Follow the Money - To Scott Ashjian's Hidden Backers

By Ned Barnett

Here is one of those “follow the money” leads.

If you follow Nevada politics, you know about how the big-money Casino industry leaders who lined up in forming 100 Republicans for Reid. These were traditional Republican big-bucks-boys - the kind you'd expect would support Sue Lowden because of her own big-money casino ties - but who obviously see more financial benefit from Reid's reinstatement ... people who are linked to R&R, which is behind Reid's re-election bid, even though R&R's Sid Rogish used to be a Reagan-backing Republican.

This group is doing much to undermine the conservative Republican efforts, favoring instead the "realpolitik" choice of backing a corrupt Majority Leader because of what he can (presumably) do to help line their pockets. Even though he's done nothing to get Obama to back off attacking Las Vegas. Politics of Convenience does indeed create strange bedfellows.

With all of that in mind, it has come to light from a source I trust - who is nonetheless terrified (literally) of going public - that this group long ago selected Scott Ashjian to adopt the Tea Party mantle, to run against Reid, but in a way that will ensure Reid's election by splitting conservatives. He was chosen by this group with no apparent fingerprints, to do Reid's bidding without Reid's visible or provable involvement. To help focus this interest, if you check Ashjian’s LLCs (he has a dozen or more) you’ll see his direct ties to the Casino industry. That could prove the smoking gun - not to Reid, but to the "100 Republican" Reid supporters.

For his part, Ashjian is “confident” (see his interview with Jon Ralston if you want to see "confident") because he knows he’s got those deep Casino "Republican" pro-Reid pockets behind him. My sources have the information that substantiates, but as I said, they are literally afraid to be seen leaking it – afraid for their jobs, or worse. I don’t share that fear, but at the same time I can’t shake them of this fear.

For those of you who are interested in digging out the truth about Ashjian, knowing where to begin (the 100 Republicans for Reid went public, so their names and business affiliations are out there), will make it possible for you to find the smoking gun to show that Ashjian is the puppet of a group of very well-heeled Republicans who are fronting for the Reid campaign.

As I said, there are (likely) no fingerprints to the Reid campaign directly, yet if we can establish this link, we'll be able to show that Ashjian is nonetheless the creature of re-elect Reid movement.

It’s actually one hell of a good sting for taking down the Tea Party movement. Consider this:

1. Ashjian will have enough money to run a creditable campaign and reach out to people who’re pro-Tea Party but not politically active or aware (so they’ll take him at his word)

2. Ashjian’s being controlled puppet-master style (and funded) by pro-Reid people but with a complete and creditable cut-out that distances Ashjian from the formal Reid campaign

3. Unless the media can prove this to themselves (and then prove it to their audiences and the public) that this is for-real, the media will treat Ashjian as a legitimate third party – and will probably give him more than his fair share of coverage because the issue of the tea party being a Party or just a Movement is a national issue – and this is one place that the Tea Party Party (hence my nickname for it, “Tea Party Squared”) could really influence the outcome of the election. They are, in fact, already doing so.

Only the light of truth will prove this out, and it’s up to people who care about the truth - and who have the skills and contacts to dig this out and figure out what’s happening - to shine that light on Ashjian and on Reid's renegate rich Republican supporters.

I hope you’ll be one of those who has the time, resources and interest to dig this truth out. If you find out anything, my contact information is below.

Ned

Ned Barnett
420 N. Nellis Blvd., A3-276
Las Vegas NV 89110
702-696-1200 - office
702-561-1167 - cell/text
ned@barnettmarcom.com