Brady campaign: NRA spy linked to John Sidney McCain

By GottaLaff

You just can't seem to extricate yourself from the slime can you, J Sid:

According to ABC News on Aug. 19th:

A Republican political operative considered part of the McCain campaign's "kitchen cabinet" oversaw a National Rifle Association lobbying campaign that allegedly hired a spy to infiltrate gun control groups, according to Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

James Jay Baker served as executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) in the late 1990s when it allegedly hired a woman to pose as a gun control activist and funnel information back to the NRA.

A McCain campaign spokesperson said Baker was only a "high level volunteer" for the campaign.

Of course she was, dear.

Beginning in 1998, according to the gun control group, Sapone, using her maiden name McFate, infiltrated the gun violence prevention movement and remained extremely active in a variety of gun control groups, even sitting on the boards of some, until they say she was outed two weeks ago.

"She was one of the major players in the movement," said Helmke. "She was at every meeting possible and made you think she cared so much about the issues."

Of course she did. Why would they ever doubt her? And how many dollars were spent on this?

Mother Jones reported that the NRA paid the now-defunct security firm that hired Sapone to snoop, Beckett Brown International (BBI), $80,000 in a 12-month period spanning 1999 and 2000.

You'd think by now J Sid would figure out that all of his lobbyist connections haven't paid off.

Gun control activists who say they are "stunned" to learn about the allegations that McFate/Sapone was a spy, are calling on McCain to take a stand against Baker whom the Brady Campaign has linked to the underhanded business of spying.

"Senator McCain describes himself as a 'straight talker' and a critic of the Washington lobbying establishment," said Helmke. "Senator McCain and his campaign need to answer whether or not they approve of this spying on victims, and whether they will ask Mr. Baker and the NRA to explain the extent of their involvement in these activities."

I am positive, positive I tell you, that J Sid will come clean, because he's a straight talkin', upstanding P.O.W. kinda guy. Did you know that he once knew a guy who drew a cross in some dirt?

The McCain campaign today sought to distance itself from Baker. [...]

The spokesman said that the McFate-Sapone issue has nothing to do with the candidate, adding that McCain has a stricter policy against lobbyists working on the campaign than Obama.

Of course you do, dear.

The NRA did not return phone calls requesting comment. [...]

Baker's deputy director at the NRA's ILA, Patrick O'Malley, who is identified as Sapone's contact at the NRA in BBI depositions, did not return phone calls requesting comment.

Sapone's home telephone number has been disconnected and messages left on her cell phone were not returned.

Of course they didn't. Of course he didn't. Of course it was.