Preemptive 'war:' Florida Dems sue GOP over unused tactic

[DogPoundPup]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

It may be the peak of the 2008 presidential election season, but the Florida Democratic Party is taking a trip down memory lane with the first voter lawsuit filed against the GOP.

This time, it's not about ballot recounts, as in Gore v. Bush in 2000. It's a Democratic legal salvo accusing the Republicans of plotting a last-minute challenge of registered voters with potentially bad addresses, which may prevent them from casting a regular ballot at the polls Tuesday.

The lawsuit, filed in Leon County last week, cites alleged evidence of Republicans trying to ''cage'' a Duval County voter and of a GOP sheriff's candidate challenging some 300 voters in Glades County. Caging is the term for sending mail to voters in a bid to identify, by the undelivered pieces, who might have moved from their address on the registration rolls.

''This is above politics,'' said state Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff. "This is about our foundation of democracy.''

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/55152.html

[fascisthunter]

1. Good!

Somebody, please tell me why I should respect Republicans?. When I say republicans, I mean those working within and for the party. They really disgust me.

[bertman]

15. Don't expend all your bile on the Republicans, fascisthunter. Save some for the Dems who are

in league with them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4357249

[annabanana]

2. Yeah! This is EXACTLY how this crap has to be fought!

It has to be fought BEFORE the "damage is done".. Because, as we have seen, it is impossible to stop the inauguration train after it has left the station.

You can't unsay a word or unbreak the pinata.

[BoneDaddy]

3. Fight at every front

well done

[bluesmail]

4. I like this preemptive war. Can we have a few more?

[acmavm]

5. Sheesh! They really are the smartest guys in the room.

[vanboggie]

6. Bravo to the FL Dems!! n/t

[Idealism]

7. The Bush Doctrine

of Elections!? Love it

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

8. They sued for something they think they might do?

Am I reading this right?

David

[Indenturedebtor]

11. No - I think that they're suing over what is going on now

but the reporter felt that it was preemptive because the pukes haven't successfully stolen the election yet.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

14. They accused them of plotting.

[Indenturedebtor]

17. I took from this excerpt that they have evidence of actions

"The lawsuit, filed in Leon County last week, cites alleged evidence of Republicans trying to ''cage'' a Duval County voter and of a GOP sheriff's candidate challenging some 300 voters in Glades County. Caging is the term for sending mail to voters in a bid to identify, by the undelivered pieces, who might have moved from their address on the registration rolls."

:shrug:

The "plotting" part and the general "Oh those crazy liberals" tone of the article seems to be the work of a very bad reporter.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

20. I've gotten used to the very bad reporter part this election cycle.

I believe you are correct in your analysis. Ever consider becoming a reporter?

David

[Indenturedebtor]

22. I don't think there's much of a market for ethical reporters anymore is there?

I did think about it in my college years but now I dunno know haha.

[Ferret Annica]

9. This is why Baraqck is going to have around 5,000 lawyers at polling places

in Florida on election day. Stories like this though cover exactly why I am nervous.

[unkachuck]

10. go get 'em Florida Dems.....

....just like Saddam Hussein, these repulsive Florida Republicans suffer from unbridled 'intent'....but unlike Saddam Hussein, the repugs have used weapons of mass voting destruction here....

[merwin]

12. Did that article say Gore v Bush?

It was Bush v Gore. Bush was the one who sued Gore to stop the recounts.

[HopeFor2006]

21. Good catch!

[kestrel91316]

13. YEAH!! Time to kick ass and take names!!!! Sic 'em, boys!!!

[bertman]

16. I hope Barack has 5000 teeny weeny little lawyers to stick inside those voting machines

that still don't record how the votes are cast.

This is one good tactic but there are a lot more that need some firepower.

[defendandprotect]

18. Needless to say every challenge should allow for response in order to be legal --

[madfloridian]

19. Here is more. I posted about it, but it archived quickly.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=7675432

And here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7675432&mesg_id=7675553

""The Florida Democratic Party is joining in a legal challenge filed this week by two Glades and Duval county voters to pre-emptively block Republicans from using a "gimmick" fundraising letter to try and challenge voters at the polls next week. Democrats filed the lawsuit in response to an unknown number of official-looking "party affiliation voter registration cards" sent out by the Republican National Committee to Democratic voters asking them to re-register to vote.

The RNC's top lawyer has said the letter was a fundraising "gimmick," but Democrats have accused them of trying to engage in what's called "voter caging" -- where they get evidence a voter has moved through a "return to sender" notice on a returned envelope and then try to use it as evidence to challenge the voter when they show up at the polls.

"We believe all Floridians who want to vote and are eligible to vote should have their voices heard, and their votes counted promptly," FDP Chair Karen Thurman said in a statement Thursday evening."

AND the GOP pretends innocence.

"UPDATE: RNC spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson calls the complaint "another unfortunate example of Democrats going straight out of their playbook and launching a baseless ‘pre-emptive’ lawsuit to garner media attention less than a week before Election Day."

"This mail piece has nothing to do with a voter’s registration status – it is a fundraiser that has been sent to Republicans from the RNC for over a decade," she writes us. "If it is mistakenly sent to a Democrat, they are removed from future RNC mailings. None of the other allegations involve the RNC at all. The Democrats are clearly attempting to confuse voters in the key battleground state of Florida."

Florida Republican Party spokeswoman Erin VanSickle said her shop was equally blameless.

“This is a bogus lawsuit and an attempt to distract voters from the real issues by throwing in everything but the kitchen sink six days out from Election Day," she writes us."

[Enthusiast]

23. Republicans are Un-American

It is as simple as that. They don't believe in the democratic process.

[ksimons]

24. hard to act innocent anymore Republicans.

When you've cultivated a reputation for lying, cheating, stealing and doing anything it takes to get your way. And THAT'S just the White House!