still need to proceed with our PAC and were strongly encouraged to do so. We will need fewer buses and tickets than planned. How many fewer is not for public posting, but fewer is the word. The Campaign is going to commit "a significant portion" of the “Ready Ames Fire” money bomb directly to “Tickets and Buses”. The media was taking note and the words “Potential Frontrunner” were used more than a few times.

This is also in direct contradiction of what ROXIC posted in another thread about the official campaign covering this. That communication would also be ILLEGAL under FEC rules!

Are you and Steve trying to deliberately sabotage the campaign?

 

[KurtBoyer25L]

Jesus.

The one good part of all this is that the grassroots is showing its determination to win Ames. If the campaign won't bus people we'll raise the money and rent the buses ourselves. That's good to know, no matter who ends up in charge.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

6. Steve has an appointment to talk to Josh later today for more information.

I believe any such meeting would be ILLEGAL! under FEC regulations.

 

[rp08orbust]

I believe any such meeting would be ILLEGAL! under FEC regulations.

Can you cite it?

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

Can you cite it?

No - but when I worked with the campaign last time, there were rules - this was #1! I could give them public info, like about what new meetups there were, which I was tracking, but we could not discus any plans they had or we had. We could not collaborate in any way.

That is the law. Never, ever cross that line!

 

[rp08orbust]

No - but when I worked with the campaign last time, there were rules - this was #1! I could give them public info, like about what new meetups there were, which I was tracking, but we could not discus any plans they had or we had. We could not collaborate in any way.

That is the law. Never, ever cross that line!

Maybe you ought to double-check the exact regulations you believe are being broken before you start calling people felons.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

Maybe you ought to double-check the exact regulations you believe are being broken before you start calling people felons.

Can you quote them? - the first thing I was told when talking to the official campaign was know the law and what we can and can not talk about.