St. Pete Times: GOP mailing older Dem voters flyers seeking to double-check 'unconfirmed' party ID

[flpoljunkie]

Excerpts from "Democrats, Florida elections officials criticize GOP mailing"

By Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee Bureau Chief

Published Tuesday, September 16, 2008 7:26 PM

TALLAHASSEE — A new pitch for John McCain's presidential campaign aimed at older Democratic voters is causing complaints by Democrats and concern by elections officials.

The piece, paid for by the Republican National Committee and authorized by McCain, tells voters it is seeking to double-check their "unconfirmed" party affiliations while asking for money. A letter signed by McCain tells the Democrats: "We have you registered as a Republican."

The RNC declined to discuss the mailer, which Democrats said has landed in five counties: Duval, Hillsborough, Collier, Miami-Dade and Escambia.

Two top Florida elections officials, both Republicans, faulted the GOP mailing, calling it "confusing" and "unfortunate" because of a potential to undermine voter confidence by making them question the accuracy of their registrations.

"It is unfortunate, because it does put a lot of doubt in people's minds," said Secretary of State Kurt Browning, the state's top elections official.

Some Democrats suspect a motive beyond raising money. The first-class GOP mailing has a "Do not forward" instruction on the envelope, meaning they will be returned to the GOP if a recipient has had mail forwarded, perhaps to a summer address, or has moved.

Letters returned as undeliverable can be compiled into "challenge lists" of unverifiable addresses and can be used to challenge voters' eligibility during early voting or on Election Day. The vote suppression technique is known as "vote caging."

The letter asks recipients to note changes on an "RNC File Card" and return it to the party by Sept. 26. The card shows a nine-digit "voter ID" number, but the supervisor of elections in Jacksonville's Duval County said the numbers are wrong and do not match the state's voter database.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article814237.ece#email

[frogcycle]

1. hmmmm

are they planning to challenge even those who don't respond, even if not returned by post office?

this shit is slimy beyond description

and these are the people that all too many of our fellow citizens want running the country...

[tosh]

2. Good segment on yesterday's All Things Considered

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94818483

I liked this part best:

"...(Republican National Committee spokeswoman Amber) Wilkerson says the uproar over the mailing is part of a national Democratic strategy to undermine confidence in Republicans.

'This is a desperate attempt to try to confuse voters who are hearing John McCain's message and haven't necessarily connected with Barack Obama thus far', she adds."


:rofl:

[eShirl]

3. I hear that on the car radio yesterday

do these republican spokespeople ever listen to the words that pour out of their own pieholes?