What is Digg?98 Comments
- Leakey, on 10/12/2007, -4/+36Could the political environment possibly get any worse in the US? It's sickening.
- poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -5/+34They're really hitting below the belt now. Maybe this is the "October/November Surprise"? Not some big story on the news, just annoy the hell out of voters in tight races by robo-calling them illegally (calling people on the do-not-call list) as the Democratic candidate. They are spending a lot of money on this. By the time this story breaks, the election will be over unless we bombard the television media (too late for newspapers) with emails and phonecalls about it.
More details for those who don't click the link:
"According to state statute, each violation that occurred against residents registered on the "Do Not Call" list results in a $5,000 fine. The NRCC admitted in press reports this morning that over 200,000 calls were made which could potentially lead up to over a $100 million civil law suit. (NH RSA 664:14-III, and according to NH RSA 664:14-IVa each violation shall result in a $5,000 penalty.)"
"The canvassers say the call has hit some people as much as 6 times, and at 5 - 6am as well."
"For the second straight day yesterday, Democratic field offices received dozens of phone calls and e-mails from frustrated voters upset about repeated automated phone calls they thought were coming from Democratic candidate Paul Hodes - though the calls were paid for by a Republican group instead."
"When I was handing out palm cards, several people said to me something like, 'I WAS going to vote for John Hall [Democrat], until I got all those phone calls. I got seven or eight, right at dinner time.' The guy from the Republican table, who was a local district leader-- friendly and chatty, actually came over to me and said, 'You know, most of those are coming from Sue's office, but don't tell anybody.'" - edverb, on 10/12/2007, -3/+30200,000 calls * $5,000 fine per incident = $1 BILLION
- edverb, on 10/12/2007, -7/+34To the coward who dugg me down but didn't comment...care to explain how harassing voters with consecutive phone calls at 3AM and trying to frame your opponents for it is anything less than contempt for voters? Republicans think they're stupid, and would prank their own grandmother just to hold on to power. If that isn't desperate, nothing is.
They're through. At least the GOP could have gone out with some dignity, but no. They'll never understand why they're facing this voter backlash now -- it's because Republicans lust for power cost them any principles they once had.
The voters see through it now and this is the final, perfect example. They'll learn all about the Republican's pathetic robocalling stunt before they vote Tuesday. Count on it. - edverb, on 10/12/2007, -9/+35Republicans showing contempt for voters two days before an election doesn't bode well for their chances.
- poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -3/+29Massive media email contact list:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/15/34322/4810
How to fight back (from a PBX engineer):
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/5/212753/967
How to record the calls:
http://mathewgross.com/community/node/1284
* Contact CNN: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/
MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10285339/ (viewerservices@msnbc.com letters@msnbc.com)
ABC: http://abcnews.go.com/Reference/story?id=54216
CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml
* Contact the DNC: 202-863-8000 http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contact
* Complain to the FCC: 202-418-1440, phone; 202-418-0232, fax.
* Yell at the NRCC 202-479-7000
* 1-866-OUR VOTE and get in the database if you get this kind of harassment - buss, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20Here's something fun to think about. Say the republicans sweep all (or most) of Tuesday's elections and retain their majority. Do you think people, as a whole, would cry voter fraud? I sure would. What would happen after that? The government gets its legitimacy from the people, and if the people proclaim that the government isn't under their control anymore, what's left? Would the military step in?
Hopefully we won't have to deal with these questions and it will actually be a fair election. Its not looking good so far though... - poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18An official newspaper article: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061101/NEWS/61101011/1003/ARCHIVES
Details of this happening in New Hampshire: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/5/19137/4311 - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Do American politicians still believe in democracy? You remember democracy don't you? It's the political experiment your army is trying to export to the Middle East. With a little help from our army.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+19Scumbag Republicans. Awful people. No respect, no class, no integrity. They lie, they cheat, they steal. What's worse, they have no remorse about it.
- jimejim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Don't worry. Give us a bit more time and I'm sure we'll find some other way to disgust you.
We're just funny like that lately. - LastDinosaur, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Based on how dirty recent elections have been, and the utter simplicity with which the election process has been compromised, I'm almost inclined to believe that the United States as a functional democracy has ceased to exist. I have hope that somehow these mid-term elections will work out, but after 2000 and 2004, if this election fails and there is no incredible public outcry to fix it, I am afraid that we will be presiding over the silent surrender of America.
- tlink211, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I've had it with Republicans. We need to get rid of them, while we still can...for a while...They have too much power and they're sticky like glue. Its time we give the pendulum a shove in the opposite direction, for about a decade.
- Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Man, what Canadians consider "slander" in our political campaigns is cotton candy compared to the immaturity, lies, and ***** that the Americans get away with...
- smoothmedia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10The Republicans have admitted to placing these robo-calls, about 200,000 of them, and stated that they will not stop.
- jaiwithani, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11DEMOCRATS.
ARE.
NOT.
DOING.
THIS.
Democrats put almost no money into direct-calls. They do SOME phone banking, but with live people, with one HONEST phone call.
Say what you like about there being "no difference between the two parties". One of them is using dishonest, abusive tactics to discourage voters, and one of them isn't. Call that what you will. - jerseyboy91, on 10/12/2007, -7/+16Now that's just wrong, no matter what party is doing it. I'm glad that isn't happening here.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Yeah, let's find us a way to absolve the Republicans of this ***** by pretending the Democrats are "just as bad". Classic.
- smoothmedia, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Canada is hapilly accepting American immigrants FYI
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Hi, I'm a Democrat. This will be my first midterm election vote.
See you at the polls. - projectcerulean, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9hmph, the way republicans have been acting i'm not sure if a few choice assasinations would be a bad thing...
- poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Any proof Democrats, or any party, have done the same would be appreciated.
- smoothmedia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5How did it turn out? It turned out very well, no fraud, no vote tampering and the corrupt Liberal government was replaced by a Conservative Minority.
Election fraud is NOT a partisan issue if its real, but it can sometimes only be discovered by those with partisan motivations. - poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Hahaha. You did read the article right? The National Republican Congressional Committee has admitted to doing this when confornted about it. They of course have not gone out of their way to announce it so that everyone knows, but they have admitted. So, now will you say undercover Democrats have taken over the NRCC to conduct a campaign that has so far worked well for the Republicans and is unlikely to make national news before the election?
- vistic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6THAT is underhanded.
- poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Huh? They are making these calls. Your rationalizing doesn't make it untrue.
- poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4There is a lot of hope because despite what we're told in the US, we are not the shining example of democracy. Almost every other democracy has a political system in which many parties make up the government, including democracies that we set up. Most have more reliable election systems as well. None are perfect, but they're far ahead of us.
- ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Thanks for the spam, dick.
- brufleth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Generally in other countries when elections are held that are highly contested and the possibility of voter fraud is evident there is some international intervention. The US has actively participated in such campaigns and US inspectors have invalidated elections in foreign countries. Unfortunately this sort of support for voters doesn't seem to go both ways. I'm almost certain we don't have major international inspection programs here because the government doesn't want them and probably thinks they don't need them. Maybe they don't. It sure would help validate elections which a growing number of people suspect are being manipulated.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7It is not permissable to send prerecorded political calls to individuals who are on the Do Not Call list in New Hampshire. Even though political calls are usually exempt from the federal regulations, some states modified the law upon adoption, and New Hampshire is one of them.
It seems that some Republicans just can't follow the law. Neither do they apparently even know what it is, in some cases. See crapi's statement, above. - poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If they're so noble and have nothing to hide, they would go on national television and inform voters they are doing this. I'm sure voters would love to know what they're doing.
- mmkay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3it made the NYtimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/06/us/politics/06push.html?ei=5094&en=286769ab0fcdbc7a&hp=&ex=1162875600&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1162812688-GOyqKYKN2Bxh5aSAUl+gYQ - arpad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3What's ***** is trying to pass off laziness or conceit as a virtue.
- supersmike, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Perhaps, but if enough Americans cross the border, George Dubya may find reason to think WMD exist in Canada too. Muwahahaha!
- tsteele93, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3 So I'm trying to decide who to vote for and maybe this will help. The Democrats have ACORN registering dead people, homeless people and 16 year-olds to vote. (http://www.sierratimes.com/06/11/06/205_188_116_8_33562.htm) And you have the Republicans who are apparently all gay meth-heads who are calling people while they are trying to eat dinner.
This is getting tough! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Our political process is broken. If the United States, of all countries, can't get it right, what hope is there for the rest of the world?
- poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"there will be a political revolution in this country, and it will be within the next 50 years. i can't wait."
I used to believe that, but it's ***** wishful thinking. There rarely are citizen uprisings anymore in highly developed countries, and they usually only occur in countries that are politically or economically unstable. The Left here is weak, the far-right is scary. 3rd parties are marginal and can't break through the 2 party monopoly here. Basically, those who are fed up with the 2 party system AND want to do something to change it are so divided on what they want to see. Libertarians (capitalist) don't want to work with Greens or Socialists and vice versa. Forget violent revolution because who wants to risk their lives as long as they're living somewhat comfortably (of course, if large numbers of people start being jailed/killed for their views, that may change), even if it is a dictatorship? - poxonyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think that article is about another Republican phone campaign. It's one thing to mislead voters by giving them distorted information about a candidate like the phone calls mentioned in that article and just about every political ad, it's another to pretend you ARE the other candidate and annoy the hell out of people by calling them repeatedly at odd hours.
- M4tt3r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I hate these ***** calls, all of them!
I got 12 just today, and probably over 200 the last month alone. One after another after another. All freaking Unknown or 000-000-0000.
I'd just talk back to the voice asking them to vote on Proposition Kiss My Ass, and Rap Your Family Day,...they never did respond.
I'm so glad, so glad, that these calls will finally end today. I don't know how much more I could of taken, and I don't want to find out. It was like mental torture every time the damn phone would ring.
All I know is next time voting season comes around, my ass is unplugging my phone, simple as that. - projectcerulean, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hmmm...i wonder is there anyway to inform the actual citizens affected by this...what state, county, precinct was this in? I mean ya might not get through on CNN, but it should be easy enough to find a local news station and bump this to their attention. New Hampshire you say? Sheesh, the last piece of good news they had was the leaf count at the beginning of autumn...this should be the juiciest thing in their parts since last seasons Granny Apples? Wait do they even grow those up there?
- smoothmedia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Regardless of which party you support, it was simply a fact that the previous Liberal government was corrupt. It had simply been in power far too long.
I'm no Harper fan, but a change was needed. I hope that the Liberal's will rise again, however, because I disagree with most conservative values and policies. - BillDoE, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"Your phone rings, there's a brief recorded intro that makes it appear the call is from a Democratic campaign or related group, and then a pause, and then a recorded message."
A pause? I call it a period. These calls may be very annoying, and illegal because of the repetitive calls, but they sure aren't misleading about who is calling.
Here's a recording of a call. http://ia331306.us.archive.org/1/items/NRCC_robo_attack_call2/NRCC_anti_Hall_ad.wav - jguy584, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@gordo
We are talking about this years election, not anything in the past.
If dead people turn up at the polls tomorrow and vote democratic, then we will have a big problem on our hands. But until that happens, the GOP are the scum. - WarPirate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You dont vote you have no right to complain!!! So shut your hole!
- SteveDeGroof, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Another article:
http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1971&Itemid=26
"Calls received in Connecticut's 2nd District, where Rob Simmons is battling for his seat against Democratic challenger Diane Farrell, begin "Diane Farrell has some information for you," before pausing, waiting for annoyed people to hang up, and then delivers a negative message about Farrell."
Interesting tactic. - Koosebane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2And burying it as a dupe is now impossible thanks to the new routines on digg.
Thanks digg!
Allowing blatant spamming to drive me to other newsfeeds is exactly what you're doing. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3What a sad state of affairs when we gety dugg down complaining about the same story being on the front page twice at the same time.
- kayjay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2yup, -the greatest democracy of all- sinks to a new low ***sigh***.
- ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The ***** responsible should be sent to "Pound me in the ass" prison.
And I thought the mudslinging commercials were bad. - jcrewyayo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4shady
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