American Foundation for Equal Rights: Who are they? (Olson/Boies Prop 8 federal lawsuit)

[keepCAblue]

Whois is your friend. And it appears we may just have a fairy godfather (no pun intended) who is behind, or at least intimately involved, with the newly-sprung website/organization, "American Foundation for Equal Rights" (http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org)

AFER's website is registered to Chad Griffin of Griffin Schake (on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Angeles-CA/Griffin-Schake/44167760874 )

Google "Griffin Schake" and you will be pleasantly surprised. Chad Griffin, a democratric politico, was one of Advocate mag's "People of the Year" in 2008; Griffin was also executive producer on Kirby Dick's documentary, "Outrage." Griffin's agency is also behind the long-running and highly successful California anti-smoking PSA/ad campaign.

"Chad joins Tina Fey, Al Gore, Gus Van Sant, Olympic Gold Medalist Matthew Mitcham, Barney Frank, and the Obamas among the 20 Americans who had the greatest impact on gay rights in 2008.
Griffin helped at the tail end of the No on Prop 8 campaign, helping bring in heavy hitters from Hollywood and boosting the campaign's war chest."

AFER also has a facebook page at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Foundation-for-Equal-Rights/89182346346

I'm beginning to feel hope...

[DURHAM D]

1. I'm sorry but,

Olson is the fox guarding the hen house. I will never trust him.

[keepCAblue]

3. That's your issue, not seeing the forest for the trees. Look deeper...

...beyond the fact of Olson. Olson is a but a tool--albeit a highly sharpened tool--whose paycheck is coming from Griffin and the Hollywood power brokers Griffin is undoubtedly aligned with. The Olson/Boies pairing is strategy and quite cutting at that. This pair will make Ken Starr look like the redneck buffoon he truly is.

[msongs]

2. how did "the obamas" do anything to have an impact on gay rights in 2008? nt

[keepCAblue]

4. Back in 2008, when the Obamas were named by The Advocate, they were still campaigning...

The Advocate obviously took Obama's campaign promises to mean something, thus bestowing upon him the title, "People of the Year". The Advocate was duped just as much as were the rest of us...

[Bluebear]

9. It just claims an impact, not saying whether it was good or bad?

[keepCAblue]

5. More on Chad Griffin...

More on Chad Griffin (AFER/Olson/Boies federal lawsuit): Griffin's a former White House staffer under Clinton and current political consultant to Hollywood power brokers, Rob Reiner, Michael King and Steve Bing, with connections to supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and actor Brad Pitt.

http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid68655.asp

[xchrom]

6. all i know is that he knows rob reiner

and that can't be bad.

[keepCAblue]

7. And Steve Bing and Brad Pitt...

Chad Griffin got his first taste of politics in 1992 working at Bill Clinton’s campaign headquarters in Little Rock, Ark., under the tutelage of Dee Dee Myers. When Myers set off for Washington, D.C. -- she'd eventually become Clinton’s press secretary—the 19-year-old Hope, Ark.-native followed and became the youngest person ever to work on the president’s staff.

One of Griffin’s responsibilities while working on Pennsylvania was serving as a White House contact for director Rob Reiner, who was researching his 1995 film An American President, and the two became friends. Griffin eventually passed on a job offer at the State Department to become the head of Reiner's nonprofit organization, now known as Parent’s Action for Children.

Today the 35-year-old Griffin keeps a hand in both politics and entertainment as president Griffin Shake, a political and philanthropic communications agency, and Armour Griffin, a political advocacy and advertising agency. So it’s no surprise that the folks at Equality California called him when Proposition 8 fell into trouble this September.

Griffin immediately e-mailed Brad Pitt -- he had helped facilitate Pitt's New Orleans relief organization Make It Right -- and within 24 hours, the actor had pledged $100,000 to fight the proposition. He tapped Pitt’s collaborator, client Steve Bing for another $500,00, asked former supermarket magnate Ron Burkle to host a $500-a-head fund-raiser (featuring performances by Mary J. Blige and Melissa Etheridge) at his Hollywood home, and conceived and executed anti-Prop. 8 ads like the one featuring Sen. Diane Feinstein. Despite all his efforts, Griffin isn't dwelling on the loss; he’s already begun gathering a coalition to planning the next move. For the boy from Hope, success is all in a day’s work.

[xchrom]

8. wow -- love this --

'Griffin immediately e-mailed Brad Pitt -- he had helped facilitate Pitt's New Orleans relief organization Make It Right -- and within 24 hours, the actor had pledged $100,000 to fight the proposition.'

that's how you work it.

[keepCAblue]

10. Yes...I think we're in for an exhilarating ride. Have high expectations...

Chad Griffin is a long-time Democratic politico with powerful political and financial connections. That he and his cohorts brought on a well known conservative with arguably the most inside knowledge and expertise pertaining to the SCOTUS and paired him with a progressive litigator who is equally equipped, this is genius. I'm hopeful for the first time in a very long time.

[xchrom]

11. i still have to be convinced on ted olson -- but what i like

is the extraordinary networking.


that is really something.

[keepCAblue]

12. I'm sure Griffin et.al. did extensive due diligence before hiring Olson. n/t