Raging Caging

[CatWoman]

What the heck is vote caging, and why should we care?
By Dahlia Lithwick

Posted Thursday, May 31, 2007, at 6:24 PM ET

Last week, in her testimony before the House judiciary committee, Monica Goodling referred several times to "vote caging" possibly done by Arkansas' soon to be ex-interim, never-confirmed U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin. Yet Goodling was questioned about this almost not at all, nor did the media do much more than report the words of the former liaison between the White House and Alberto Gonzales (why a "liaison" is required between two institutions with no boundaries between them is incomprehensible, but perhaps another story). Meanwhile, liberal talk radio, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the blogosphere went nuts. So, which is it: Is vote caging the most underreported part of this U.S. attorneys scandal or the most over-hyped?

One of the reasons the mainstream news reports (including mine) barely touched the vote-caging story was that nobody had any idea what Goodling was talking about. "Vote caging, what's that?" we e-mailed each other at Slate. The confusion seemed to extend to Goodling herself. The subject came up in her testimony about former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty. In saying he had not been forthright with the House judiciary committee in his testimony on the firing of the U.S. attorneys, she cited three areas, one of which was McNulty's failure "to disclose that he had some knowledge of allegations that Tim Griffin had been involved in 'vote caging' in the president's 2004 campaign," when he spoke to Congress.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., asked Goodling to "explain what caging is," clarifying that she was unfamiliar with the term. Goodling fumbled around, muttered something about, "it's a direct-mail term, that people who do direct mail, when, when they separate addresses that may be good versus addresses that may be bad," then made sure to end with, "I don't … I believe that Mr. Griffin doesn't believe that he, that he did anything wrong there and there, there actually is a very good reason for it, for a very good explanation." Which explanation Goodling did not then provide.

To recap, Goodling told the judiciary committee that: 1) Griffin was possibly involved in caging; 2) he doesn't believe he did anything wrong (she is less certain, it seems); and 3) McNulty lied under oath when he downplayed his knowledge of these allegations to the committee.

That would suggest that vote caging is a big deal. Is it?

http://www.slate.com/id/2167284/

[helderheid]

1. rec 1 - thanks CatWoman!

[CatWoman]

3. hi, HH

:hi:

:)

[blm]

2. The big deal is that this has been happening for YEARS - Gore would've won by a few million

votes and RFK estimated Kerry won by 5 million votes.

But WHO gets all the airtime? The Dem 'strategist' class who tells Dem voters they need to move even more to the middle to win.

[glitch]

10. Another big deal is this is only one of their election fraud tactics.

And it's one of their clumsier and less efficient ones at that.

[KoKo]

18. .....

[BrotherBuzz]

4. The big deal is Griffin resigned after that testimony

The big question is "Will Griffin be prosecuted for 'caging'?" :shrug:

[KoKo]

7. and...remember Karl Rove and Fred Fielding were seen leaving Capitol

before Griffin resigned. I wonder if Congress isn't really into this more than they are letting on? Did they wait hoping the media would pick up on the "caging" like this savvy Slate reporter? When the M$M didn't the story sort of died. But, Griffin did resign and we know Karl Rove and Bushie lawyer were up on the hill. :shrug:

[BrotherBuzz]

11. Yes, and I believe it's time to put Rove in the chair for some real testimony

Whether we get real testimony or theatrics doesn't matter much because nothing is sticking for the boys these days. Either way, it will have great entertainment value. People are beginning to realize Bushco is doing the rope-a-dope to run the clock out.

[KoKo]

5. BIG K&R! Incredible Article...Well Written .....Now who will pick up on it after Slate?

Thanks for posting this....I figured the whole "Caging" story died but this article sure brings it back into focus. Hope folks will pass it around.

Thanks Cat! :hi:

[CatWoman]

9. KoKo

:hi:

always good to see you :)

This is the first I've seen this topic discussed in the media. Hope something comes of it.

[EFerrari]

6. Off you go. K&R

This makes me so mad I can't even form a sentence. :mad:

[BonnieJW]

8. When I heard Palast talk about this

on Randi Rhodes, he said nothing about it could be found in the American media, but the BBC was buzzing about it. I haven't heard anything here or on the BBC. I've only heard it discussed on our blogs.

[KoKo]

12. Another Kick!

[mzmolly]

13. It's treasonous.

Rec number 10. Love your "title" CatWoman!

This was posted the other day so if it doesn't get as much attention as it SHOULD, that's why. :hi:

[CatWoman]

16. Hi, MM

:hi:

oh well, I missed it the other day, as probably many others have too :)

[mzmolly]

17. Indeed, can't hurt to make certain this is viewed

by all!

[madrchsod]

14. they can`t use poll taxes or literacy tests anymore

[KoKo]

15. kick...