Gary-

Good to hear from you. Give me a ring at your convenience.

Regards,

Barrett Brown
Brooklyn, NY
512-560-2302

On Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 1:47 AM, Gary Kephart <kephartforsmwd@cox.net> wrote:

Barrett Brown wrote:

Mr. Kephardt-

Howdy. My name is Barrett Brown, and I'm working with Ellen Johnson of
GAMPAC on some ways in which we can advance the organization's influence a
bit. It's my understanding that they're helping you out a bit with some
funds, but that you understandably wish to keep your distance from the
organization, being a candidate in Orange County and all. I'm originally
from Dallas myself, and worked on my first non-partisan race there when I
was a teenager, so I can sympathize with the difficulties you're going to
face. Ellen also forwarded me your e-mail so I'm caught up on some of the
pecularities of this campaign.

I'd like to help you out a bit more, but in a way that won't get you burned
at the stake, so to speak. Although I'm helping out Ellen Johnson, I'm not
officially connected to GAMPAC in any way. I'm a freelance writer based in
Brooklyn, and my work has appeared in dozens of publications including
National Lampoon, McSweeney's, The Onion A.V. Club, and plenty of
lesser-known public policy journals, trade pubs, and regional magazines. My
first book, Flock of Dodos: Behind Modern Creationism, Intelligent Design,
and the Easter Bunny, was released last year to praise from Alan Dershowitz,
Rolling Stone, Air America Radio, Skeptic, and other sources. I also do some
freelance marketing work here and there and work as a community organizer
here in Brooklyn.

Everything I'm going to offer you will be on a pro bono basis, and, of
course, you're free to reject it. Most of it will be information -
opposition research, advice on campaign talking points - but I can also do a
simple-yet-effective viral video for YouTube which will, I think, manage to
turn a few heads in your direction and take care of the problem with name
recognition and incumbent advantage. Additionally, we can easily turn you
into a "netroots" candidate with a couple of posts on Daily Kos and MyDD,
where I am fairly well-known among the administrators - which is to say we
can get you some additional campaign cash by way of donations from activists
across the country. What I'd like most to stress to you for the moment is
that the five board members will not be prepared for what I'd like to inject
into the race.

If you'd be interested in discussing this further, e-mail me back or give me
a ring at 512-560-2302 at your convenience.

This does sound interesting, and thank you for contacting me. Just to let
you know, I'd classify myself as a bit risk-adverse, so I want to make sure
whatever you have in mind has a good chance of working.
I post every once in while on DailyKos as well. Mostly comments, actually.
I'm friends with Ron Shepston (canyoubeangryandstilldream) and I know
thereisnospoon and hekebolos. My only campaign diary is
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/23/1125/41741/457/540597. However,
more posts could only help.

So, thanks, and I will call you. I'm pretty darned busy, but I'll try to
call you within the week. How's that?

Thanks,
  Gary

--
Candidate for Santa Margarita Water District Board of Directors
http://kephartforsmwd.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gary-Kephart/15488424061