Jonathan Blessing

Jonathan Blessing, a field staff member for the "President George W. Bush-Campaign Organization, Illinois," for U.S. presidential election, 2004, is 1st Ward Committeeman of Cook County Republicans. 

Iraqex (a.k.a. Lincoln Group)
Blessing and Brian Swift headed to Iraq to work for Iraqex, "a subcontractor for the U.S. Department of Defense," in February 2005. According to TAPPED's Garance Franke-Ruta:
 * "Word Warriors," a February 4, 2005, "article in The Chicago Tribune's youth-oriented RedEye (via Nexis), reported on a couple of local Bush-Cheney '04/G.O.P. staffers heading to Iraq to work with Iraqex, the company that in March 2005 rebranded itself as The Lincoln Group. ...
 * "Blessing said they're there to support the multinational public affairs office in Iraq, tasked with getting the office's message of positive change out to the Iraqi people through the local media and other methods."

Billmon commented in his June 12, 2005, article "Blowback" that the RedEye article "inadvertently highlighted the fact that the most experienced firm in Iraq has a penchant for hiring GOP political hacks with absolutely no experience in Iraq."

Fundraising
"As soon as Blessing got back to America, he used his experiences overseas to raise money for the local G.O.P.," Franke-Ruta wrote in November 2005. On July 27, 2005, Blessing hosted the "1st Ward Republican Organization's Jonathan Blessing 'Back from Baghdad' Summer Soiree." The invitation stated that $25 was the "recommended donation" for the event. 

A photo album posted on the 1st Ward's website documents a similarly titled "Soiree":
 * "September 27, 2005, the 1st Ward Republican Organization hosted an event to raise funds for the 2006 election cycle. Committeeman Blessing was home on vacation from Iraq and Judy Baar Topinka [candidate for governor of Illinois] was the guest of honor."

Campaign Finance
According to the Center for Responsive Politics' Open Secrets website, "Hon. Jonathan Blessing" has received a single amount of $3,028 from the Republican Party for the 2006 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data released on Friday, February 17, 2006. 

Affiliations

 * Coordinator, Chicago Chapter of the Republican Professional Network
 * Speaker, Illinois Society of Colonial War (The Society of Colonial Wars), March 21, 2006, on "His experiences in Iraq"

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Combined Press Information Center
 * fake news
 * Information Operations Task Force
 * Iraqi Media Engagement Team
 * war propaganda