New Florida vote scandal

[dissention]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ht/3956129.stm
By Greg Palast

A secret document obtained from inside Bush campaign headquarters in Florida suggests a plan - possibly in violation of US law - to disrupt voting in the state's African-American voting districts, a BBC Newsnight investigation reveals.

Two e-mails, prepared for the executive director of the Bush campaign in Florida and the campaign's national research director in Washington DC, contain a 15-page so-called "caging list".

It lists 1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and traditionally Democrat areas of Jacksonville, Florida.

An elections supervisor in Tallahassee, when shown the list, told Newsnight: "The only possible reason why they would keep such a thing is to challenge voters on election day."

Ion Sancho, a Democrat, noted that Florida law allows political party operatives inside polling stations to stop voters from obtaining a ballot.

Mass challenges

They may then only vote "provisionally" after signing an affidavit attesting to their legal voting status.

Mass challenges have never occurred in Florida. Indeed, says Mr Sancho, not one challenge has been made to a voter "in the 16 years I've been supervisor of elections."

"Quite frankly, this process can be used to slow down the voting process and cause chaos on election day; and discourage voters from voting."

Sancho calls it "intimidation." And it may be illegal.

In Washington, well-known civil rights attorney, Ralph Neas, noted that US federal law prohibits targeting challenges to voters, even if there is a basis for the challenge, if race is a factor in targeting the voters.

The list of Jacksonville voters covers an area with a majority of black residents.

When asked by Newsnight for an explanation of the list, Republican spokespersons claim the list merely records returned mail from either fundraising solicitations or returned letters sent to newly registered voters to verify their addresses for purposes of mailing campaign literature.

Republican state campaign spokeswoman Mindy Tucker Fletcher stated the list was not put together "in order to create" a challenge list, but refused to say it would not be used in that manner.

Rather, she did acknowledge that the party's poll workers will be instructed to challenge voters, "Where it's stated in the law."

There was no explanation as to why such clerical matters would be sent to top officials of the Bush campaign in Florida and Washington.

Private detective

In Jacksonville, to determine if Republicans were using the lists or other means of intimidating voters, we filmed a private detective filming every "early voter" - the majority of whom are black - from behind a vehicle with blacked-out windows.

The private detective claimed not to know who was paying for his all-day services.

On the scene, Democratic Congresswoman Corinne Brown said the surveillance operation was part of a campaign of intimidation tactics used by the Republican Party to intimate and scare off African American voters, almost all of whom are registered Democrats.

[Johnny Stew]

I think I'm becoming seriously jaded where politics are concered. I'm realizing more and more than nothing surprises me now.

I guess if you can't accomplish something on your own merits, then you have to resort to cheating, lying, stealing and intimidation to get your way.
The Republican party is looking more and more like the new Mafia.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

I think I'm becoming seriously jaded where politics are concered. I'm realizing more and more than nothing surprises me now.

I guess if you can't accomplish something on your own merits, then you have to resort to cheating, lying, stealing and intimidation to get your way.
The Republican party is looking more and more like the new Mafia.

Point of Order - the D's are not above it. Can you say Kennedy, Chicago, the 60's, etc.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Point of Order - the D's are not above it. Can you say Kennedy, Chicago, the 60's, etc.

No politician seems above shady business. But this is 2004, not the '60s... I'm referring to things that have happened within the past five years, not the past 40 years.

[strandinthewind]

Well, let's start with the D Gov. of NJ paying his gay lover a fat state payroll in a job that he was not qualified for, and for the security of NJ no less - AND he refuses to step down :rtolleyes:

Not to mention Gore's asking for recounts only in Gore friendly counties when clearly there were problems in other counties and he could have asked for recounts in those counties but did not and the statute clearly did not limit the number of manual recounts Gore could initially ask for (fire away because I am not arguing this again )

There are many more but I am too lazy to cite them.

But, I will grant you the R's are sleazy and probably the sleaziest of the sleazy - I mean they smeared Max Cleland as a coward when he is a triple amputee that left over half of his body in Nam while defending his country

[amber]

I am once again horrified, yet not suprised. Yet, suprised, at the actual extent of the evil. But really, it's always been like this. Jaded?...to put it mildly.
Amber

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

I think I'm becoming seriously jaded where politics are concered. I'm realizing more and more than nothing surprises me now.

I guess if you can't accomplish something on your own merits, then you have to resort to cheating, lying, stealing and intimidation to get your way.
The Republican party is looking more and more like the new Mafia.

you have become jaded, Alot of people are jaded from the SNAFU 2000 election...Seems this year will be even worse.

As for Repubs looking like the new Mafia, Nah, That is insulting to the "Tony Sopranos" of the world

Brian "A vote for Kerry in 2004 is one less vote for Hillary in 2008-Bumper Sticker I recently saw" j.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Not to mention Gore's asking for recounts only in Gore friendly counties when clearly there were problems in other counties and he could have asked for recounts in those counties but did not and the statute clearly did not limit the number of manual recounts Gore could initially ask for (fire away because I am not arguing this again )

Gore did what he was allowed to do by Florida election law. He could only ask for recounts in certain counties until the election was certified. Only then could he ask for a statwide recount.

[madformac]

I've been expecting something like this in Florida anyway so it's no surprise to me. If my brother was the big cheese in the State I think I'd nudge nudge, wink wink at him, know what I mean?

For all the people I hear on this site and others urging people to vote Kerry it seems to me as an outside observer that Bush will get in again.. All the vocal support I'm seeing over in the UK seems to be coming from Kerry supporters yet there are millions of quiet, almost secretive Bush supporters that I feel will overwhelm the polls. Add that percentage to the dubious vote counting scandals that will appear again for sure and it will make for interesting watching.

Maybe a few people should watch Farenheit 9/11 again.. Although basically all politicians are very similar I just get the feeling that some are more closely associated with dirty tricks than others.

As for us over here, Blair will get into bed with Kerry or Bush and asskiss a few favors from either so it doesn't matter to us. Apart from the feeling we have of Dubya already.

[wondergirl9847]

Sorry, just had to say...MFM....funny sig.

Originally Posted by madformac

Although basically all politicians are very similar I just get the feeling that some are more closely associated with dirty tricks than others.

You hit the nail.

[EnchantedSLN]

Now there are almost 60,000 absentee ballots unaccounted for in Florida: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10028901.htm?1c. Nice.

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by EnchantedSLN

Now there are almost 60,000 absentee ballots unaccounted for in Florida: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10028901.htm?1c. Nice.

seems the "Voting Bermuda Rectangle" has struck again (Man, votes in FL seem to migrate/hibernate this time of the year every 4 years...)

Brian j.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by EnchantedSLN

Now there are almost 60,000 absentee ballots unaccounted for in Florida: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10028901.htm?1c. Nice.

Thanks, Tiffany.