Exclusive: Democrats Ask Pentagon for Info on Potential Obama Challengers

[darrels joy]

Oct. 27, 2010

The Democratic National Committee formally has
asked the Pentagon for reams of correspondence
between military agencies and nine potential
Republican presidential candidates, a clear indication
that Democrats are building opposition-research files
on specific 2012 contenders even before the midterm
elections.

An internal Army e-mail obtained by ABC News
indicates that the DNC has filed Freedom of
Information Act requests for "any and all records of
communication" between Army departments and
agencies and each of the nine Republicans -- all of
whom are widely mentioned as possible challengers
to President Obama.

The agencies are asked to respond to the request by
this Friday, just four days before Election Day.

The nine Republicans that Democrats are seeking
information on are former Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska;
former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass.; Gov. Haley
Barbour, R-Miss.; Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.; former
Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.; former House Speaker
Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; Gov.
Mitch Daniels, R-Ind.; Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La.

Such requests are typical in the world of opposition
research, which involves casting a broad net for
publicly available material that may at some point
prove embarrassing or incriminating to political
candidates.

The request isn't for details of military service or lack
thereof, but appears to be designed to find
information on letters and memos sent to and from
the potential candidates in official positions they've
held.

DNC officials declined to comment, but did not
dispute that the information has been requested. An
Army spokesman confirmed that the DNC's formal
request for information has been received.

"We did receive a FOIA request, and now we are


responding to that FOIA request," said the
spokesman, Col. Tom Collins.

The DNC's request is intriguing for its timing as well
as for the singling out of nine particular Republicans
who are expected to vie for the GOP presidential
nomination.

In addition, the FOIA request provides a window into
how deeply into potential candidates' pasts
opposition researchers are looking, even at this early
stage.

The request for information on Gingrich stretches
back to 1979, when he was a freshman member of the
House. The DNC is asking for information related to
Palin's service on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council in
the early 1990s, while the Pawlenty request includes
his service on the Planning Commission in Eagan,
Minn., in 1988 and 1989.

The requests for Daniels and Thune specifically
reference their time as staff members for U.S.
senators. Democrats are trying to learn more about
Jindal's career going back to 1996, when he was
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and
Human Services.

According to the memo, the DNC's request asks for
"Any and all records of communication (including but
not limited to letters, written requests, reports,
telephone records, electronic communication,
complaints, investigations, violation and memos)
between your department (and all divisions and
agencies under your jurisdiction)."

The DNC also asks for copies of other Freedom of
Information requests that mention the nine
individuals that Democrats want information on.

ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclu...ry?id=11985974