Michigan GOP says Michael Moore tried to buy votes with underwear

[Bozita]

http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm628_20041005.htm

Michigan GOP says Michael Moore tried to buy votes with underwear


Tuesday, October 5, 2004

BY DAWSON BELL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Michigan Republican Party wants filmmaker Michael Moore prosecuted for giving college students packets of underwear and noodles in return for their promise to vote.

GOP Executive Director Greg McNeilly made the request Tuesday to Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III after last week’s visit to Michigan State University of Moore’s “Slacker Uprising Tour.”

During his appearance at MSU and elsewhere on campuses around the country, Moore has been passing out underwear, food and even promises to clean dorm rooms in exchange for a commitment to vote in the presidential election with the goal of ousting President George W. Bush.

In the complaint filed with Dunnings, McNeilly cites a provision of the Michigan Election Code which prohibits the exchange of valuable consideration for “voting or agreeing to vote, or inducing or attempting to induce another to vote, at an election.”

more...

[Dickie Flatt]

1. Lighten up [n/t]

[saigon68]

2. GOP Executive Director Greg McNeilly Needs to Buy some CRACK

And smoke it--- he is way WAY too SERIOUS

[ThomCat]

4. He needs a blow job, is what he needs.

Damn!

[WhiteTara]

22. Send him to see Scalia

they can have those orgies together to loosen some of that
social tension

[LiberalFighter]

29. As long as it is someone with holes in their teeth

[blm]

3. Tim LaHaye only promised the students Armageddon if they voted for Bush.

Of course, many of them are looking FORWARD to the Endtimes. Can't come soon enough for them.

[progressivebydesign]

5. Such BS. Inticing one to VOTE, is not telling them how to vote..

.. what about the ice cream parlours that offer free cones if you have an I VOTED sticker???

[bif]

6. MM does not represent the Dem Party

So he can do whatever he wants.

[johnnie]

7. shrub offered every about 300 bucks for the vote

And many people took him up on his offer.

[pacalo]

23. There's no telling how many the coWard&co bought with bribes.

[bushisanidiot]

8. ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO VOTE IS DOWNRIGHT UNAMERICAN!!

we need to band together and stop this criminal activity!!

heil Bush!

[demokatgurrl]

9. Yes, the repubs HATE that, when you get a lot of

people out to vote!
Anyway, how can he buy votes- he's not running for anything. He's just encouraging civic activism.

[Sleepless In NY]

11. LOL! How scared are the GOP of young voters?

Very. Kerry leading with young voters. And gess, doesnt the GOP have a sense of humor? Guess not.

[struggle4progress]

62. What it really shows is that the GOP opposes underwear. eom

[4_Legs_Good]

10. As I recall people had to sign a promise to vote for George Jr. to attend

rallies.

Now how is that different from a pack of noodles.

He's also offered a year's supply of beer nuts!

david

[Sleepless In NY]

13. dnvechoes ..good one! LOL!

ROFL!

[gadem04]

12. It goes deeper

than that. I'm from Michigan. There are no underwear manufacturing facilities in Flint. I should know.

[Steelangel]

14. You gotta love republicans and their spins

theirs are quite creative.

[ChrisK]

15. I don't think noodles and underwear would fall under this law

At the Merriam-Webster site the definition for valuable consideration seems to speak of a bit more then a few small tokens and a promise made in jest like the room cleaning.

If he were promising monies and such then I would say he is stepping out of line but a few tokens are nothing more then attention-getters and he is having some fun with the people there.

I would love to see the GOP get this worked up in a few states like Florida or Ohio and show there support for the rights of all Americans to vote and not just there party.

It really is funny to see them hem and haw about unfair tactics when there side has been engaging in it for many many years..sad as well.

[Sabriel]

21. Does that rule apply to the free "I Voted" pin I got last time?

Let's face it, the only reason I went to the polls was to be paid with a nifty button that I could then turn around and sell.

What is the MATTER with people?

[SoCalDem]

16. They just don't "get it".. Buying votes is very different

Buying votes is AFTER THE FACT or at least in present time. There was a time (maybe it still happens :shrug:, when people would be rounded up, driven to a polling place and watched from a distance while they went in and voted.. THEN they would be paid for their votes.. Even in THAT scenario, it's impossible to be IN THE VOTING BOOTH with the person.....

"Buying votes" is not a "promise" to vote sometime in an unverified future :eyes:

[arikara]

17. What idiotic desperate morans!!

“But this is a serious question of the integrity of the election process,” he said. “It’s no different than offering someone a carton of cigarettes and a ride to the polls on election day. It’s against the law.”

Handing out some underwear and noodles is wrong, but its not a bad thing to steal an election and install a fool as prez!

[CiCi the Psychobunny]

31. You can't drive people to the polls?

Christ, in NZ I know the Labour Party at least has people a) doorknocking to ask people if they've voted, and b) entire deputizations of people with cars to drive elderly or disabled people to the polling booths.
But goddess forbid that we should let people in wheelchairs vote. Next they'll think they're people! </sick sarcasm>

[HereSince1628]

18. The GOP *uckheads are SO good at rigidly enforcing the rules

They know EXACTLY how far they can stick their heads over the barbed wire fences that separate ethical from unethical behavior.

On this one I have to concede to their very superior knowledge and experience in pushing campaign limits just beyond the maximum.

[jeanmarc]

19. LOL! Michael Moore gets free pub again!

It amazes me that they continue to take Moore's bait! McNeilly sounds like a complete tool.

[BiggJawn]

20. Our College ReTHUGlicans gave you hot dogs and chips...

When you registered with them last week. of course, I'm not in MI, but is seems this "It's only illegal if a DEMOCRAT does it" bullshit is universal...

[Senior citizen]

57. Tell Mike. Maybe he can file a SLAPP suit.

I can just see the TIME cover photo of Justice Clarence Thomas carefully examining the underpants prior to ruling that they're more valuable than the hot dogs....

[neuvocat]

24. WTF?

“It’s no different than offering someone a carton of cigarettes and a ride to the polls on election day. It’s against the law.”

So it is against the law to bring someone to the polls? What about those volunteers who offer to bring the elderly and disabled to the polls to vote? Besides that, Moore never told anyone HOW to vote or WHO to vote for.

[FlaGranny]

50. Ask the elderly black folks in Florida

about that. The ones who were investigated for driving people to vote, registering new voters, and encouraging absentee voting. The 70 year olds who had the state police knocking on their doors a month or so ago.

[Moderator]

25. Kick

:kick:

[muchacho]

26. idiots

Don't these idiots have any sense of moral balance.

[Horn Player Chris]

27. Bastards..

I was at Michael Moore rally last night in Gainesville, FL and he passed out Ramen Noodles and clean underwear to anyone who would REGISTER to vote. Not to people who said they would vote, or who said they would vote the way Moore wanted them to. Just that they would register then and there.

[Kierkegaard]

43. Um...no.

Remember of whom you speak. Morals and ethics are not something you practice, but something you use to bludgeon your opposition or talk about to excite your base (religious zealots.)

[fujiyama]

28. God what a pathetic bunch of fools

They seem almost desperate, considering they know they will lose another major statewide election this fall, because Bush sure isn't going to carry this state.

Anyways, I was at one of the rallies and IIRC, MM gave the underwear and noodles to those that claimed they had registered for the first time this year. It wasn't payment for anything. They didn't have to register there. Anyone could have raised their hand and gone up there and picked up some underwear or noodles. It was basically a joke.

[study_war_no_more]

30. this happened in Minneapolis too

Same situation a newspaper gave away tickets or something for registration promise and were called on it by the repukes.

[Flammable Materials]

40. Isn't a signed "Loyalty Oath" essentially a promise to vote for Bush?

If so, then Bush is requiring people to vote for him in order to give them the valuable opportunity to see him speak in public.

If ramen noodles and underwear is actionable, then this is most certainly actionable.

[CiCi the Psychobunny]

32. Wait wait wait, I forgot . . .

Further to my earlier post, I do recall last election a National party candidate complained to the Electoral Commission because her Labour opponent had a free sausage sizzle. Clearly bribery. I mean, a WHOLE sausage, on white bread, WITH ONIONS AND TOMATO SAUCE??? How can that NOT be corrupt? :evilgrin:

[Tight_rope]

33. Damn..this is stupid..he just told them to vote...not who for!...Stupidass

[WLKjr]

34. Ramen Noodles and a pack of Hanes

What poor college student would turn those down.......Hell if I was the student who never voted and even cleaning my room and recieved these in exchange for voting, hell yes I would go vote too :D!

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

35. Mike Moore is an 'effing GENIUS!

He pulls off this little bit of street theater and actually gets the local Republicans to bite. HOW DARE MIKE MOORE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE!!! This is priceless -- I'm just glad he's on our side!

[jmcgowanjm]

42. Saw him in Conway, Sunday

and Repubs need to be scared.

He is so quick and affable.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

44. It's because he's a schlub...

and I mean that in a good way. Moore is loaded with talent and (I'm certain) ambition -- but he comes off as the guy who sat behind you in Algebra class. His public persona is completely without pretention, and young voters gravitate toward him.

[allemand]

36. Noodle-Gate...

This is sooo ridiculous... :-)

[kwyjibo]

52. Panty-Gate

sounds better :)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

37. Sounds like a desperate cry for help, doesn't it? How sad....

....NOT!!!

Unless those GOP idiots can prove that Moore has coerced or influenced anyone to vote, their "case" is dead in the water and sinking fast.

[democracy eh]

38. what ever happened to buying votes with whiskey or rum?

out behind the polling station

ahh the good old days

[Flammable Materials]

39. 3 Steps To Victory!!!

1. GET UNDERWEAR
2. ????
3. KERRY WINS!

[The Zanti Regent]

41. GASP! Mike in "THONG-GATE"...

I love it. Go Mike Go!

[Chicago Democrat]

45. BRING IT ON!!! Fuck you Michigan GOP!

(Me giving Michigan GOP the finger!)

[trogdor]

46. Everybody who got underpants from MM...

...should wear them on their heads on Election Day, a la Beavis, as a "fuck you" gesture to the MI GOP.

[underpants]

47. He is NOT my pimp

I can not be sold...........really how much?

:bounce:

[Dr Fate]

48. Just in time for Mike to sell more DVDs-thanks again, GOP!!!

Mike will gladly accept your FREE publicity and turn even more people on to the facts about Bush.

[Strawman]

49. Good luck with your case assholes

They just believe for some reason that MM turns alot of people off and that keeping his name in the press and linking him to JK will help them somehow. They can't run against JK, so they run against MM. Bring it on, assholes. It's not going to work and it will blow up in your faces. Look at the box office receipts for FH/911. See what the top selling DVD is going to be this week. Brilliant fucking move.

[Politicub]

51. This just demonstrates the level of poverty we have in this country

When you can buy someone's vote with a pair of underpants

(tongue planted firmly in cheek)

The GOP are a sad bunch of people. They really, really are.

[treading_water]

53. He would have the same problem in Oregon

Don't shoot the messenger... I, too, think that this is a ludicrous charge. That said, Oregon State voter registration drive guidelines specifically prohibit "Seeking to induce any person to register or vote. This means that you cannot directly pay people or offer them anything of value in return for their registration."

http://www.oregonvotes.org/regdrive.htm

[justjones]

56. But the way I read this is....

If you are directly registering people to vote, as in having them fill out a voter registration card you are going to turn into the state of Oregon, you cannot give them money or anything of value in exchange.

This is NOT was MM was doing. He wasn't giving out noodles and drawers to get people to sign voter registration cards that he was going to turn in to the state....he was just getting them to promise they were going to vote.

It was a panty and noodle free for all potential voters...you didn't have to even promise to vote for Kerry.

Therefore, there is no basis for these ludicrous accusations.

[treading_water]

59. From his letter

"It seems to have worked, as each night the volunteer tables are swamped afterwards with hundreds of new and young voters signing up to campaign for regime change for the next four weeks."

This indicates to me that they are registering voters at the slacker uprising event.

[republicansareevil]

60. to me it sounds like they are "signing up to campaign"

Look, if the Michigan GOP wants to pursue this, I'm all for it. They'll be laughed out of court. But this isn't about legal action, this is about creating an impression in the media. You'd have to be really ignorant to think this is going anywhere. And that's the GOP base.

[justjones]

61. If registering to vote was a requirement....

for getting the underwear and noodles, I can see a potential problem.

But if they were just passing out the underwear and noodles AND registering to vote just happened to be available, or vice versa, I don't see the problem.

The question is whether registering and the free handouts were mutually exclusive, which isn't clear from either the article or MM's letter.

[republicansareevil]

54. MICHAEL MOORE'S RESPONSE -- HILARIOUS

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2004-10-06

Here are some excerpts...

Republicans, Out of Ideas, Ask Prosecutors to Arrest Michael Moore

10/6/04

Dear Friends,

You may have heard by now that the Michigan Republican Party has called for my arrest. That's right. They literally want me brought up on charges -- and hope that I'm locked up.

...

Each night on our 60-city "Slacker Uprising Tour" through the 20 battleground states, I've been registering hundreds (and on some nights, thousands) of voters at my arena and stadium events. I then ask for everyone over 23 who has never voted (or didn't vote in the last election) to stand up. I tell these slackers that I understand and respect why they think politicians are not worth the bother. I tell them that I may have been the original slacker, and that I do not want them to change their slacker ways. Keep sleeping 'til noon! Keep drinking beer! Stay on the sofa and watch as much TV as possible! But, please, just for me, on 11/2, I want you to leave the house and give voting a try -- just this once. The stakes this time are just too high.

If they promise me that they'll do this, I give the guys a 3-pack of new Fruit of the Loom underwear, and the women get a day's supply of Ramen noodles, the sustenance of slackers everywhere.

I then close by having them repeat the 2004 Slacker Oath: "Pick nose! Pick butt! Pick Kerry."

...

So, the Republican Party, to show their gratitude that so many young people will now be involved in our system, has demanded that I be sent to jail for trying to "bribe" students to vote.

...

My friends, they will not catch me. Though I may be on the run, and I may never be able to return home to my beloved Michigan, I make this solemn vow to you and yours: The slackers of America shall not be denied their noodles, they will proudly wear their clean underwear as free Americans, and they will vote Bush out of office come November 2nd (though they will not show up to the polls until well after noon)!

Stay strong, stay slacker, and please remember to turn the underwear inside out every three days. As for the noodles, add boiling water, stir.

Yours,

Michael Moore

[treading_water]

55. Dupe

edited for duplication.

[GinaMaria]

58. The real problem (for the gop) is....

From MM's email...

The satire of all this seems to have been lost on the Republicans. Or maybe it hasn't. The state of Michigan (where we spent most of last week) reported that over 100,000 young people recently registered to vote, a record that no one saw coming. The Slacker Tour has turned into a huge steamroller with a momentum all its own.

So, the Republican Party, to show their gratitude that so many young people will now be involved in our system, has demanded that I be sent to jail for trying to "bribe" students to vote.

Of course, this would be quite laughable if they weren't so serious about their charges. But they are. I may soon be a wanted man in Michigan -- simply because I convinced a few slackers to change their underwear and eat a healthy meal of artificially flavored noodles.