The Oxford cookie begins to crumble -- the STI lie

On 8-3 Betty posted on the "I like to write" blog the following comment: "Oxford's stump speech lie #1 Exposed." She has a link to the "community weblog of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee."

OK, just making sure we are all on the same page here in knowing what we are talking about, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee [a/k/a DSCC] is the organization that serves as the focus of our party's effort to elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate. It's chair -- you've heard his name many times this summer from Oxford -- N.J. Sen. Jon Corzine.

If you want to read the link from Betty, go to the DSCC weblog (a posting of 8-3).

The article in the link entitled "Cliff Oxford got rich from outsourcing" provides in part as follows:

As we know from Clinton, Cliff Oxford's "women troubles" won't stop the voters. The Republicans' are going to hit his business practices HARD - and there's a lot to hit.

Oxford says in his stump speech that he: "outsourced to Americus, GA, and not India" - refering to a 2003 opening of a help call center there.

There is an archive of a web page from his company from May 2002 that states that he DID outsource to India and and even trained others to do the same. At the time of the move to Americus, he already had "operations in the U.S., Hong Kong, India, South Africa and Europe, specializes in knowledge center, help desk, and call center business solutions, products, certification, consulting, advisory services, outsourcing, insourcing and staffing.

Basically, this guy has been coached to pull on heartstrings, make us think he is noble, and that he is a biz wiz. The fact is that he was handed a sweetheart deal from UPS to start his company ("same people, different shirts," as he says), arranged for help desk jobs to be moved to India (fine, but don't run for the Senate on that record later), and bullies his wives.

END OF POST from DSCC weblog.

On July 18 I posted the following on my website:

In Atlanta Sid lets his supporters down during the Atlanta Press Club GPTV Debate No. 4 in attacking Oxford on two fronts. First, I called him “O.J.,” his moniker on this website ever since he told GABEO that he could not wait to take the Republicans on on value values. That same day I started this part of my website, noting, spare us O.J., charity begins at home.

Second, I revealed that Oxford on two occasions threatened his first wife to have her killed by a hit man if she would not sign over to him some UPS stock (you may recall this is the wife he denied trying to browbeat and bully into staying out of this campaign during an intimidating phone call that he denied until an ajc reporter listened to the recorded call that Oxford did not know existed).

Oxford laughed during the debate and told a reporter afterwards that he had no idea of what I was talking about. But he knows, trust me he knows, and as noted elsewhere in this website, I will withdraw and if nominated won’t serve if I told a lie.

Also, the press is waiting to come out with the “STI lie” on outsourcing. I was going to do it, but did not get asked the question I thought I would be asked.

I then proceeded to apologize for having "crossed the line" on both counts; and acknowledged that my remarks were not "senatorial" to say the least; and that in making them I hurt myself and disappointed my supporters. Following this apology and acknowledgment appears the following:

I am still the same person I was last week, and unfortunately, O.J. is the same. I did not decrease his chances of winning, only mine. The story I broke was coming sooner or later; the press had it.

Also, the bit about STI that Ms. Majette alluded to is coming from the press if Oxford makes the runoff. Watch for it if he in the runoff or grits aren’t groceries. STI now and then is an outsourcing company,

This is really going to be a blowout story -- blowout for Oxford. He is a fraud. I was also going over how he fusses at Majette for voting liberal, but at least she votes; his overplaying the I am from Waycross card in connection with how the Waycross people resent his now claiming from being there when he never has before this race (and this was before the spousal stuff came out); how he no longer dares mentions President Carter, and now has substituted the President's name with that of Sen. Tom Daschle; how he said he couldn’t wait to take the Republicans on on family values; about how rather than the “me and Caryn” talked things over the Thursday night after his “I am not running because of the sensibilities of my kids press conference,” he was with his girl friend in Orlando working on a drunk, and rushed back with minutes to spare, and had to get his girlfriend to write his qualifying fee since in the rush to leave he left his checkbook; and so on and so on.

Remember my offer to withdraw, and I will expand it to be in the Tecumseh Sherman mode of I will not accept if nominated and serve if elected. Thus my offer as just expanded applies to the story I broke about the two threats to have the first wife killed by a contract killer if she would not sign over some UPS stock to him.

Oxford laughed and afterwards said he had no idea what I was talking about. He is a liar as much as a fraud. He knew, trust me he knew. I am an attorney, and I know libel and slander law. The truth is always an absolute defense.

And finally for those that faulted me for going after Oxford, know that I am sincere in thinking he is an embarrassment to our Party (as I may have been last night in my style and presentation, and if I was, for which I apologize). I said on this website that I would not attack any of the other candidate because they are dern good people -- weak candidates but good people -- and I have not."

END OF STUFF from my website.

Well, I was wrong on saying that the story about the STI lie would come out in the press if Oxford made the runoff. The press has had the story awhile, and I was told it would it would be coming out if he made the runoff.

Majette semi-fumbled the STI lie when she tried to raise it during the last debate on July 18. She noted that STI had developed the software that makes outsourcing of jobs possible.

After having had STI spread over all over his brochures and a big part of his introduction and "story" throughout the entire campaign, he not so cleverly sort cover from issue he knew Majette was raising (although she did not articulate it for public consumption) by saying that now he is no longer a member of the STI Board of Directors.

Being wrong about the STI story coming out also made me wrong when I said "or grits aren't groceries." Have no fear. Grits are groceries!!