According to Tucker Carlson just now on MSNBC, it appears that the GOP is falling back on that golden chestnut voter suppression to pull out the high-stakes Virginia senate race. Flyers are being distributed in heavily Democratic and African-American neighborhoods claiming that the election is off. The flyers say "paid for by the RNC."
There also appear to be widespread reports of calls saying that voting will lead to arrest, or that polling places have changed, as well as problems with Webb's name on various state ballots.
Said Tucker's guest, GOP strategist Frank Donatelli: "I am very confident that the RNC would not do anything associated with voter suppression."
And then his head exploded in a fiery ball of flame.
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Tucker! has a short memory….it was just a few weeks ago that it was widely reported that suppression was the staple of Republican politics….
lying sack of crap! (If I had Stephanie Miller’s jingle downloaded, I’d post it here)
hizzhoner
Color me non-surprised.
You know… these pathetic attempts at voter suppression will not stave off the enormous wave of voter discontent. A big big change is coming, and some shitty little leaflets and rat-fuck robocalls will not stop the inevitable.
How can you tell when Frank Donatelli is lying?
And ‘they’ say that Democrats try to disrupt the voting process????
Seems like an appropriate tactic for George “Imperial Wizard” Allen.
I have some foggy recollection that in ‘04 the RNC distributed pamplets in the Carolinas which alleged that if elected, John Kerry would ban bible reading.
Apparently they feel the end justifies any and all means and after all, they can’t exactly run on their record.
David Shuster just reported on this for Hardball. Apparently they are contacting the Justice Department to investigate. He didn’t mention the flyers, only phone calls. It is so sick and wrong.
Well.
Here in New Mexico, we’re expecting a TRO to be issued against the R’s to prevent them from calling anyone but registered Republicans.
Why would the court issue that sort of order? The R’s have been calling voters with Hispanic surnames and telling them their polling place has been moved. NM is 3:2 Democratic, and Hispanics are substantially more than 3:2. Mislead a likely D voter into going to the wrong place, and you’ve reduced the Democratic vote.
Dirtbags. Comparing them to pond scum is unfair. To pond scum, that is.
BC
Caoimhin Laochdha @
4
His lips are moving.
I just got an e-mail heads up that the Webb campaign has filed an official complaint with the DoJ. At least I can get e-mail at the Cleveland airport. *g*
OT
Excuse if this one’s been put up .
Correspondents Tell Olbermann: “I Wish I Could Say That Too”
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvn….._46901.asp
Oh, and this morning in Topeka, Dubya told the Flavor-ade drinkers that if elected, Democrats would reduce his child tax credit from $1000/child to $500/child.
Let’s ignore for a moment the fact that the child tax credit isn’t a Republican innovation. No Democratic legislator that I’m aware of has said bupkis (that means nada to my non-Yiddish-speaking friends) about tinkering with the child tax credit.
Just making shit up. A Republican tactic for more than 100 years.
BC
Caoimhin Laochdha @
4
He’s breathing.
And the mask he wears to hide his scales gets tighter.
I hope to heck that the Democrats will refuse to roll over regarding these voting abuses. Win or lose, I’d like to see this kind of unAmerican uncivilized behavior investigated, and its perpetrators prosecuted up as high as necessary. Even if, perchance, the trail leads up to billionaires with lots of clout and political power. It’s amazing how that money, clout, and power dissolves when you handcuff some sixty-year-old white guy and push his head down as he gets into the squad car.
Yeah, yeah, I know, real likely. Well a boy can dream can’t he?
I also found it interesting how Pat Buchanan had to speculate how he couldn’t believe it would be the Allen campaign but some outside goup. Yeah.., sure buddy…., you just drift off there into denial. And then Tweety asked if this was an attempt to suppress the “Macaca Vote” Classy.
Is there a link to one of these flyers?
I’m thinking this is so blatant that its hard to believe. I can hear mealy-mouthed Mehlman saying, ” Do you really believe that the esteemed Senator Allen or the RNC would be so stupid or callous as to try to suppress the vote? I think the Democrats are trying to make us look bad.”
Classic bank shot. This would provide noise and cover for other insidious voter suppression instances. Although I’d love to be wrong…
COLORADO BOB @ 11
Thanks. This brought a much needed chuckle
he said management gives him “no crap” about the special comments. “The only thing they ask for is more of them,” he says. “I point out I can’t supply these on demand. They’re organic; otherwise I’m Limbaugh without the hallucinogens.”
Weird. That’s like the 4-5th post in a row where I’ve read something about exploding heads.
LJ/Aquaria @
13
did somebody say “mask“?
Frankly, this is about as surprising as Neil Patrick Harris announcing that he is gay, or Willie Nelson being busted for possesion of marjiuana.
COLORADO BOB @ 11
Nice catch! ; )
Christy Hardin Smith @ 10
Would this be the Abu Gonzales DoJ? Oh yeah, I will hold my breath…not! *g*
This kind of stuff will backfire this time. WE ARE WINNNING TOMORROW in spite of everything they throw at us. The gig is up! Enough people have wised up since 2004. WE WILL WIN!!! Macaca is FINISHED, and the entire “class of 1994″ is DONE! Everything has its cycles tomorrow will mark the end of Americas false start to this century and begins a the cycle back toward sanity and rational thinking. WE ARE GOING TO KICK G.O.P. ASS!!!! WE have the momentum this time. We are taking this country back!!
Roxanne @
18
Love your site and just had to link back to Rubber Stamp Congress.
has Borat made any election predictions?
Webb!!!!
This man knows how to fight back, and has since the beginning of the campaign. Democrats, take note.
Every one who votes Republican/Lieberman tomorrow should immediately march from the voting booth the the military recruiting station and sign up.
punaise @ 25
i reckon he thinks the dems are gonna win and that they have much work to do to regain their Republic.
jmo.
Neil Patrick Harris AND Ted Haggard are gay???
I think my head is going to explode.
BTW, I have video of George Allen in a meth buy, but I’m not going to release it until Wednesday. I don’t want to influence the election.
This is the surprise folks. The Scumbag Party is in high gear trying to prevent the democratic process.
These miserable fuckers will cheer the purple fingered Iraqis while trying to prevent red-blooded Americans from casting their ballots.
They are pushing us into a corner.
-GSD
This needs to be spread around :
http://www.videothevote.org/
ruffian @ 17
These are both from OUR BLOG’S interview with Olbermann yesterday.
Sigh….He was great.
If someone else has posted this, I apologize.
Kinda gives some perspective to what Kerry was alluding to in his “botched” joke.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/stor…..amp;page=1
Alberto Gonzales will be making sure that Sequoia voting machines aren’t unduly affected by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.
I hope Rove is shitting pickles right now, because his little fascist game is almost over.
-GSD
Regarding this polling place move tactic…
Does it appear that the callers are following the same text, i.e. is there a single location change specified by multiple callers?
If so, could the local Dem volunteers provide a shuttle service or at least post someone to the fake location to provide directions to the proper polling places?
RBG @
24
Thanks. Come back on Wednesday, when I’ll be featuring …exploding heads. Seriously.
WaPo print version today has a headline: Hastert May Face Post-Election Unrest.
I’ve got the correction: Hastert May Face Post-Election Unemployment.
Go Laesch!
A big shoutout to all you IL-14 folk!
Sparkles the Iguana says –
Yes. But Harris sings Sondheim.
Roxanne @
36
I look forward to seeing you feature exploding heads…but hope you’re not doing it seriously.
Caoimhin Laochdha @
4
His mouth is open and sound is coming out.
Tweety is pissed about the war, again and finally!
he just stomped on Mike Rogers’ head.
It would be lovely to see full page ads tomorrow in the areas of Virginia (and elsewhere) that are getting hit with these fliers, quoting FDR “You have nothing to fear but fear itself” – Go Vote! followed by a number for help in going to vote that would lead one to the Democratic party….
Sparkles the Iguana @ 29
Yeah. It really has affected my impression of Neil playing “himself”, meaning a drug-addled womanizer, in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/mov…..n_cho8.jpg
he he. Priceless.
angie @
41
That was pretty nice to see — a bit of outrage at the outrageous statement that the terrorists would rather have Nancy Pelosi than George Bush. It’s several years in coming but nice to hear nonetheless.
angie @ 41
Matthews: The Jihadists want those that don’t know anything about the Middle East to win because they’ve had good luck with that before.
Bada Bing!
I do enjoy it when Matthews is cracking some repug nuts!
Hooker toe-suckee Dick Morris in the NY Post:
First the Republicans lost their virtue; now they’ll lose their majority, at least in the House. What’s ahead for the next two years? Not new legislation so much as investigations, subpoenas, hearings etc. Washington will be as effectively paralyzed as it was during President Clinton’s impeachment trial. And, let us remember that it was in that incubator that Osama bin Laden was able to plan the 9/11 attacks.
We needed a president who could act firmly back then, and we’ll need one in the next two years. But we’re not going to have one. President Bush will be dodging document requests, defending his administration’s integrity and battling each day’s sensational headlines supposedly uncovering scandal after scandal.
The Democrats will use their majorities to conduct a two-year campaign for the presidency. Most likely, it will work.
The only problem with voter suppression complaints is that by the time they get investigated the elections are over and the wrong guy may have got elected.
Note that in the NH phone jamming case a Repub hack took the fall as the scapegoat. Mehlman skated. Now the guy behind that Terry Nelson is the RNC oppo research guy behind most of this shit.
When there are no consequences you can be sure the Repubs will take dirty tricks to new levels. Clean up is going to be a bitch for Pelosi.
Please tell me the Dems are going to have the stones to challenge in court EVERY ELECTION where there is evidence of vote stealing/suppresion bush’s record low poll numbers can’t handle a crisis like that and bush would get blame EVERYONE already believes this administration WOULD do anything to win. If we say bush stole the election the public will believe and bush’s poll numbers go south of 20 Plus we could fundraise to support the court challenges I want O.J defense team class lawyers working on this and that will take money.
Jane, Christy, Pach, TRex, I’ve got your pumpkin muffins. Will 3 dozen be enough? You will all want to stay and live here after the election, they are that good. Am in sporadic email contact with CHS for logistics.
Talking Heads- Warning Sign, for Frank Donatelli and the Robo-callers
Don’t know if anyone mentioned it here – Cheney quoted in a Friday Post article saying when the terrorists saw that the Democratic Party had purged Lieberman, it showed them their strategy was working.
Those terrorists really are closely focused on these individual races!
Jane Hamsher @ 45
yep. if we don’t win tomorrow ( a thought I cannot countenance, btw!) how much more disgrace do we have to show “them” before they get a clue???
i pray we win, and win very big, tomorrow!
we owe it to the world and ourselves and to our neighbors that are plain stoopid.
Pelosi’s first call on Day 1 should be to Orkin.
egregious — stuck in Cleveland at the moment. Lunch tomorrow sounds lovely. I’ll try to touch base with you if and when I get into DC this evening. :)
Sparkles the Iguana @ 53
Especially the primaries.
Sparkles the Iguana @ 53
hehe!
shoooogarp at 51 — I hope by “Orkin” you aren’t making a sly reference to DeLay? *shiver*
When you disrupt an election it would seem it is an attempt to overthow or change the duly elected government…which sounds pretty close to treason to me.
Disrupting, “fixing” an election should be a serious crime. But all is fair if you are Republican.
Sparkles the Iguana @ 48
Asshole. We’ve had a president who could act “firmly” and completely without restraint for the past six years; that’s done wonders for our security and standing in the world.
We’ll have investigations for the next two years because the Republicans have infested the government with corruption and criminal conspiracies. After all that’s come to light without an opposition in power, there’s only one word for someone who thinks our country would be better off without investigating: nuts.
Hey, Dick! Which of Foley, DeLay, Abramoff, Cunningham, Ney, Safavian, and Halliburton do you believe are “supposed” scandals?
1,325 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Hamsher and Firepup Patriots:
“We have it in our power to make the world over again…” Thomas Paine
That quote is dedicated to all those citizen soldiers out there who have been workin’ so hard and givin’ so much that they can’t afford to save American democracy tomorrow…do NOT be discouraged, the tsunami is gunna wash across the country and the fascist levies will not hold. The last minute push by the corporate media to try and present this election as bein’ close enough for the fascists to steal will not work…no matter what the outcome, the Democratic Party got an irreversible case of “hypertestosteronism” this fall and there is gunna be a big increase in the population of Republican hell in the next 2 years.
P.S. to Janie: there is a new Norwegian-American, radical feminist, patriot ass-kicker, her name is Freya Catherine, she weighs 8lbs 1 oz. and her 2 sisters will make sure she reads everything that Hamsher and Hardin Smith write.
KEEP THE FAITH AND KICK THE FASCISTS BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY…WE DO THIS FOR THE CHILDREN!!!
Norske at 62 — Oh! Happy Grandpa-ness to you! That’s wonderful news, so happy for you and yours. And what a lovely name. :)
We are winning big tomorrow. I feel so much better than I did on election eve 2004. The are going to try every trick in the book. A few will actually work but tomorrow will bee Category 5 reality check for these delusion S.O.B’s they are finished. I can just feel it in the air this time, I didn’t in 2004. I knew the momentum wasn’t their yet. Aw, this is feeling good. Its go time. GOTV.
NorskeFlamethrower @ 62
Congrats, Grandpa Norske.
Scandahooligans rule. Go, Freya Catherine and her sistahs!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 59
No. I’m not that clever…I forget that they call Delay the Bugman.
Just a simple reference to fumigate the place to clear out the cockroaches.
Congrats Norske!
Are you gonna teach her to type in CAPS as well?
Pach says it’s important in a messy election with uncertain outcome for the Democrat to DECLARE VICTORY and begin to start the recount process.
Folks across the country please transmit this advice to your candidate. It could matter a great deal.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 56
Eeeeeeeeeek!!!!!
Lunch it is.
If there is any problem w yr flight:
You might get a flight to Dulles, which is like next door, then I could get you to downtown. BWI would also work, you could take the train directly from BWI to Union Station near the White House.
Congratulations Norske Flamethrower.
May she live long and fight hard.
Caoimhin Laochdha @ 4
His lips are moving.
Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week.
Try the fish.
Rove doing a radio appearance with the guy who gave America Chee-knee’s “no brainer” comment tomorrow. Or as it’s now known in the Fargo-Moorhead area…Republican Infomercial Radio.
Credibility. No, not much. I think their audience is narrowing down to a few die-hard business types and the ex-stripper Bush appointed as ND’s rep on the Civil Rights Commission. Yeah, you read that right. Bush disdain for Civil Rights apparent from the get-go round here.
I wonder if this technology could be used to track down who photocopied these flyers….
Chuck Todd is a rethug tool, imho.
He’s on Tucker.
I’d like to know what you all are going to do when you discover that the Senate has been stolen from you tomorrow? Nothing?? Oh well.
First step in democracy is honest elections. How about all the “first tier” bloggers get on to pushing for that in the next 2 years? You know?? Brad Friedman has been practically on his own on this issue. It’s not enough. All the major blogs (you know who I’m talking about) should be running at least a post a day on this topic, scrutinizing (in detail) all the efforts towards fair and accountable elections and pushing for increased pressure to make it happen. Enough already!!
GrandPa! Blessings to you and yours.
Happiness is openign the sample ballot and finding out the incumbent in the district is Waxman. (The boundaries are weird; a half mile or so in any of three directions puts me in a different district.)
nuck @ 75
and how are you handling this on your blog today?
Waxman!
we owe this election to him and to Leahy and for us and the world!
nuck at 75 — you know, I’m on an election list-serv with Brad, and he’s a great person who takes the election issue seriously and works methodically to make things better. You, on the other hand, are an ass. And you have NO idea what any of us are doing on this issue, and instead you assume and just open your ill-informed yap and blast people who are actually working their asses off.
I’m stuck in a fucking airport in Cleveland and monitoring election e-mails and calling people on my cell. Have been since I got on the ground. What are you doing? You are bitching here at FDL because you don’t think we are doing enough? Well, here’s a lesson for you — sometimes, there is a whole lot more going on out of the public eye than you can ever imagine…for good freaking reason…and you would do well to stop assuming the worst about everyone. Oh, and have a lovely evening.
all these robo calls started at the same time they all keep calling after you hang up they appeared in several states crimes crossing statelines are the FBI’s job and since they appear to be coordinated by the republican party with the local campaigns (proof being I hear counter charges, denials nobody is saying stop I notice either their guilty or lack integrity) Corker, Allen etc their campaigns and maybe them personaly might get hit along with Rove and the national GOP in RICO. Now then is Holy Joe putting out robocalls?
Christy, alternate flights:
CO # 456 16:39 – 17:58 BWI nice plane it’s a 735
CO # 3248 16:40-17:54 DCA
CO # 2730 18:55-20:11 BWI
CO # 2970 19:00-20:19 DCA
UA # 7135 19:08-20:22 IAD
CO # 2705 19:20-20:43 IAD
and tons of flights with another connection which might not be your first choice :)
MMmmmmmm, Smackdown goodness.
egregious — thanks so much! Our plane finally landed here a couple of minutes ago. They just have to clean it and get it ready to turn around, and then we can finally board. But bless you for looking that up for me. :)
egregious is a sweetheart!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 84
You’re most welcome. When egrSon ran for office his motto was “We live to serve.” That pretty much sums up the family.
Busted at 83 — you are cracking me up. And I need a drink. Jeebus.
Matthews is giving a lot of time to the Webb-Allen race and both the pamphlets and the phone calls.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 87
Cleveland doesn’t have airside bars?
egregious at 88 — good — I got an e-mail from another reader saying that CNN had done some coverage on the robocalls as well. Looks like all those e-mails you guys blasted out this morning raised an eyebrow or two with the network suits. Great job — and thanks to everyone who helped spread the word on this. You guys rock. :)
egregious @ 88
yes he is. he’s finally owning up to his blergh about the war.
Christy– you are an amazing lady and parent.Christy Hardin Smith @ 95
I never got the gift of a child of my own, but I AM a big sister to a teacher, a nurse and a Marine and am a little sis to a lawyer/city planner and a pol sci sis.
I also have parents that are amazing.
really.
(((hugs)))
Hope we win!
We’re gonna save it (our Republic) for the Peanut and my fam damily!
NorskeFlamethrower @
62
Congrats to you and your family, Norske!
angie–he’s always been against the war. It’s the other stuff we criticize him for.
Next time the dems do ‘get out the vote’ work, we should include a ‘pay no attention to the odd callers and strange flyers about when and where to vote’ schtick. Let dems know far and wide that they will do this until it no longer works.
And it will no longer work when dems ignore these ‘helpful’ last minute tips from the republicans. Was reading that during one call which said that the callee cannot vote because he is registered in NYC and will be arrested, the guy replied that ‘no I am a poll watcher and I can vote just fine’ the caller simply hung up.
angie at 91 — Awwww, I needed that. Just got off the phone with Mr. ReddHedd and The Peanut to let them know my flight was delayed. And I was having momma guilt after talking to that wee voice on the other end of the line. It’s hard to fly away from the house and leave your heart behind.
I just saw two polls that had the Democrats ahead in Idaho–for Governor and for Congress.
Keep on keeping on.
This vile human Rove is doing his level best to steal the vote and destroy what is left of democracy in America.
Tomorrow he gets the word that his cowardly, cruel, divisive strategy has doomed his man Bush to two years of scorn and ridicule if he can take it.
-GSD
Oh, yeah, drink!! Thanks Christy, you just reminded me I need to take beer and Kahlua down to the office to re-stock for the late nighters that are going to pull sign duty and last calls. They’ll have something to look forward to after placing the last batch of signs in the dark and calling until 9pm.
Gotta’ run, need to take a pot of soup down there, too, some folks have been so busy walking that they haven’t yet eaten dinner.
Keep up the GOTV work, gang! Check on you later!
kos will be on Larry King tonight. Hope he brings up the robocalls and dirty tricks for King’s large audience to hear.
Rayne at 97 — have I told you lately what an awesome job you have done with the election? You RAWK!
Yeah the Rovian asswipes tried to tell my brother the police officer that his polling place was in another town, the wrong town…..
He is letting the AG’s office know about that little trick.
The AG in NH is gonna be mighty busy with Banana Republicrooks after the election.
-GSD
Christy Hardin Smith @ 95
Yes, I know that feeling all too well. It had BETTER be IMPORTANT to make it worth leaving the wee one. And it is.
Kinda like Tommy leaving Esten to do the show in CT.
christy – talking to little ones on the phone is hard. I gave my daughter a sign on the birth of her first child that read “Having a child is like having your heart walk around outside of your body”. True enough.
GSD at 100 — the NH Ag’s office already had to take them to court once over the do not call list calls they were making. It’s going to be an ugly election aftermath, I’m afraid. Blergh.
Hey, I know — how about the GOP just stops the fricking cheating??!!??
Thugs have names and faces, email accounts, phone numbers and histories like everyone else. Luckily, there is the Google cache to help us remember when they attempt to slide off into the night. According to TPM, the robo-caller Conquest Communicatinos has removed identifying info from it’s web site. Here are the illustrious partners.
Just got another Repug robo call. This time for a judge. I don’t know if it is my middle-aged ear (middle ear?) the phone or the speaker, but once again I mis-heard a word twice. This time it was hearing “probably” when the guy was supposed to be say “proudly,” as in he “he probably served in the military, instead of he “proudly served in the military.” (Interesting that serving in the military is a Rethug selling point . . .)
Oh, and Christy, don’t guilt trip about your delay, really.
When the Peanut looks back in time, she’ll see that her mother was just as dedicated to the democracy that protected the child she was as she was to the child.
There is no separation from those things — caring for your baby, or the democracy in which that baby thrives.
And now off to defend my own kids’ democracy!
GSD @ 100
Ha! They picked the wrong family to sabotage….
Oh, huzzah! It looks like there is motion around the boarding area. I may actually get to DC this evening after all. Hooorah!
An off point note:
Jane,
You and Christie have been an inspiration to us all in these last two years, and particularly in the run-up to the election. Thanks!
May your hard work bring you joyful rewards tomorrow night.
P.S.: I, for one, can’t watch another one. That one in 2004 was just too painful. So we’re leaving in the morning for two days camping in the wilderness. Different strokes for different folks…
Kia ora,
De-lurking (I can so do blog-speak) to wish all of you the very best of luck.
The world is watching (even insignificant little me in insignificant little NZ).
This is a great site full of wonderful people. You’re much better good-will earners than any of the so-called experts.
Whiti whaka te Ra
(Make the sun shine)
Vote! Vote! Vote!
Fingers and toes crossed for America.
Rolling down the aisle in laughter (snark): Just got an email from Rahm Emmanuel with the subject headding: “Send a message on Iraq!” Well, better late than never.
LouiseinNZ @ 110
Welcome Louise!
Kia ora!
Aww Norske,I have a new grandbaby too,just born last night. Mollie Claire,7 lbs 14 oz. This is my third wee grandbabe,and each time I have to remind myself what a YOUNG grandma I am,lol.
Richmond @ 111
I’VE got a message for ya, Rahm…
I am so glad to hear the responses to the fruadulent calls. I have been worrying about them ever since I read Josh’s reporting on them yesterday. Not only do I want us to hand these guys their asses, I want to put their asses in jail!
Was it TeddySanFran who said the message for November 8 is:
WHO’S NEXT?
ABCNews mentioned the robocall trickery by the Republicans.
What’s going on over in Montana? “Jon Tester appears to hold a slight lead over Republican Sen. Conrad Burns” in the latest poll, but other recent polls show them statistically tied, and the momentum with Burns.
“This election is going to be decided by turnout, and Republicans are better at it than Democrats,” says Burns official Jason Klindt.
Republicans are using their “vaunted 72-Hour Task Force” for the first time in Montana to get out the vote. What are Democrats doing to counter this? Can anyone here tell me?
I’m concerned that Democrats will win in Virginia and Missouri, then blow it in Montana which was supposed to locked up weeks ago. That will cost us control of the Senate.
Sorry to be a bummer, but I really would like some idea of what’s happening out there.
Quotes are from the Billings Gazette, GOP unveils get-out-the-vote plan and Poll shows Tester slightly ahead.
An Angry Old Broad @ 113
Yay you and welcome to wee Mollie Claire!!!!!!
LouiseinNZ @ 110
Will do! My silly Anders Rasmussen Danish cousin ( who loved boosh and said that i must unnnnnnnnerstand that a little country must support the giant, called me and begged me to intervene yesterday.)
It’s never too late.
via DKos:
Hugh @ 117
It’s not too late to SPOTLIGHT this story, we want it to be all over the CM tomorrow morning as people check the news before voting.
To paraphrase TRex:
SPOTLIGHT! SPOTLIGHT!! SPOTLIIIIIGHT!!!!!!
[TRex–did I do good?]
What happens to GOTV efforts when your side is not motivated? I keep hearing about the “Vaunted GOP GOTV machine” but then I read about the fundies staying home because of all the hypocrisy and scandals.
NBC just had something about robocalls but did not mention the Republican trickery.
Kirk and Christy at 78 and 80..
I’m doing nothing except posting here on this blog. I’m Canadian, and I’ve been watching this shit (crooked elections) since Bush Jr. was first elected, pardon me, appointed. I’m just sick of seeing it because it has such an effect upon the world.. not just the U.S. If any of you are working on this behind the scenes, well, I’m really happy to hear that. Nevertheless, I think it would really be useful if more people were more vocal about it up front. Hence my suggestions…. I’m not so naive as to believe that anyone is going to make a fuss in the streets in November over the issue of election rigging and fraud, or that that would have a useful effect in any case.
Oh, and I apologize if this offends anyone that I’m a little pissed off over what seems to me should be a simple matter but obviously isn’t! Listing and “documenting the atrocities” of current political battles and news items on a daily basis on these blogs is all fine and dandy but I still think getting honest accountable elections is more important even if it isn’t top of the news cycle.
uh how do you spotlight and what does it do?
H. Brandt Ayers: Quiet cowboy returns
OXFORDSHIRE, U.K. — If you’re an angry voter, depressed about what George W. Bush’s War has done to us and our standing in the world, be reassured. The world wants us back — the way we used to be.
“Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne. The Quiet Cowboy was no bully or braggart. He walked into the saloon unnoticed, moseyed up to the bar and ordered Sarsaparilla — without embarrassment.
http://www.annistonstar.com/op…..4w4724.htm
Hugh @ 124
SPOTLIGHT NBC
tuneforg @ 126
Uh, me, an amateur? Ok.
Underneath the post at the top of this page, there are some links, one of them is called Spotlight. Click on that. It gives you an opportunity to bring up the emails of people in the media, up to 10 at a time, to forward an interesting firedoglake article. You can narrow down your search geographically or by type of media or by subject.
You can add an introductory comment or summary or question. We ask that people be concise and above all polite so the recipient will actually want to read what you send.
Try it, you’ll like it!
Knowing these soulless douchebags that have taken this nation down the path to ruin, knowing these moral scabs, I am sure that the robocalls have been outsourced to a mainframe in Pakistan or India.
-GSD
OT – LouiseinNZ…whereabouts are you? I’m in Taupo…..
I just hope that by tomorrow evening we are not wondering what happened when we get Diebolded again. I just wonder that the reason Karl Rove is so worry-free is that he already knows the outcome of every race with electronic voting machines.
nuck @ 125
If you are new here, you might not realize that it is our SPECIALTY to take our intellectual analysis and transform it into action. We have a history of people going forth and doing new and wonderful things. I don’t have time to get into it at present, but keep asking and we will try to bring you up to speed.
We are people who are DOING something about the mess.
ie Jane, Christy, Pach, TRex, Nate, B. Muse, ET, and many others are out there DOING SOMETHING. Folks can you add to this list?
Little Debbie eats one snack cake too many.
Please be sure to give her your support!
Norsk sed: P.S. to Janie: there is a new Norwegian-American, radical feminist, patriot ass-kicker, her name is Freya Catherine, she weighs 8lbs 1 oz. and her 2 sisters will make sure she reads everything that Hamsher and Hardin Smith write.
KEEP THE FAITH AND KICK THE FASCISTS BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY…WE DO THIS FOR THE CHILDREN!!!
Woot Norske!! Raise ‘er to fight like her grandpa! We do this for the children, indeed.
KEEP THE FAITH FREYA CATHERINE AND LISTEN TO THEM WHAT’LL KEEP YA SAFE!!
Save the children!
Don’t be so intent on waiting for the perfect fight that you decline to fight in this righteous battle for the soul of our nation!!!
Richmond @
111
Comedy gold.
egregious thank you! Now who should be my first target? Baw ha ha ha (attempt at evil laugh)
egregious @ 136
I mean this: honor our parents, our brothers, our sisters, and our children.
tuneforg @ 138
Excellent evil laugh…
Go for the major media, TV and radio, who need to hear this story about fake robocalls. This story needs to out NOW to be on the news cycle tomorrow morning before people vote.
If you are doing states, try Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee, Montana, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, California, Colorado. Help me out here people.
You can do 10 at a time, maybe that’s enough for your first run, but if you find it satisfying, keep going and keep contacting more and more people.
GET THE WORD OUT——REPUBLICANS CHEATING AGAIN!
Jane Hamsher @ 137
Yeah, but his act’s getting old.
Excellent article! Thanks for the catch!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 127
An Angry Old Broad @ 113
AOB – Joy to you and Mollie and your families!
We should try to be ready for this stuff in 2008 with some sort of rapid response system. There must be some way we can get the major TV networks to report on this crap. I imagine coordination between the blogs and Democratic leaders.
This one is for GSD.
Originally posted: November 6, 2006
GOP ‘robocalls’ enrage Democrats
Posted by Frank James at 1:03 pm CST
Somewhat ironically, I have received a deluge of emails since last night from Democrats complaining about the flood of last-minute phone calls Republicans are making to voters in an effort drive down the Democratic vote tomorrow.
The e-mailers are upset about “robocalls”—pre-recorded, automated phone calls containing anti-Democratic political messages.
The calls initially sound like they’re coming from the Democratic candidates since they mention the Democrat’s name right off the bat.
But they’re actually being made by Republican organizations like the National Republican Congressional Committee.
snip
Liberal and Democratic bloggers are writing about the calls. In at least one case, the authorities have stepped in. That’s in New Hampshire, where according to an article in the Concord Monitor, the state’s deputy attorney general said the NRCC agreed to stop targeting voters with the prerecorded calls since New Hampshire makes it illegal to target anyone on the federal Do-Not-Call registry with prerecorded political calls.
snip
http://rawstory.com/showoutart…..ank_2.html
kirk murphy @ 143
blessings AOB and to your wee one!
Thanks BK.
-GSD
This was done in an Orange County California race against one of the Sanchez sister running as the democratic representative incumbent. The Republican candidate said he wasn’t involved, but a member of his staff did it and has since been fired. The flyers were intimidating arrest warnings and were even sent to naturalized citizens. The authorities are investigating.
After a long day working for Ned Lamont (and weeks of getting anti-Diane Farrell – CT-04 robo calls), we came home to find an answering machine message that said: if you re-elect the republicans, we will make certain you never receive robo-calls again (implying they’ll legislate it out of existance) – this from the chair of the CT GOP party. Unbelievable. Called the DNC (Dean’s office) which had me call the CT Dem party … had the guy there listen to the message … but frankly, not sure anyone in the party is all that interested. Sorry to be rude but the Dems have to stop being PUSSIES and fight back in public.
@133
I’ve been visiting, on and off, and occasionally commenting on this site since before it was popular, and Jane and Christy (Redhedd) were only getting 5 to 10 comments per post if that.
In any case, and this will be my last insisting post on this matter. The only thing I want to see is more VISIBILITY on this issue on a consistent basis from all the major blogs. Because I think it is important. Hey, does anyone think this election will be any less crooked than the last three? In spite of all those behind the scenes efforts? Just asking.
Let me suggest that a little more noise wouldn’t hurt.
Carry on. What the fuck do I know?
“Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other
There’s many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas;
There’s many a young boy who feels things he don’t comprehend.
Well small town don’t like it when somebody falls between sexes,
No, small town don’t like it when a cowboy has feelings for men.
Well I believe in my soul that inside every man there’s a feminine,
And inside every lady there’s a deep manly voice loud and clear.
Well, a cowboy may brag about things that he does with his women,
But the ones who brag loudest are the ones that are most likely queer.
Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other
What did you think those saddles and boots was about?
There’s many a cowboy who don’t understand the way that he feels towards his brother,
Inside every cowboy there’s a lady who’d love to slip out.
Ten men for each woman was the rule way back when on the prairie,
And somehow those cowboys must have kept themselves warm late at night.
Cowboys are famous for getting riled up about fairies,
But I’ll tell you the reason a big strong man gets so uptight:
Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other
That’s why they wear leather, and Levi’s and belts buckled tight.
There’s many a cowboy who don’t understand the way that he feels towards his brother;
There’s many a cowboy who’s more like a lady at night.
Well there’s always somebody who says what the others just whisper,
And mostly that someone’s the first one to get shot down dead:
When you talk to a cowboy don’t treat him like he was a sister
Don’t mess with the lady that’s sleepin’ in each cowboy’s head.
Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other
Even though they take speed and drive pickups and shoot their big guns;
There’s many a cowboy who don’t understand the way that he feels towards his brother;
There’s many a cowboy who keeps quiet about things he’s done.”
If Karl has it all won, why all the
illegal jail time causingvoter suppressing phone calls akin to the New Hampshire Senate election phone jamming scandalBold is mine.
new thread up – Amortizing the Election
The polls I’ve seen over the past week have had Webb up by 2 or 3 points. Matthews just said Allen has a 3 point lead. 6 points in 1 day. That’s so weird.
egregious @
133
Howie F’ing Klein
Jacqrat @ 155
Jacqrat…duh!
punaise @
156
No, please don’t put me in this category. What I did is miniscule, compared to what these others are doing. Besides, Howie had to hold my hand the entire way… :)
nuck @ 150
Did they have computers back then, or did you have to comment on coconuts?
nuck, thanks for your comment. Jane and Christy are “it,” they don’t have an army of staff, such as a TM newsroom. They have a few people, TRex, Matt O, Jordan, watertiger, Pach,…. who help ease the load, but Jane and Christy write the vast majority of the posts. If you think a particular topic deserves more coverage, you can link to a blog or TM article that covers it more to your satisfaction. Unless it’s the Sunday Afternoon Book Salon, Jane and Christy are extremely tolerant of “OfT FWIW” = Off Topic, For What it’s Worth comments. You can make a difference by bringing credible facts to our attention. Other commenters get interested (or not) and then the quality of discourse on the whole board improves.
John Casper @ 152
Just part of the smoke and mirrors. Just as in a magic show, there has to be a real effort to keep everyone’s eyes off the hand with the card in it. Or my favorite quote “Ignore the man behind the curtain”. There has to be something real that people can point to and say “that was part of the problem, that was why we didn’t win.”
Also, in areas where there are no Diebold machines (or any of their ilk) this is where most of the old fashioned strong arm tactics are used. But just to keep the smoke and mirrors going, for instance, they still put just one voting machine in Ohio near the University so people got tired of waiting in line. And guess what, even though every one in that line said they voted Democrat, I remember reading that one machine came out with a Republican win.
So, I expect the Rovians to use every available tactic. Both to draw attention away and to strong arm in appropriate areas.
Jacqrat @ 157
sorry, you don’t get off that easy :~)
what’s up with the bold cowboy stuff at 151?
punaise @
162
BoldBack Mountain? An ode to Pastor Ted? Who knows?
Got Robo?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJT4NAA9yB4
Dennis Hastert will not be eligible to be Speaker of the House. He will lose to John Laesch 48 to 52. John has waged a great campaign on the ground and out of sight, while Hastert has done nothing to help himself. With your VERY SIGNIFICANT [across Act Blue pages alone: 4,894 people contributed $172,063.79] help, John’s TV ads and the Hadenough radio spots have had a great impact. His direct mail was supplanted by a really good GOTV effort. Meanwhile, Hastert was left off the Lee County Republican sample ballot by the local party. The local newspapers have played the story about Hastert not being re-elected Speaker of the House. The message is clear: we are going on a pork-free diet starting now. For that reason, Republicans are going to vote for Laesch in very significant numbers.
Dick Pierce @ 165
From your fingertips to the Goddess’ ears… A win in IL-14 would be SUPER SWWWWWeeEEeeeEEEEEEtttTTT.
Dennis is going down Yes! I used to live near the district C.L I knew child molestor enablers would not fly actually I’m surprised he shows his face the local church must be a tough place to visit
John Casper @
152
Be BOLD, go vote!
Cozumel @ 46
Rats, I missed it!
Was that Mike Rogers, the-FBI-just-opened-an-Abramoff-file-on-me, of Michigan? Did he really look foolish? Just wondering cuz I get to help vote the bum out tommorrow morning.
Jacqrat @ 166
Maybe not so pork-free if their Represenative is with the majority. A good rational to persuade Republicans to vote Democrat this year.
These attempts to suppress the vote are very high-risk. If Webb wins in VA, you can be sure that there will be investigations. He will make sure there are, and as a Senator, he’ll be in a position to enforce it. If the Dems win the House, the same holds for robocalls. This is Rove’s Hail Mary — a little like the Battle of Kursk, which this campaign increasingly resembles.