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| Saudi money behind anti-Israel ads. Wotta surprise. |
| 2002-05-31 |
| A powerful D.C. lobbying house has been shaken by its controversial contract with Saudi Arabia and its link to hard-hitting anti-Israel ads. "There's unease," confirmed Stuart Pape, managing partner of Patton Boggs, a Washington lobbying institution. Crap. There goes the Mogen David contract... Patton Boggs has a $50,000-per-month contract to arrange meetings between the Saudis and members of Congress and the Bush administration. But its partners are steamed about its relationship with Qorvis Communication, which has a $200,000-per-month p.r. contract to promote the Saudis as friends in the U.S. war against terrorism. The Qorvis p.r. blitz included pro-Saudi TV ads that some cable networks, including the History Channel and the Weather Channel, rejected as inappropriate. Most of us viewers just concluded they were stupid and went back to watching Jerry Springer. Qorvis also played a role in airing hard-hitting radio ads that called for Israel's "withdrawal from the Palestinian land it has unjustly occupied for years." The ads were promoted by the "Alliance for Peace and Justice," a group that Qorvis helped create for a consulting fee paid by Arab-American supporters. Paid grass roots participation, by Gawd! Now dat's Capitalism! Qorvis executive Michael Petruzello said the ads were produced and placed by Sandler-Innocenzi, a D.C. advertising firm run by two former top officials for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Petruzello said the financial backers of the "alliance" include the Arab-American Institute, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council and the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee. Why'd they forget to hit up CAIR? Sandler-Innocenzi, which has done work for many top Republicans, also placed the controversial pro-Saudi TV ads for Qorvis, although Sandler-Innocenzi didn't register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent as required by law. Patton Boggs has a 15 percent ownership of Qorvis, but sources say Qorvis' anti-Israel stance could end the relationship. Don't bother. You still ain't gettin' the Mogen David contract. And Murray's Bagels? Pfui. Maybe you can get the contract to market Arafat Cheese Chips, if you hustle. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |