Attorney Seeks Probe of California Electoral Vote Plan
By Nicole Belle Saturday Sep 08, 2007 2:00pmContra Costa Times: (reg. req'd)
A Lafayette attorney who specializes in election law is seeking a Congressional investigation into whether the White House was involved in pushing a California ballot initiative to change the way the state allocates its electoral votes.
Barry Fadem, who is working for the group opposed to the initiative, also made a Freedom of Information Act request with the White House on Friday to reveal all contacts between Bush Administration officials, the Republican National Committee and other political operatives discussing potential changes to the state's electoral college laws.
"We want to know if the White House improperly discussed this on taxpayer time," said Fadem, a Democrat. "But we also want to make people aware that this is not some new idea, not some good public policy that proponents keep claiming. This is truly only about one thing: stealing the presidency."
If it could be shown that the White House did discuss this on taxpayer time (good luck with that FOIA request, this administration is the most secretive in history), we have a clear cut case of violating the Hatch Act, which could lead to some very interesting hearings.
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There will be no hearings. There is no more rule of law with these scoundrels. Look how they are illegally treating the nation's air traffic controllers, shepherds of the National Airspace System, the safest in the world, that you pay for, that the Bush Administration wants to dismantle and sell to the lowest bidder who will then destroy it further at a higher expense to the taxpayer.
www.natca.org
http://themainbang.typepad.com/
http://www.faafollies.com/
http://vanityfairmusings.blogspot.com/
http://gettheflick.blogspot.com/
I'm sorry but I get such a huge laugh out of the "There'll be hearings about this." line. 'Cause you just KNOW that's gonna make 'em quake in their boots. Oh the noes. They're gonna ask questions in a stern voice at us. Whatever will we do? Oh I know... we'll ignore them just like we always do.
The minimal oversight that folks believe still exist... doesn't.
The hearings are just another waste of time media event they pull out when there's no brittany or anna nicole news to blare at us.
OT, sorry: but when I opened up my google homepage--at which links to 3 news stories--there was a link to the following blog, the first time for a blog:
http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2007/09/democrats-try-to-di...
"Now we see that Democratic politicians, invested in defeat and failure are trying to discredit General Petraeus because he did the unthinkable in their eyes, he started to demand and get progress in Iraq and he started succeeding where the Democratic politicians only wanted him to fail."
And much more of the same.
I would complain to google, if I could figure out how. Anyone?
Republicans? Stealing the presidency? Shut your mouth!!
Dividing up the electoral votes actually seemed like a good idea for us in NC. There are just enough goobers, racists, and confederates to keep it barely R.
Go get um, Barry Fadum.
spending the week in Holland, god the US is just so messed up.
MargeAggedon @ 2:
Yeah, we've reached a point when the public just doesn't buy it any longer. Is it the fault of the times we live in - the latest (last?) technological revolution - where young kids can text message anything they want in a class room these days, they can watch live TV, speak the truth, speak the nonsense, whatever they want out of natural human curiosity and mutual support, 20, 30, 40 years ago, the message simply couldn't get through fast enough, it was lost somewhere in the middle of the road thus letting the controlling ones, control the controlled ones, today the flow is instant, from Person A to B, B to C, C to anyone, and the elites and establishment, military?, those in power WILL NOT find anything to counter this new, exciting ways of communication. Is it scary? You bet. Solution? Simple. Leave in peace, talk to anyone and trust in humanity of man. Will they do that? F**k no. Or will they?
rend @ 7:
Amen to that. Praise Jesus! Yeah...um...like...the US Dollar is only worth twice the value of the Brazilian Reias, but, of course, what are 'facts' to the Republicans? I actually heard a Republican woman say this, 'Facts, Facts? the Democrats and their facts, what are facts anyway? That is the quote, exactly. Unbelievable, kinda like the end of the Nazi era.
Not to get off subject, what an eye opener, to visit another country, even cities in Brazil!!! Not to mention Europe....
Don't hold your breath. Even if the results of the investigation show blantant Hatch Act violations, they are rarely prosecuted. And even when they are, the punishment is usually just a tongue lashing and little else (ask Lurita Doan).
Since they’re trying so hard, I’ve got one for them to try as well.
Look at all the voters’ registration rolls and further divide each district into specific boundaries. If there’s an “R” registered in any house in the area – it becomes its own district. If there’s a “D” or an “I” they are grouped together. Then change the voting representation so that only districts are counted during elections– not individual votes.
That’ll pretty much do it, huh guys?
Oh, and be sure to call this legislation the "Every Vote Counts Act" just to make it clear to all the voters exactly what you're doing.
Taarak @ 11:
I realize that you're being facetious, but gerrymandering has become such an exact science, that it might as well be as absurd as you suggest. We need a new electoral system altogether, one that makes gerrymandering, spoiler effects, duopoly party government and tactical voting obsolete.
As for the very interesting hearings on the subject, I'm not as cynical as others to suggest that there won't be such hearings -- I just don't think they'll matter. ;) Sure, the hearings will be quite interesting. Just ultimately inconsequential. Maybe someone here or there will resign and take the fall. But the administration itself won't be held accountable. Not with a Congress that can't impeach these bastards or even cut of funding for this horrid war.
If there's proof that the Bush Administration did discuss this on taxpayer time, the main stream media will simply ignore it (or repeat some lame assed GOP talking point that Clinton did it too!).
jkb @ 4:
I'm talkin' 'bout SHAFT! Sorry, flashback.
Funny thing here is that Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the "National Popular Vote" initiative passed by the California legislature. The difference here is that the National Popular Vote contains a mechanism whereby California switches from a winner-take-all when enough other states vote in the interstate compact to make the initiative effective.
The "pros" to the bill is that everyone's vote would count. Currently, there are a handful of toss up states, and the rest are forgone conclusions, either going Republican or Democrat. Of course, the difference here is that the National Popular Initiative targets all states, not just states likely to go Democratic. So much for Republican "principles".
(Nationalpopularvote dot com is the url - everything I try to put in any urls, the post gets censored by C&L.)
it's a no-brainer that this bastard administration is involved in this dastardly attempt to steal the presidency, but when they ask anyone involved the pat phrase
"i can't remember"
will be most evident. that is the gop way. i fogot everything.
NoBuddy @ 16:
You get censored by C&L for links? I doubt that. Something might be wrong with your server, or the coding might not be working properly.
As for a National Popular Vote, it'd be interesting, though I do understand the arguments against it. I wouldn't mind an amendment that required the electoral college vote and the popular vote to match, and to come up with a mechanism for resolving elections in which they don't.
Moreover, I would repeal the 17th Amendment sending the election of Senators back to the states, and conduct elections for both the House of Representatives and state legislatures by Consensual Representation.
But hey, I dream big. :)
It's more reasonable than not to believe that the White House IS involved in changing California's rules in the middle of the game. It wants to help the Republican presidential nominee in '08. It's entirely consistent with so much of what we have seen from Bush/Cheney/Rove in the past 6 years.
It does not take a rocket scientist to say that this change, if it happens, will only benefit the Republican nominee in next year's presidential election. Duh. Tying to change the rules now so Califorina becomes only the third state in the nation not to have a "winner take all" in the electoral college sure has that foul stench of Rove all over it.
My bet is that the Administration will fight or delay complying with the FOIA request until the issue becomes moot.
But the interesting Q. is - if true, would it disqualify the ballot initiative itself? Does it reveal a fraud? Was there a violation of procedure? Of funding or disclosure rules? Lets make use of these opportunities to the max. Of COURSE do a FOIA. So what if it's ignored - maybe it wont be. If it's ignored, sue on it. Do everything. No doubt, the admin more than likely wont be held accountable -- but maybe, just maybe, we can get this silly thing tossed off the ballot? Speak to them in their language. "Send a message" they cant miss.
dadams @ 17:
Clearly, this is a Rove tactic. Gosh, I wish someone could track down his trail after one of these stunts. I say Rove's like a snail that's figured out a way to always cover up his slime trail. There's gotta be a way to trace this back to him.
BASTARDS!....this issue is Huge.....their lower than a snakes belly...so don't put it past them to try this one.....ugghhhhh....now I'm pissed off again....
hadenuf @ 5:
Actually, if all states divided up the electoral votes, Gore and Kerry would've easily won the elections. Plus, it's much easier to control an entire state's electoral votes with rigging elections in only a couple of districts (ie: FL in 2000, and OH in 2004). Only two states divide their votes, but they're so small (one is Maine... I forget what the other was), it doesn't matter much.
lying, cheating and stealing are the food clothing and shelter of republican life
but we're talking Calif here.......55 electoral votes...and is one of the last states to come in....you see the thing here is this...In So Cal there is a large Repub presence......while over 2/3 rds of the state vote Dem.......there is a part that votes Repub....I guess their just tired of never winning Calif.....next thing you know they'll want to secede from the State and have their own state........their just getting ready to steal another election...by stacking the deck now.
we have a clear cut case of violating the Hatch Act, which could lead to some very interesting hearings.
I will be 'Shocked and awed' if Congress actually bothers to enforce the law when Bush/Cheney breaks them. Bush is the lamest of lame duck Presidents yet somehow he is still untouchable.
Us here in calif are used to not really mattering in the elections.....most times it's over before the polls even close here....hmmmmmm???I wonder what their up too....
As a CA resident, I would be okay with CA doing this, in 2012 and after and equal number of red states electoral college-wise did the same in 2008. Since the Repugs are going to lose in 2008, it doesn't matter if the red states do it first.
My dear Nicole: while you may consider hearings on violations of the Hatch Act to be 'interesting', you are no doubt not holding your breath waiting for them. For all of the other (far more serious) violations of the law of our constitutional republic, _nothing_ has been done. I see no reason for hope on this issue.
It's not that this blatant attempt to steal the next federal election by compromising our greatest state's apportionment of electoral votes isn't an outrage--it is.
But the sheer thuggery of this gang of criminals beggars belief. Gentlemanly hopes that they will be brought to justice for small claims (such as this one) are misplaced in this, the seventh year of this most depressing century.
Please do keep up your spirit, though. My depression should be no barrier to your wonderful persistence.
Gerald Sands @ 29:
Agreed Gerald. Hearings would be interesting at best. The politicians and their appointees have it great, don't they? They can break the law and get away with it time and time again.
mudshark @ 25:
It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if SoCal became its own state. Heck, at this point, I'd like to see NorCal become its own country. ;)
Has being a Republican become like being in a Cult? Facts, Truth, Ethics, all mean nothing? As long as you Believe the Party then all else is allowed?
What a sad country we now live in.....
Arnold is a republican operative who was put in power through an 11 week PR campaign after Grey Davis sued the major electricity brokers for 9 billion dollars after they ripped off CA and other states in the great 2000 power swindle. This is just a continuation of that power grab. It sickens the Republicans that CA consistently votes democratic. But the fix for 2008 is in. Registrations will be disallowed. Votes will be trashed. Voters will be disenfranchised. And now they want to steal the electoral count. And the Democrats will stand by and watch.
FTA - "This is quite funny," Stutzman said. "There is no grand conspiracy. This is the idea of a Republican attorney in California. This FOIA effort is all politics, trying to tie the Bush White House to the initiative. There's no there there because the proprietors of the initiative are California Republicans."
Wasn't the law firm behind this initiative linked to Texan Bob 'Swift-Boat' Perry?
I hear those signature gatherers are gonna be out and about this week trolling for names... I'm gonna be on the lookout for these types... I keenly want to find one and have a little 'chitchat' with them about why they think this is such a great idea 'now'... Or whether they even know any details of what the hell they are tolling for.... I doubt the gatherers around here will know much.. Half the time, when I see this going on in this burg, it looks mostly like a homeless person disparate for any chump change who is doing this grunt work... Frankly I think the initiative process in this state (a decent idea on paper) has been co-opted and corrupted by both political parties, and if anything needs reformed... It is probably this petition gathering intitiative process here in California rather than some lameass ad hoc state by state mucking about with the electoral college...
I agree with others who have said that whatever changes needs made to that institution (and I agree the electoral college is screwed up too and in need of reform of some kind), it needs to be done across the board at a national level, not some state by state patchwork quilt method, and clearly not as a subtrafuge by the republican party to steal yet another national election by deluting the electoral vote of California which consistantly swings blue, as seems apparent in this case... I think, fear actually, as the word get out about the reality of this scam, people are going to end up going to jail fighting about it.... I hope not, but something like that won't surprise me a bit... Just another reflection of how much closer the 'big shot uniter' has brought us all since he ursurped...er took power in 2000..............................JD
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