We're keeping a really close eye on the trial this week of James Tobin, former New England Chair of Bush-Cheney '04 and former Northeast field director for the RNC and the NRSC in 2002.

Tobin's on trial for his role in the GOP attempt to knock out Democratic and union phone banks on election day 2002 in New Hampshire.  

Below the fold is a run-down of what happened today in the trial from a TPM Reader who's been following the case closely for some time.

Good day for the home team. [Former NH GOP Executive Director Chuck] McGee was less of an idiot and [former GOP Marketplace owner, Allen] Raymond was a mensch.

No.  Make that an ubermensch.

Highlights.

1. McGee said they discussed the crime with "Mr. McCabe of DCI" prior to election day. Mr. McCabe is just about definitely Bruce McCabe of DCI, who is from New Hampshire. That puts DCI in discussions of the phone jamming crime prior to offense and then giving Tobin a job afterwards. (Of course, if the links between DCI and CSE through Boydon Grey are real, they gave jobs to both Tobin and McGee.)

2. McGee said that after the jamming was called off on election day he has a conversation with Darrell Henry of American Gas Association. For some reason I had remembered him as being form the American Petroleum Institute, but whichever, he is the same person who we were told long ago came into town the last two weeks of the  election and took over. McGee said that in this same conversation on election day, when he told Henry that Dowd had called it off, Henry said they would have their own people finish it up.  (In fact, while the intensity abated to a great degree, the Dems were subject to hang-ups throughout the day).

3. Raymond said that he talked to Tobin after McGee told him Dowd had pulled the plug in order to get his take on it.  And Tobin told him the same thing (he knew Dowd had pulled the plug etc.) This is unfortunate for Tobin because it shows that Tobin was still in the loop and his involvement wasn't limited to the initial referral.

4. Raymond also says that two weeks later, after being contacted by Manchester police, he called Tobin who pretended not to know what the NH program was.  Raymond says he persisted and the Tobin admitted he knew what Raymond was talking about. This is very unfortunate for Tobin-- that attempt to pretend he didn't know about it is evidence of consciousness of guilt

5. Raymond said he ran the scheme by a lawyer, Kenneth Gross who was ID'd as a former associate general counsel of the FEC. He wasn't allowed to talk about the advice given by the lawyer, but the clear implication wasi that he OK'd it. Of course the clear implication is sometimes wrong.  But as Desi Arnaz would say, "Someone got some Splainin' to do." Including Gross, Henry and McCabe.