Obama Doesn't Sweat. He should.

[graywarrior]

by Greg Palast

In swing-state Colorado, the Republican Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations. Guess their color. In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives - overwhelming Black voters.

In swing state New Mexico, HALF of the Democrats of Mora, a dirt poor and overwhelmingly Hispanic county, found their registrations disappeared this year, courtesy of a Republican voting contractor.

In swing states Ohio and Nevada, new federal law is knocking out tens of thousands of voters who lost their homes to foreclosure.

My investigations partner spoke directly to Barack Obama about it. (When your partner is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., candidates take your phone call.) The cool, cool Senator Obama told Kennedy he was "concerned" about the integrity of the vote in the Southwest in particular.

He's concerned. I'm sweating.

It's time SOMEBODY raised the alarm about these missing voters; not to save Obama's candidacy – journalists should stay the heck away from partisan endorsements - but raise the alarm to save our sick democracy.

And that somebody is YOU. Joining with US, the Palast investigative team. Here's how:

We have been offered an astonishing opportunity to place the Kennedy-Palast investigative findings on a national, prime-time, major-network television broadcast. Plus, separately, we have an extraordinary offer to create a series of reports for national network radio.

But guess what? The networks will NOT PAY for our public service reports. We have to raise the start-up funds in the next two weeks to film it, record it and get it on the airwaves.

WE need YOU to fund the reports, DISSEMINATE the findings as we post the print, audio and video on the web– and ACT on it.

So, for only the second time this year, I am asking each one of you to make a tax deductible donation to the non-profit, non-partisan Palast Investigative Fund of $500, $150 or $100.

Progressives have complained for years of no opportunity to get the hard, cold sweaty truth on the air. Well, put your money where your heart and soul is.

Donate at least $500, I'll send you every book I've written and every film, signed. Send $150 and I'll send you as a gift, a copy of John Ennis' film Free For All, Armed Madhouse, The Election Files and a copy of Live from the Armed Madhouse all signed. Donate $100, and I’ll send you 3 copies, one signed to you, of "The Elections Files," (Watch the trailer here) the best of our BBC/Democracy Now films – including special never-broadcast interviews with Kennedy(Watch a clip) and fired prosecutor David Iglesias (Watch a clip).

I know you’re ponying up for your favorite candidates. But what’s the point of winning folks' votes IF NO ONE COUNTS THEM?

Please make your donation – today. No corporation, no big foundation, is going to take on this emergency in our democracy. The election’s about to be stolen – for a third time. SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Donate today (for $1,000 minimum, we’ll list you as a Producer of our next DVD, in gratitude). Why? Because the only way to get the vote-chewing cockroaches out of the voting machinery is to turn on the lights – tell the truth on them. On prime time.

After our team busted the story of Katherine Harris' attack on innocent Black voters as "felons," the NAACP sued and won back their rights. The truth CAN make the difference. Yes, we can. Indeed, we HAVE.

Think all votes should be counted in America? Then YOU stand up and be counted. Don’t expect networks or commercial sponsors to pay for your democracy. Feed the truth, donate $100 right now and pass on a copy of the Elections Files to your dippy cousin who thinks Kerry lost fair and square.

Donations from our prior and only request already paid for some of our filming in the Southwest. Don't let this story be swept under the border.

If you want more information, go to GregPalast.com, or write me directly at GregPalast.com – and hit the button, "contact Greg."

**************************
Greg Palast is a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow for Investigative Reporting at the Nation Institute, New York. Read and view his investigations for BBC Television at www.GregPalast.com.

[Rainbowreflect]

1. K&R

:kick:

[TexasObserver]

2. It is a very big concern. The GOP has a nationwide drive to purge voter rolls.

Their entire objective is to wipe out Democratic voters in large numbers, and to surprise them on election day when they show up to vote and find their name has been removed.

They are doing it in all states they control. In other states, they are using their officials in cities and counties to orchestrate the purges. These purges are aimed at minority areas, college students, and apartment dwellers.

[RethugAssKicker]

3. Can't we stop these purges by legal means..!!!

or is it leggal what they are doing?

Why are our reps allowing this to happen?...Why don't we have
a task force in place to combat this legally?

[The Doctor.]

60. File suits. This is plainly illegal.

I don't live in such a state (super-blue), and my registration has not been cancelled or denied... so there's nothing I can do.

This requires the disenfranchised filing suit... preferably by the tens of thousands.

[graywarrior]

4. Kicking for the nooners.

[Flying Dream Blues]

5. Another kick...nt

[lonestarnot]

6. K & R

[sojourner]

7. kick and recommended....go Palast go - I mean, go DU go!!!

[helderheid]

8. rec 32 - off to donate to Palast!

[jeff30997]

9. K&R

The only way those criminals can "win" is by cheating.Argh! :grr:

[NBachers]

10. I'm Donating

The Repubes are fond of using the "ticking time bomb scenario" to justify torture.

We have our own ticking time bomb here. This is a real emergency.

I'm donating. Please, everyone donate and post elsewhere.

HEY- on edit- the process for getting to the donation page is a little convoluted, wading through several pages. Yes, I know Greg wants eyeballs on his stuff, but let's get a direct link right to the donation page.

Here's the one I finally arrived at. I'm not getting any videos or anything. I just want to donate some money. There's also a PayPal access button:

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=m_qGE75cCXnQkOGL26fsj64UTO0zhElr_YWaBELpaittnpLMBh7aboVG9n0&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f80512b0980fcab74abc3e59231243d18fb86b96d6baa4d65

If you want to see the choices of what you can receive for your donation, try this:

http://www.palastinvestigativefund.org/

[GreenTea]

11. Along with republican owned electronic voting machines this is disastrous! Dems just don't care.

The democrats don't see a problem, the democrats have had years to do something, anything, but they ignorantly ignore this real problem, or they simply don't believe it's real.

Republicans can NOT win without cheating, it's a fact and they know it....They continue to get away with it and Dems still ignore it....

Huge chunks of the Dems voting base is simply dismissed and tossed out by the republicans and the Dems do nothing....90% of Americans will be voting on easily hackable non traceable republican owned ES&S, Diebold electronic voting machines and the Dems do nothing and just hope for the best because people don't like Bush.

Republicans pushed and won voter photo ID's, knowing it would keep mostly democratic voters the poor & elderly from voting.

The republicans have many other tactics, false voting registrations and tossing out democrat's registrations and on and on....yet the Dems ignore it all, Pelosi, Reid see no problem what so ever they NEVER address it, they are over-confident idiots!!

All combined along with the complicit republican owned corporate media never reporting on it, will make it another election the republicans can easily steal....

and all the Dems will be scratching their heads saying we were sure we were ahead and going to win.

After the races and the republican winners are announced, it's too late and the machines will spit out exactly how the republicans program them, if a recount ever occurred...but it won't!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

12. Kerry had lawyers on the ground in Ohio election day. What good did that do?

[LaPera]

13. The lawyers were ready to go fight & challenge but Kerry immediately threw in the towel, WHY?

Kerry did not even try to fight the obvious improprieties, manipulations, fraud, vote stealing & switching of votes, as well as republican over-counts in some precincts, the purging of voters, broken machines, the lack of machines in Dem voting areas, supplemental ballots not counted, etc. ALL in swing state Ohio, with a republican Secretary of State (SoS count the votes in every state)...It was obvious to any and all who paid attention that Ohio was being stolen at the time....Still, Kerry, knowing this immediately conceded! WHY?

[MessiahRp]

19. He did not throw in the towel.

Why don't you read up on the role traitor Carville played in this and how Blackwell certified early.

Rp

[defendandprotect]

26. Please tell us who may have no idea what you mean . . . what you're saying ???

[MessiahRp]

49. Here's a link that tells the broader story

It was Carville and the Clintonites that sold Kerry out in Ohio.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/did-carville-and-mccurry-_b_31333.html

Rp

[defendandprotect]

56. Yes . . . thank you . . I do remember the story now . . .

Carville told her he had some inside news. The Kerry campaign was going to challenge the provisional ballots in Ohio--perhaps up to 250,000 of them. "I don't agree with it," Carville said. "I'm just telling you that's what they're talking about."

While I think that is important ---

I've also heard that those who checked into the Ohio thing immediately for Kerry made it

clear that the STEAL was so powerful they couldn't overturn it ---

and that there would be no point in holding on.

[MessiahRp]

69. It's that whole "I've got the real numbers" bullshit...

They knew from day one which states they had in their pocket due to corrupt SOSes.

That's sort of why since 2000 I have tried to tell people that the most important election races are State SOS positions because it is those officials that make voter purge decisions, weigh in heavily on voting machine purchases and distribution and can create other general interference to prevent a fair election.

Rp

[defendandprotect]

70. Unfortunately . . .

the GOP stays focused on stealing --- and there is always another way to do it ---
corruption at every level -- top to bottom.

And, Democrats haven't done much about it in two years that I can see . . . !!!

[politicasista]

31. Thank you

The Blame ONLY Kerry and no one else game is getting tiresome here. I am sick of the bashing.

[flamingdem]

43. Kerry is not the point - we learn from that to help Obama n/t

[politicasista]

47. We help Obama by not tearing one of his best surrogates down

Which is what I have noticed. I am not saying that Kerry didn't make mistakes, but people are still ignoring the facts here and instead are spewing falsehoods that he did nothing.

I am no fan of conceding, but, he had their backs a lot more than people give him credit for or realize, yet, he still gets bashed for "throwing in the towel folding like a cheap suit, caving" when he was up against a weak, disorganized Ohio Democratic Party, an inept DNC Chariman named McAuliffe, Blackwell, and lack of party support. The bashers/haters never factor that in their posts, but instead bash only Kerry for doing the work that Dean is doing for Obama right now.

I am for helping Obama get his message out and doing what needs to be done to win, not for dumping on good Dems that are helping him get to the WH. It plays right into the hands of the GOP.








edit for word

[CitizenPatriot]

14. investigations

of course no one is investigating this...who is supposed to investigate the loss of our civil liberties?
OH, right! the DoJ! And they're tooo busy frying democrats and leaking word of "investigations" to the press like they did in 2004. so and so (just so happens to be a democrat if you check it out further) is being investigated for ..... so even if the person isn't guilty, their reputation is so damaged after the investigation that they can do nothing to salvage it. That is where our tax dollars are going -- instead of looking into voter disenfranchisement and fraud. I am getting a group together to register the poor and otherwise disenfranchised here, I'm going to video them getting their registrations as well as work video the vote on election day. I will be there to tape every person who gets turned away. What good will it do when no one does anything after the fact? I don't know. Maybe none-- but it is all I can do. that and donate money to this group.

Why is the FBI investigating the Dem in Ohio when they never bothered to show any interest in the massive voter fraud that took place there? Gee. Did this dude allegedly pocket a few things? Oh, geeze. Much more important than the future of our democracy and upholding the constitution like they pledged they would.

Save our democracy from these lunatics.

[I Have A Dream]

15. K&R. I'll do it. nt

[joanski0]

16. Just contributed! n/t

[Wednesdays]

17. Obama is probably cool about it because

it's possible to have Florida, Ohio, Nevada, and New Mexico stolen from him and STILL win in a landslide. :toast:

Not to downplay the point of the OP--this is still very important, so a big kick and rec!

[JNelson6563]

18. Greg Palast rocks!

And frankly we should do a major drive nationwide to elect Democratic Secretary of States.

Julie

[Hekate]

20. Kick. This has been giving me nightmares. nt

[reprehensor]

21. Awareness.

Part of the solution.

[spanone]

22. i assume this is how they intend to win

kkkarl rove is a busy man

[ClarkJKent]

23. Obama should be worried more

Obama could be doing so much more to secure votes. It scares me sometimes when Presidential candidates keep listening to the same people who have been LOSING all these years. Obama seemed to be working harder when he was fighting Hillary than he is now.

[politicasista]

32. I am sure it's on his mind, but

our attention needs to be on why the party is silent about this.

[rasputin1952]

52. Welcome to DU ClarkJKent....

:hi:

[democracy1st]

24. K & R

[drm604]

25. K&R

:kick:

[defendandprotect]

27. Shouldn't there be massive lawsuits being filed --- class lawsuits .. . ????

Of course, that would probably take some help from Democrats in order to swing it ---

financially and otherwise . . .

With elites in charge of the Democratic Party, how anxious are they to see "blacks"

or "people of color" voting ---


or even women, for that matter --- ?

Some Gender Balance Laws would be helpful --- !!!

[MasonJar]

28. How can states refuse to take voter registrations? Why cannot Ohio and

Nevada allow voters of foreclosed homes to change their addresses. This is unconscionable.

[bertman]

29. I have been asking "What can I do?" Now I know. THANK YOU, GREG.

I've read your book Armed Madhouse and seen one or two of your videos. You are a voice in the wilderness.

My money is on the way.

[Arugula Latte]

30. Why won't more Democratic politicians speak out about this?

It just drives me insane ... :banghead:

[NBachers]

33. My Fax

Senators and Rep., Boxer, Feinstein, and Pelosi (yeah, I know, I know, but Boxer's good. I can post all their local and DC numbers if anyone wants them.)
Howard Dean 202 863-8174
DNC 202 863-8063
I plagiarized the article, but it conveyed the information well:

Dear XXX,

As election season draws closer, there is increasing evidence of Republicans purging Democratic voters from the voter rolls. This will create another electoral crisis if it is not stopped.

In swing-state Colorado, the Republican Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations.

In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives - overwhelmingly Black voters.

In swing state New Mexico, HALF of the Democrats of Mora, a dirt poor and overwhelmingly Hispanic county, found their registrations disappeared this year, courtesy of a Republican voting contractor.

In swing states Ohio and Nevada, new federal law is knocking out tens of thousands of voters who lost their homes to foreclosure. The foreclosure crisis will wipe out many, many voters due to address changes or unstable housing arrangements.

College students nationwide will be denied the right to vote, because their school address is different from their parents’ home address.

This is an emergency for the Democratic Party, and for our 2008 election. American citizens who deserve to vote will be denied the right to vote. It is another political election atrocity planned by criminal Republicans. This crime must be stopped BEFORE Democratic voters arrive to vote at the polls and are turned away. We have seen this happen before. We can’t allow this crime to happen again.

Please tell me what you plan to do about this.
Sincerely,

[bertman]

34. THIS SHOULD BE POSTED ON EVERY PROGRESSIVE WEBSITE: KOS, FIREDOGLAKE, CROOKSANDLIARS

AND ANY OTHERS YOU CAN THINK OF.

Yes, I'm yelling. This is way overdue. Where the fuck are our Democratic Congressional Leaders on this?? Most likely out collecting their "STIPENDS" from KBR, EXXON and HALLIBURTON.

Greg, have you done that or is DU the only site so far?

[helderheid]

55. ABSOLUTELY

Remind me tomorrow and I'll send to my progressive email group (400+)

[TrogL]

35. This is the kind of stuff I was worried about earlier in the week

...and was told to fuck off.

[stlsaxman]

37. i feel your pain, but- please read my sig line.

[Froward69]

36. I do not mean to calm anyone down or anything...

5 days ago i received a call to duty from the DU activist corps, concerning this topic. I contacted a ranking member of our state party with my concerns about Colorado recently purging. The response from the state party official went as follows...

"We are regularly, in our emails and newsletters, urging people to verify their voter registration information now, rather than later. We will continue to do that right up until the election in November. In Colorado, the Secretary of State does not purge voters in the regular sense. In other words, purging of voters for moving, or failure to vote, is done by each county. However, that purge has already taken place following the general election in 2006. The Secretary of State only purges dead people and felons, and there is a record of those folks. So, I'm not particularly concerned about this process in Colorado, as we have safeguards to ensure that it is not being done. If we find out that it is being done, woe be to those who did it! They'll have to deal with me!

in follow up. the registrations of voters as "I's" or "U's" has tripled since 2006 Dems still are out numbered by R's. the breakdown goes something like 30%(D) 32%(R) 37% (I&U's) statewide. republican bastions like Colo. springs (el paso co), Grand Junction (mesa co) or Greeley (weld co) are difficult to garner statics from. or to get a straight answer.

[bertman]

45. "purging of voters . . . is done by each county. . . So, I'm not particularly concerned . . ."

Forgive my paranoia, but in New Mexico in 2004, the person in charge of the election was a Democrat and the Governor (Bill Richardson) was a Democrat, yet thousands of native American and Hispanic voters were purged, turned away AT THE POLLS, or get this, they voted but THEY DIDN'T FUCKING VOTE FOR PRESIDENT.

Somehow, the "So, I'm not particularly concerned . . ." statement is not very reassuring. Actually, it's scary as hell. What if they don't find out about it until AFTER IT'S HAPPENING ON ELECTION DAY? Do you think that will stop the Repigs from claiming victory? Those fascist bastards feel like they're justified in doing whatever to get a Repig elected and they are not going to stop because a "ranking member" of the state party has been made aware of the situation. Ranking members in New Mexico, Florida and Ohio were aware, but they didn't do jack shit to stop it.

Greg Palast has the right idea. Get this out to the media, then hire lawyers to start riding the asses of anybody who even gives off a whiff of electoral misconduct.

[Froward69]

66. like i said in my post

I am having trouble with the republican bastions in obtaining information as to if they have purged people wrongly.

[bluejoewho]

54. about felons being purged

I want to point out that felons are aloud to vote in Colorado. Just not the ones in prison or on parole. So as long as you are not in jail or on parole, you can vote if you have a felony. There is a huge difference.

[1monster]

38. Where is the ACLU in these states? They should be filing class action suits on behalf of the

disenfranchised voters...

If I hear of one in Florida, I'll cash in my change jar and contribute.

[sloppyjoe25s]

39. great post thanks

As a native of New Mexico I know exactly how easily the system here can and is infiltrated an influenced.

[Gregorian]

40. Donation sent. This is far too important to delay.

There is not enough time to not impeach. The madmen are at the controls.

[flamingdem]

41. Is Anyone Organizing Around This? PlZ Post Info! n/t

[flamingdem]

42. I Meant: Ways to contribute if you cannot donate n/t

[Greyhound]

44. If I had any money, it would go here.

Unfortunately, I have been bushed. :shrug:

[Kaleko]

46. Okay, my money goes to this cause.

[Highway61]

48. Maybe this is something of an idea

for the Activist Group idea for this week....this is really an important factor that is maybe being overlooked. Great post. Big K & R.

[tbyg52]

50. I'm glad this is getting more attention lately.

Hope it's not too late and does some good.

[rasputin1952]

51. The GOP knows it cannot win w/o doing something that is

not treacherous. It has been that way for quite some time.

bush should never have been placed in the WH in the first place, now, the only way they can get that doddering old fool McCain into office is by purging voter registrations...:wtf: Not that this is necessarily a new tactic.

I urge everyone to get in touch w/their county offices to make sure they are still registered, and I also urge everyone to pass on that request to everyone they know. It is just a phone call away, and make sure you get the name of the person you spoke to.

In my eyes, this does not just breach the criminal code, it borders on treason. The ONE way have to keep our government in check our ability to vote, whether D, I or R. No one, absolutely none should have the ability to purge voter registrations, unless they can prove that the individual is deceased, or have committed a felony in a state where they have not had their voting privilege restored.

These bastards will do anything, absolutely anything, to deny a person to vote against the policies of the neo-conservative agenda.

Stand up, shout it from the rooftops...but make sure you are still registered!

And get others to register as well...don't talk about it...DO IT!!!!!

[Dystopian]

53. Thanks for this....KandR n/t

peace~

[ecstatic]

57. They're so relaxed about it. Makes you wonder if they know something we don't

Like... for instance... that all elections are predetermined and they are just acting out their parts. It's very disturbing.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

58. send this information to the media (nice ones)

[Rocky2007]

59. 500 - 150 - 100 ~~ WTF

Obama pulled in some 250 million in smaller donations. Are you not interested in hitting those same voters? I understand the urgency in this but don't underestimate those same voters!!

I also think that this TV offering should be on all the major networks and major cable networks at the same time! Tough to do? Of course but we really do have them by the balls!

For years they have taken from advertisers, in our name, money that I would never have agreed to! Me thinks that it is payback time -- I think they owe us BIG TIME for the years they have pushed all this bullsh*t down our throats.

Seems to me the least they could do is help in correcting the situation this country is in today and one they helped creat. I know, the big control the little. But then WE control who we buy from.

Seems to me that we could have any number of bull balls in hand and cutting.

IT IS TIME FOR A REVOLT AND THE NETWORKS NEED TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE AND THAT TIME IS NOW!

WE THE PEOPLE HAVE RETURNED AND ARE KICKING SOME SERIOUS ASS!

THEY OWE US BIG TIME. THEY SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FACT AND HELP PRESENT A UNIFIED FRONT IN ELECTING A PRESIDENT BASED ON THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

THIS COUNTRY WILL IMPLODE ON IT'S SELF IF SOMETHING RADICAL ISN'T DONE!

A multi media blitz, at the same time and on all channels could make an impression. We are trying to save America and they damn well better agree with the American people or we will put them out of business. We ARE taking control.

Works for me and it sure as hell better work for them -- this is our country and we seem to be paying the bills anyway.

Heavy handed yes, but could it work? Sorry for the shouting but this really pi**es me off.

[liberalla]

61. K & R

[TexasObserver]

62. I love him, but Kerry caved like a pup tent in a hurricane.

I was very upset he didn't go to war over the stolen states of Ohio and Florida, and the part that really upset me is: I think he did so because he thought he'd get the nomination in 2008, and didn't want to hurt those chances. He probably ended any hope he had of getting the nomination by caving so completely, so quickly.

I've always liked John, always supported him, and still like him. But he disappointed the nation when he rolled over in 2004.

[mirrera]

63. Done...

[WillyT]

64. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[aaroh]

65. why don't you put a digg button on your homepage and try and get to the front page of digg?

[sourmilk]

67. And this is only the beginning.

Many of those purged from the lists will have to cast "provisional" ballots.

Those "provisional" ballots will be shredded a la 2004 - wait and see.

[leftchick]

68. It is called HUBRIS

and most democrats in power this days suffer from it to their own detriment. John Kerry in 2004 is an excellent example. I am afraid they will never listen to Greg. :(