'Vote caging' allegations arise in probe of U.S. attorney firings

[sabra]

Source: McClatchy

Four days before the 2004 election, the Justice Department's civil rights chief sent an unusual letter to a federal judge in Ohio who was weighing whether to let Republicans challenge the credentials of 23,000 mostly African American voters.

The case was triggered by allegations that Republicans had sent a mass mailing to mostly Democratic-leaning minorities and used undeliverable letters to compile a list of voters potentially vulnerable to eligibility challenges.

In his letter to U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott of Cincinnati, Assistant Attorney General Alex Acosta argued that it would undermine the enforcement of state and federal election laws if citizens could not challenge voters' credentials.

Former Justice Department civil rights officials and election watchdog groups charge that his letter sided with Republicans engaging in an illegal, racially motivated tactic known as "vote-caging" in a state that would be pivotal in delivering President Bush a second term in the White House.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/239832.html

[formercia]

1. If you can't cage the vote, then cage the voter.

I believe there is a direct connection between the War on Drugs, a War that is not designed to be won, and voter suppression.
Massive quantities of illegal drugs are imported into urban areas that historically tend to vote Democratic. The resulting increase in crime and the numbers of minorities convicted of Felonies serves to reduce the Democratic base, even if the conviction does not cause the loss of the ability to vote. Just showing up at a polling place can be a very intimidating experience for fear of being pulled aside, interrogated and possibly being arrested for some minor infraction. The polling place is where the 'Man' is, and a lot of folks are afraid to go there for that very reason.

[glitch]

2. b i n g o - that plus cheap labor (backdoor re-legalizing slavery IMO) nt

[Maraya1969]

12. The Opium war

Opium War : In the early 19th century, Great Britain began importing opium, processed from poppy plants grown in the Crown Colony of India, into China. Chinese officials attempted to ban the importation of the highly addictive opium, but ultimately failed. The British declared war on China in a series of conflicts called the Opium Wars. Superior British military technology allowed them to claim victory and subject the Chinese to a series of unequal treaties.

[formercia]

14. Nothing has changed

Planning for the 2008 Elections...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6239734.stm

Afghan opium production 'soars'
By Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Geneva


Opium production in Afghanistan is soaring out of control, the annual UN report on illegal drugs says.

The World Drug Report says more than 90% of illegal opium, which is used to make heroin, comes from Afghanistan.

It says cultivation of opium poppies increased dramatically in the country, despite the presence of more than 30,000 international troops there.

The report says Afghanistan is unlikely to regain real security until the production of illegal drugs is tackled.

[superconnected]

3. Let us not forget what intolerant SCUM many many many republicans actually are.

The really DON'T believe in democracy. And that is the greatest threat to america.

"Last week, Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island sought an internal Justice Department investigation into whether department officials knew about Tim Griffin's alleged caging before he was named interim U.S. attorney for Arkansas. Griffin, a former Republican National Committee and White House operative, had been dogged by allegations that he tried to cage mostly African American voters three years ago in Jacksonsville, Fla. He has denied any impropriety, and resigned the interim post earlier this month."

I wonder if Sens Kennedy and Whitehouse will be able to get anything done from this - ie people behind bars.

[krispos42]

4. Wikipedia has a good explanation of caging

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caging

<snip>

Caging has been used as a form of voter suppression.<3> The use of direct mail caging techniques to target voters resulted in the application of the name to the political tactic. With one type of caging, a political party sends registered mail to addresses of registered voters. If the mail is returned as undeliverable - because, for example, the voter refuses to sign for it, the voter isn't present for delivery, or the voter is homeless - the party uses that fact to challenge the registration, arguing that because the voter could not be reached at the address, the registration is fraudulent.<4> A political party challenges the validity of a voter's registration; for the voter's ballot to be counted, the voter must prove that their registration is valid.

Voters targeted by caging are often the most vulnerable: those who are unfamiliar with their rights under the law, and those who cannot spare the time, effort, and expense of proving that their registration is valid. On the day of the election, when the voter arrives at the poll and requests a ballot, an operative of the party challenges the validity of their registration. Ultimately, caging works by dissuading a voter from casting a ballot, or by ensuring that they cast a provisional ballot, which is less likely to be counted.

<more>

They mention Greg Palast and Monica Goodling, too :-)

[sonias]

6. I learned everything I know about caging from Greg Palast

Kicking it for Greg's efforts too.

Sonia

[Barrett808]

5. k&r

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. Nice to see this getting some attention

:kick: & R

[xchrom]

8. recommend

[OzarkDem]

9. Ohio went according to plan

There was no need to fire USA's or exert pressure. Everyone involved in the process was already in the loop and approved of the process. In fact, IIRC, there was a special sense of entitlement or righteous indignation if things had gone otherwise. Blackwell and the Ohio GOP felt it was their patriotic duty to purge these voters from the rolls. No one could have stopped them.

[mod mom]

10. DoJ Civil Rights Division Letter from John Tanner, Chief of Voting (RE: OH '04)

Guess we were all mistaken, nothing to see there.

:mad:


DoJ Civil Rights Division Letter from John Tanner, Chief of Voting
Section regarding their investigation of 2004 Election in Franklin
County:

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/misc/franklin_oh.pdf

thanks to an anonymous poster at muckraker for this.

[Botany]

13. Guess those other 62 machines that were kept in the warehouse

and crossed off the list of machines don't count.

[galloglas]

11. Kick!

Need to keep this in sight!

[seafan]

15. More on Alex Acosta, now USA in Southern District of Florida:

"Is he a Bushie?", asked Harry Reid, about USA Alex Acosta, Southern District of Florida (Miami)