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Not Good
By John
This past week, a rep from Hilton Hotels attempted to put out the fires of the Fran O'Brien's controversy by answering emails from the masses. In his replies, General Manager of the Capitol Hilton Brian Kelleher stuck to a common theme: this is a business decision, nothing to do with the troops, Hilton fully supports the free steak Fridays for our wounded vets.
However, according to Buzz Patterson, Hilton Hotels is full of it. SMASH has Colonel Patterson's email up at his place, and you can also find it below the fold on this post. Buzz is understandably upset, and so am I.
The good news is that Fran O'Brien's will be swarming with milbloggers tomorrow evening, all of them with their BS detectors flipped to full power. I suspect that this is going to be a major discussion point at the milblogging conference on Saturday, and rightfully so.
Coverage won't be limited to milbloggers either. Buzz wrote that Hannity and Colmes will be all over this story tomorrow evening, and mentioned in an email to a few of us conference panelists that he'll be taking owner-operator Hal O'Brien to the Fox News Studio around 730ish, presumably for the H&C spot. CNN and CBS will also be covering the story.
This is turning out to be a major black eye for the Hilton Hotel chain, which is starting to look absolutely sleazy. With milbloggers nationwide converging on DC this weekend, they simply could not have picked a worse time to pull a stunt like this. Keep your eyes on the milbloggers, Foxnews, CBS, and CNN for updates.
If you'd like to help save Fran O'Brien's, you can bypass the Capitol Hilton and go straight for their corporate comm chief:
Lisa Cole, Director of Communications: Lisa_cole@hilton.com
You can also check out a new website dedicated to saving Fran's.
If you're a member of the press looking to pick up the Fran O'Brien's story, you won't find a better place to do the investigative legwork than Fran O'Brien's this Friday evening.
Andi from Andi's World writes:
So where are we? We're ten days away from the closing of a haven which has provided comfort and solace for those who have given so much on behalf of our nation, for you and me. It's not about property rights. It's not about Brian Kelleher. It's not about Hal Koster. It's not about Marty O'Brien. It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about them. It's about our troops.Ten days. Do what you can do.
Roge. Keep the heat on folks. And read Buzz Patterson's email, chock full of insider info, down below.
**Update** Andrea Shea King will have Marty O'Brien on CONSTITUTIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, WWBC, 1510 AM, 3-5 PM EST. More details here, listeners will be able to tune in online.
I just had a long chat with Hal Koster. Our worst fears are not only well founded but grossly understated. It's a complete and thorough cluster @#$%. (Sorry, my words not his). I haven't been this pissed about anything in a very long time.Andi, Kelleher's responses to our questions were blatant lies. Despite what Kelleher says, Hilton has done nothing to support the dinners... never met a bus, never contributed a cent, never negotiated for changes to bring the restaurant into ADA compliance, never advertised the restaurant or the dinners within their own hotel, never provided logistical support... in a word, they've done absolutely zip. In fact, Kelleher hides out in his office and has had no contact with Fran's owners. Hilton Corporate hasn't returned phone calls or e-mails. Hal has never spoken with a rep from Hilton about a future. This O'Boyle guy who is supposedly in charge of Hilton's leases has been MIA for years. Not only unprofessional in my opinion but grossly negligent. Fran's has been profitable every year in spite of the fact that Hilton won't even live up to their responsibilities for facilities management. They've had some plumbing issues... Hal and Marty now call their own plumber. Hilton wanted Fran's to re-upholster the booths and change the carpet, Hal and Marty asked for ADA compliance in return. When negotiations ceased, Hilton doubled their rent last month (doubled!). And then issued an eviction notice two weeks later.
Hal and Marty have retained lawyers and, as mentioned before, have the support of several influential organizations and people...
This is complete bullshit. Hilton has every right to make their business decisions. But our wounded vets are being kicked to the curb. When media show up now to document the process, Hilton's security team denies them access to the loading dock, the service elevator and the inhuman conditions our troops in wheelchairs have to endure to get to the frikkin restaurant.
It's not about the few thousand bucks it would cost to make this thing work... hell, I'll kick that in. This is about a bunch of numbskulls with no understanding of civil service, patriotism or, for that matter, good business sense. And I'm no hotel management major.
CBS and CNN are doing pieces tomorrow. As much as I despise MSM, I welcome this. H & C are doing a live hit Friday night. What's Alan gonna say? It's a right wing conspiracy? How can anyone argue in opposition to ADA especially when it's vets?
This, quite frankly, reeks. I'll be on my best behavior Saturday at the conference but this sucks. Pushing the throttles up...unarmed and unafraid. Feel free to quote me.
Buzz
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Not Good:
» THE FIGHT FOR FRAN O'BRIEN'S from Michelle Malkin
Tonight, the weekly free steak dinner for wounded vets takes place at Fran O'Brien's, the D.C. restaurant on the verge of losing its lease from the Hilton Corporation. Milbloggers in town for the first Milblog conference will be there. John... [Read More]
» THE FIGHT FOR FRAN O'BRIEN'S from Michelle Malkin
Weekly steak dinners for wounded troops at Fran O'Brien's restaurant Credit: Stars & Stripes Tonight, the weekly free steak dinner for wounded vets takes place at Fran O'Brien's, the D.C. restaurant on the verge of losing its lease from... [Read More]
» THE FIGHT FOR FRAN O'BRIEN'S from Michelle Malkin
Weekly steak dinners for wounded troops at Fran O'Brien's restaurant Credit: Stars & Stripes Tonight, the weekly free steak dinner for wounded vets takes place at Fran O'Brien's, the D.C. restaurant on the verge of losing its lease from... [Read More]
Comments
I received the "press release" from Lisa Cole and fired back at her immediately. Told her she was either misinformed or prevaricating because the Hilton had refused to negotiate with Fran's. No response to that received.
Do you know that Michelle Malkin is printing the phone numbers of Lisa Cole? I don't see it in your post that you listed the phone numbers. It hurts the cause if she's doing that w/o approval since we know what happened last time.
Hope those who depend on a paycheck from Hilton might worry about not getting one. I sure plan on staying anywhere but at a Hilton hotel. If they can't support our troops, they sure shouldn't keep others from doing so. NO MORE HILTON PATRONAGE FROM THIS OLE GIRL AND HER FAMILY.
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I received the "press release" from Lisa Cole and fired back at her immediately. Told her she was either misinformed or prevaricating because the Hilton had refused to negotiate with Fran's. No response to that received.