So where does a far left political operative land after his organization is fined $775,000 for election violations that included hiring rapists and burglars to register voters?
Inside the Obama White House, of course.
Obama’s ACORN operative in the White House Patrick Gaspard is helping shape domestic policy… and the NY-23 race.
From left: CECILIA MUÑOZ, director, intergovernmental affairs; MICHAEL STRAUTMANIS, public liaison; CHRISTOPHER LU, Cabinet secretary; HEATHER HIGGINBOTTOM, deputy director, Domestic Policy Council; PATRICK GASPARD, political director; PHIL SCHILIRO, director of legislative affairs; MELODY BARNES, director, Domestic Policy Council. (New America Today Mag)
Patrick Gaspard, who has a long history of working with ACORN-affiliated organizations, was behind the scenes this weekend persuading former GOP candidate Scozzafava to endorse democrat Bill Owens in the NY-23 race.
The Washington Post reported:
Steeped in New York politics, he played a pivotal role in the effort over the weekend to persuade Republican State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava to endorse the Democratic candidate in the special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, two senior White House officials said Sunday. One senior official added that Gaspard was the “air traffic controller” of multiple parties as events in the district unfolded. Scozzafava, a rare Republican who who supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights, endorsed Bill Owens rather than the Conservative Party candidate two days ahead of Election Day, a major victory for Democrats in arguably the most closely watched contest in the country.
But Gaspard is the last person to boast about his efforts and the first to bestow credit to larger personalities. He tends to talk through larger-than-life figures — he’s an avid comic-book collector. He declined interview requests for this article — and would not address questions put to him by e-mail on Sunday asking about his role in the NY-23 race — in what his allies said was a trademark style that stands in contrast to the frequent aggressiveness of his West Wing peers.
Republican Rep. Darrell Issa suggested yesterday that the Obama White House offered Scozzafava favors for endorsing Bill Owens.
Scozzafava had already taped robocalls in support of Bill Owens by Sunday night. Her husband, a top union official, was in talks months ago with Democratic operatives about her switching parties.
Scozzafava took $1 million from the GOP for her campaign this year.
