It’s an election year, so it must be time for another Nathan Sproul voting fraud scandal
September 28, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I posted a detailed account of the illegal voting fraud scandals perpetrated by the GOP's voter suppression specialist, Arizona's own Nathan Sproul, back in 2008. GOP voter registration fraud: Mark Jacoby arrested, Nathan Sproul under investigation (again) (snippets):
Arizona's very own renowned GOP voter suppression specialist, Nathan Sproul, is back in the news. Those of us in the election integrity community have been pursuing this evil GOP bastard for years (here's a brief summary of his activites in the 2004 election (Team Bush Paid Millions to Nathan Sproul–and Tried to Hide It | BaltimoreChronicle.com), but he has been protected by the Bush "injustice" department (possibly tied to the U.S. Attorney Gate scandal, hmmm?), and the Arizona McMedia who will not investigate or report about his misdeeds because Sproul does consulting work for the McCain campaign (and many other Arizona Republicans). Here are a number of BRAD BLOG reports on Sproul & Associates (now known as Lincoln Strategy). (A shout out to Brad Friedman!)
CNN affiliate KLAS-TV in Las Vegas reported that "Federal, state, and local officials are gathering information about allegations of voter registration fraud that were first raised by Channel 8 Eyewitness News." Las Vegas Now | Investigation into Trashed Voter Registrations:
On Tuesday afternoon, Las Vegan Eric Russell and his girlfriend took a packet of documents to the Las Vegas FBI office but left before filing a formal complaint about what Russell says was a deliberate effort to disenfranchise local voters.
Russell worked for a company called Voters Outreach of America, along with 300 other people. He says he got into a beef with the company over a pay dispute, and witnessed his bosses ripping up registration forms that had been filed by Democrats.
"They were thrown away in the trash. I grabbed them out," said Eric Russell.
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In Oregon, the same company that was operating here has been criticized for its tactics in signing up voters. There, it used the name America Votes, which is actually the name of a Democratic organization.
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The Campaign Legal Center provides additional background. "This company was hired directly by the Republican National Committee. Identical allegations were made against this company in Pennsylvania in 2004."
– Sproul's role in voter registration drives this month triggered official investigations in several other states with canvassers alleging they had been told to discard Democratic voter registration forms, leaving voters who thought they had registered off the rolls.
– The firm has a contract with the Republican National Committee to register new voters and has operated using the name Voters Outreach of America. Sproul's chairman, Nathan Sproul, is a former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party.
– Voters Outreach of America is also under investigation in Oregon for "alteration and destruction of voter registration cards," said Anne Martens, a spokeswoman for Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury.
– The FBI and local election officals are inverstigating the allegations.
TUSD candidate forum: What about Mexican American Studies? (video)
September 28, 2012
by Pamela Powers Hannley
Seven of 12 candidates for the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) governing board candidates participated in a candidate forum sponsored by Dinking Liberally Tucson on September 26, 2012.
After the jump, listen to the candidates' thoughts on the controversial Mexican American Studies program. This is the second in a series of videos from the forum. Here is a link to my You Tube channel where this and other video clips reside.
Steve Kozachik speaks out against Ally Miller
September 28, 2012
by
by David Safier So far as I know, Republican City Council member Steve Kozachik hasn't made a formal endorsement in the Nancy Young Wright/Ally Miller race for Pima County Supervisor, District One. But on Arizona Illustrated (August 31, 2012), the Koz made it clear he thinks Miller is unsuited for the job and suggests Republicans, … Read more
Samuel L. Jackson: ‘Wake the F**k Up’ (NSFW)
September 28, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Actor Samuel L. Jackson riffs from his hilarious audio book rendering of the adult bedtime story “Go the F**k to Sleep,” which was written by Adam Mansbach who also wrote the script for this risque video for President Obama, "Wake the F**k Up." As always, not safe for work. Laugh your ass off funny!
According to Slate.com, the online ad was financed by liberal super PAC the Jewish Council for Education & Research. Don't just watch the video, it's time to go to work!
Video below the fold.
Reminder: The Women Ignited Now (W.I.N.) Rallies
September 28, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Announcement from Sen. Paula Aboud (D-LD 28):
TUSD candidate forum: Hear their words (video)
September 27, 2012
by Pamela Powers Hannley
Blog for Arizona was well-represented at the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) candidate forum, sponsored by Drinking Liberally, last night. As Dave said is his post earlier today, he was the moderator. Sitting next to him, I filmed the entire forum, and, of course, nearby was the "Father of Drinking Liberally Tucson," Mike.
The evening was cordial. There were no outbursts from the candidates or the audience of about 35, which included current TUSD board member Adelita Grijalva.
Unlike Dave, I'm not going to offer candidate critiques, except to say that we disagree. What I am going to provide is the candidates' unedited voices in a series of videos. The first one is attached to this post below.
Dave (and audience members) asked several great questions on a wide range of topics including Mexican American Studies, TUSD's budget, teachers' unions, school closing, administrative downsizing, and many more. Each candidate got one minute to answer each question, plus a 1.5 minute opening and closing statement. If one candidate directly critized another one, the defendant got a 30-second rebuttal. As a result, Kristel Foster and Betts Putnam-Hidalgo gave Dr. Mark Stegeman and Miguel Cuevas a few extra minutes over the course of the evening.
After the jump, watch the candidates' closing remarks.
Carl Bernstein: This election is a referendum on the radical Republican Party
September 27, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
While waiting for someone, I happened to catch the Chris Jansing & Co. show on MSNBC this morning, and was pleasantly surprised to catch Watergate legend Carl Bernstein provide his election analysis (rush transcript):
CARL BERNSTEIN: I think there is a fundamental problem and that is the Republican Party.
The polls reflect the fact that the real issue in this campaign has become the Republican Party in Washington. That it's a radical party such as we have never seen in a presidential race before; that Mitt Romney has become a captive of it; and we've seen in the seante races that are shifting more and more towards Democrats who were expected to lose or be competitive. It's about who the Republicans are in Washington and the really radical message that Romney is saddled with and he can't get out of it.
And the 47% remark is devastating because it really reflects what so many people in the Republican majority in Washington, in the house particularly, believe. That these are freeloaders, that these are people who aren't worthy of our consideration really a human beings in our soclal contract. Romney said out loud what many in his party believe and what an ideology in his party has come to embrace. It was no accident he said it, and he stuck with it.
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[Romney's] really trapped. He's trapped by himself, and he's trapped by the people who have captured hin on the Republican right.
You know, in Washington there has been by Republicans in Washington, since the McCarthy era, a hunt for so-called radicals on the other side. There has never been a really radical Democratic Party. But now we have in Washington a truly radical Republican Party way outside the mainstream of even the Ronald Reagan party. So there is a huge problem Romney has to position himself. He was in a position to make it at one point about Obama and his presidency the issue. He's lost that chance by what's happened since the convention.
Bernstein agreed with Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Tribune that Romney lost that chance when he picked the radical Paul Ryan as his running mate. They are joined by former Florida governor Charlie Crist.
Video below the fold.
LD 11 Republicans out of touch with Arizona
September 27, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Press release from the Arizona Democratic Party: LD-11 Republicans Out of Touch With Arizona Al Melvin and Steve Smith support outrageous bills at the expense of Arizona families PHOENIX, AZ–Arizonans can expect a continued outpouring of outlandish bills as long as the Tea Party is allowed to retain its death-like grip at … Read more
