Obama Files Suit Over GOP Foreclosure Vote Scheme

[LynneSin]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/16/obama-files-suit-over-gop_n_126865.html

The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan over the Michigan GOP's plan to use foreclosure lists to challenge voters at the polls, as first reported by the Michigan Messenger.

Bob Bauer, general counsel for the Obama campaign, and Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, announced the lawsuit in a conference call with reporters this afternoon. It was filed on behalf of the campaign, the party and three Michigan residents who have had their houses foreclosed upon in recent months.

Bauer called the GOP plan to use foreclosure lists "a new and especially repellent version of caging." Caging is a technique of challenging voters where they take lists of addresses, mail to them with a "do not forward" marking and if for whatever reason those mailings are returned, they use this as a basis for claiming that the voter no longer lives at the address at which they are registered.

Talk about a stupid, boneheaded move by the GOP in the state of Michigan. If this lawsuit gets all over the news about how the GOP wants to prevent people from voting, worse yet people getting hit with economic hard times, then it's only going to make it worse for the GOP. And this is an important state when it comes to the electoral votes. I realize that it wasn't the McCain people directly pulling this stunt but it was the GOP - and that's gonna make McCain look even worse.

[Bleacher Creature]

1. Dorothy, I don't think we're in 2000 or 2004 anymore!

[tblue]

2. All in good time, my little pretty. All in good time.

[Triana]

3. McSame / GOP = Same. It'll hurt him. I hope. n/t

[Emillereid]

4. Wouldn't these people re-register at their new address?

[leftofcool]

5. I believe one is supposed to do exactly that.

[dmr]

9. You can be on a list and still live at your residence. It is only a list. n/t

[yellowdogintexas]

14. you can vote in two federal cycles from an address at which you no longer reside IF

you are not also registered somewhere else.

Federal rules, according to the campaign chair of a local campaign I am working on.

[mzmolly]

6. We need to hammer on this

so that voters in all States are aware of their dirty tricks.

[jasmeel]

7. Republicans hate democracy-they try to take away as many

votes as possible.

[LynneSin]

8. God forbid if everyone who could legally vote were to have their voted counted

this would be a fucking landslide. That's why these polling places use the "Likely Voter" polling numbers because they can remove 'undesirable votes' and make the election seem close!

[flamingdem]

10. Happiness is a team of Obama lawyers

getting in the face of the GOP over voter caging

[dmr]

11. This is good news. A question:

This is filed in Federal Court, does that mean if the Democrats prevail, it would stop the GOP from doing this in all the states, or just Michigan? This is a huge concern.

[yellowdogintexas]

15. as smart as the Obama team is, I would hope they covered all possible bases.

You KNOW their staff at least reads this blog and DKOS and it has been a hot topic for well over 10 days, with all the involved states.

I trust this team to file a suit that will hit every single one of these places.

[Waiting For Everyman]

12. Good! Here's a link from the Obama site for people to check their registration...

http://www.voteforchange.com/index_obama.php?source=091008emailR

I checked mine, even though I've been where I am a long time.

[quantass]

13. k&r