Jeff Greene For U.S. Senate: Desperate Career Politician Kendrick Meek Launches New False Negative Ad
Independent Sources Including PolitiFact Condemn Meek’s Claim in Ad as ‘FALSE’
West Palm Beach, FL – What does a corrupt Washington politician do when he’s losing? Intentionally try to mislead Florida voters. Kendrick Meek attacks Democratic outsider and proven jobs creator Jeff Greene in his latest desperate attempt to save his failing campaign. And the independent and credible PolitiFact, a project of the St. Petersburg Times, condemned as FALSE Meek’s claim that “Warren Buffett called (Jeff) Greene’s scheme ‘financial weapons of mass destruction.” See: http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/jul/30/kendrick-meek/warren-buffett-was-talking-about-derivatives-gener/
“It’s clear that career Washington politician Kendrick Meek cannot run on his record because it’s a history of corruption and failure,” said Greene spokesman Luis Vizcaino. “His deceptive attack condemned by Politifact as FALSE today is falling flat as he continues to lose support from voters and time runs out.”
Meek also cites biased groups which have endorsed his campaign, most of which did so before Greene was even in the race. Not only do these groups not have the independent credibility of news organizations, but once they endorse, they are part of his campaign. Meek’s campaign manager is as unbiased as the groups Meek cites.
Ad Claim Reality
“Jeff Greene can buy anything except the truth. His attack ad has been called ‘false,’ ‘completely untrue.’”
MEEK DOES NOT CITE ANY NEWS ORGANIZATION IN THIS CLAIM
For the claim Greene’s ad is “false” Meek cites Fraternal Order of Police, who endorsed Meek in February. [release, 2/17/10, www.kendrickmeek.com]
For the claim Greene’s ad is “completely untrue,” Meek cites Alliance for Retired Americans, another group whose Orlando branch endorsed him. “Kendrick Meek received the endorsement today of the Alliance for Retired Americans in Orlando.” [http://www.kendrickmeek.com, 6/7/10]
“All of these news organizations reported Kendrick Meek is not part of a fraud case”
Miami Herald headline: “U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek tied to failed Poinciana Park project fraud case” “As U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek championed a proposed biopharmaceutical complex for Liberty City in 2003, his Miami chief of staff received $13,000 from the project’s developer to help the aide buy a house, newly released police records show. The developer, Dennis Stackhouse, is now awaiting trial, accused of stealing nearly $1 million from the failed Poinciana Park project that was supposed to revitalize the blighted Liberty City community. Nothing was ever built. The police records show that Stackhouse engaged in an elaborate campaign to curry favor with Meek as the builder sought the congressman’s help in obtaining federal funding for the project. In addition to helping the aide’s house purchase, Stackhouse hired Meek’s mother, former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, paying her $90,000 in consulting fees and paying for a Cadillac Escalade for her to drive.Meek twice sought congressional earmarks to benefit the project but has insisted that was unrelated to his mother’s work for the developer.” [Miami Herald, 5/15/10]
Editorial “Meek’s Denials Not Credible.” “Meek’s situation goes to the heart of public trust. With taxpayer money, he helped out the guy who was making sure his mother had a big payday and drove a very nice ride. The Miami-Dade police public corruption bureau should investigate if it is not already, and the House ethics committee should open an inquiry. At best, there is an appearance of impropriety in the relationship between Kendrick Meek and Stackhouse. Meek’s denials are not credible, and it will take more digging by investigators to get closer to the truth.” [editorial, St. Petersburg Times, 5/24/10]
With Meek as chairman, an economic task force approved two loans to Stackhouse companies totaling more than $5 million. Two years after local leaders unveiled plans for a massive biotech park in Liberty City, Miami-Dade County killed the deal, severed ties with the developer and vowed to recover public money spent on the troubled project. With Meek as chairman, an economic task force approved two loans to Stackhouse companies totaling more than $5 million. Those companies later owed more than $200,000 in late payments. [Miami Herald, 6/26/07]
Stackhouse is accused of stealing $1 million from the Poinciana Park where nothing was built. Miami Herald: “The developer, Dennis Stackhouse, is now awaiting trial, accused of stealing nearly $1 million from the failed Poinciana Park project that was supposed to revitalize the blighted Liberty City community. Nothing was ever built. [Miami Herald, 5/14/10]
“…to say he’s against children’s health care is ridiculous.”
Another Meek Group, Not News Organization. To backup the claim Greene’s ad is “ridiculous,” Meek cites the SEIU. The SEIU endorsed Meek in February. [www.kendrickmeek.com, release, 2/16/09]
Meek Wanted Money for Children’s Health Care to Stay in Pocket of Tobacco Cronies. “Meek, a member of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, helped Miami cigar maker Jorge Padron get a private meeting with top House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, so Padron could lobby against the higher cigar taxes that were proposed to partly offset the cost of expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Months later, Padron hosted a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for Meek at his company headquarters in Miami. Meek and Padron said they had known each other for years and that the reception was not a reward for securing a meeting with Pelosi and committee chairman Rep. Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat. In fact, Padron was unsuccessful in persuading Democratic leaders to reduce the cigar tax, though the entire bill was later vetoed by President Bush. The public and private roles Meek played in the bitterly partisan debate over the health insurance bill were revealed partly in a recent story in Cigar Aficionado magazine, featuring photos of him in a dark, pin-striped suit, holding a cigar. Meek told the magazine, “I thought that the tax increase on the handmade cigar industry went a little bit too far. Well, not a little bit too far, it went too far. This would have hurt not only a lot of businesses in South Florida but also those countries where the tobacco comes from.” [Miami Herald, 3/24/08]
Meek Said Voted for It Knowing It Would Be Vetoed. “Asked why he would take a seemingly contrary stance by voting twice for the legislation, Meek explained that expanding healthcare was vital, adding, ‘We knew it was going to be vetoed.” [Miami Herald, 3/24/08]
Meek received nearly $20,000 in contributions tied to Padron and over $100,000 in contributions from the tobacco industry. Meek has recieved a total of 102,000 in contributions from the tobacco industry. Specifically, he recieved $35,000 during his state campaign, $21,000 during his congressional campaign, and $78,375 during his senate campaign. Meek also received almost $20,000 from Padron and his affiliated companies Padron Cigars, Caribbean Imported Cigars, and Piloto Cigars. [Federal Election Commission; Florida Division of Elections]
“Jeff Greene bet middle class homeowners would lose their homes.”
Financial Experts Agree Meek Dishonest on Greene’s Trade. “Greene countered that Meek misunderstands his trade, and financial experts agree that Meek exaggerates Greene’s role in the housing debacle. Steve Pomeranz, a certified financial planner in Boca Raton and host of the radio show On the Money, called Greene’s trade ‘ethically neutral.’ ‘When there’s any transaction in a security, someone is right and someone is wrong,’ Pomeranz said. ‘If you’re right, why would that make you the bad guy? You’re not profiting from people’s misery. Maybe you’re profiting from people’s mistakes, but it wasn’t you who made the mistake.’ PolitiFact.com, a site run by the St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald, labeled Meek’s accusation ‘hyperbole.’ University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith called it ‘a stretch.’” [Palm Beach Post, 7/11/10]
Is Compared to Wind Insurance. “What is a credit default swap? A type of derivative, a credit default swap is an insurance contract on an underlying asset. The buyer agrees to pay regular premiums in exchange for the protection offered by the swap. Much like a windstorm insurance policy pays only if a house is hit by a hurricane, the swap pays only if the asset loses value.” [Palm Beach Post, 7/11/10]
Greene Was Trying to Protect Jobs. Jeff Greene was heavily invested in the real estate market when he engaged in insurance to cover any potential losses due to the impending crash. This insurance is what Meek is criticizing. “Greene, for his part, said he feared in early 2006 that the housing market was about to crash. As the owner of a large portfolio of apartment complexes in California, Greene wanted to hedge his bets. ‘When I saw the real estate market imploding, I had to do something to protect the jobs I’d created, the mouths I was feeding and the investments that I’d worked a lifetime to own,’ Greene said during last month’s debate.” [Palm Beach Post, 7/11/10]
“Warren Buffett called his scheme financial weapons of mass destruction. Jeff Greene profited on suffering.”
This Claim Has Already Been Indicted By News Organizations
First Coast News Said It’s “False.” First Coast News political reporter Donna Deegan: “This is false. Warren Buffet never referred to Greene specifically in the Reuters article that the ad referred to, and in that article he is simply speaking about those credit default swaps. Also, the statement here uses the word ’scheme’. What Greene did was in no way illegal. Greene, like many others, made a calculated investment and won big.” [First Coast News in Jacksonville (WJXX and WTLV), 7/29/10]
PoliFact Called Claim “False.” “Here, we wanted to check the claim about Warren Buffett, that he “called Greene’s scheme ‘financial weapons of mass destruction.’ ” Buffett runs Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company renowned for its savvy investment strategies, and he’s No. 2 on the 2009 Forbes list of wealthiest Americans. Some folks call Buffett “the Oracle of Omaha.” We were suspicious that Greene (who’s only No. 317 on the Forbes list) would have made it onto Buffett’s radar. … By saying Buffett called Greene’s scheme a bad idea, Meek personalizes a comment that had nothing to do with Greene. Because of that, we rate Meek’s statement False.” [PoliFact ad check, http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/jul/30/kendrick-meek/warren-buffett-was-talking-about-derivatives-gener/ ]
WESH Channel 2 Said It was “Off the Mark.” “The ad’s final claim said that investor Warren Buffet called “Greene’s scheme financial weapons of mass destruction.”This is off the mark. The ad cites the quote from a Reuters news article from 2008.Buffet, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, actually made the statement in 2003, which is long before credit default swaps became common, and long before the mortgage crisis ballooned. Attributing the words “Greene’s scheme” to Buffet is misleading because he never mentioned Greene by name. Records show Greene did not start those types of investments until three years after Buffet made the statement.” [WESH 2 ad watch, 7/28/10 http://www.wesh.com/news/24425900/detail.html ]
