Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Kerry -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Patricia Trinchero who wrote (54599)	10/26/2004 5:51:43 PM
From: Skywatcher	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 81568

> Tonight BBC TV to Reveal New Florida Vote Scandal > Republican "Caging List" > > BBC Television News On-Line > Tuesday, October 26, 2004 > Greg Palast, reporting > > A secret document obtained from inside Bush campaign headquarters in > Florida suggests a plan - possibly in violation of US law - to disrupt > voting in the state's African-American voting districts, a BBC Newsnight > investigation reveals. > > (Watch it tonight at > news.bbc.co.uk begining at > 5.30pm EST, available for 24 hours.) > > Two e-mails, prepared for the executive director of the Bush campaign in > Florida and the campaign's national research director in Washington DC, > contain a 15-page so-called "caging list". > > It lists 1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and > traditionally Democrat areas of Jacksonville, Florida. > > An elections supervisor in Tallahassee, when shown the list, told > Newsnight: "The only possible reason why they would keep such a thing is > to challenge voters on election day." > > Ion Sancho, a Democrat, noted that Florida law allows political party > operatives inside polling stations to stop voters from obtaining a ballot. > > > ---Mass challenges--- > > They may then only vote "provisionally" after signing an affidavit > attesting to their legal voting status. > > Mass challenges have never occurred in Florida. Indeed, says Mr Sancho, > not one challenge has been made to a voter "in the 16 years I've been > supervisor of elections." > > "Quite frankly, this process can be used to slow down the voting process > and cause chaos on election day; and discourage voters from voting." > > Sancho calls it "intimidation." And it may be illegal. > > In Washington, well-known civil rights attorney, Ralph Neas, noted that US > federal law prohibits targeting challenges to voters, even if there is a > basis for the challenge, if race is a factor in targeting the voters. > > The list of Jacksonville voters covers an area with a majority of black > residents. > > When asked by Newsnight for an explanation of the list, Republican > spokespersons claim the list merely records returned mail from either > fundraising solicitations or returned letters sent to newly registered > voters to verify their addresses for purposes of mailing campaign > literature. > > Republican state campaign spokeswoman Mindy Tucker Fletcher stated the > list was not put together "in order to create" a challenge list, but > refused to say it would not be used in that manner. > > Rather, she did acknowledge that the party's poll workers will be > instructed to challenge voters, "Where it's stated in the law." > > There was no explanation as to why such clerical matters would be sent to > top officials of the Bush campaign in Florida and Washington. > > > ---Private detective--- > > In Jacksonville, to determine if Republicans were using the lists or other > means of intimidating voters, we filmed a private detective filming every > "early voter" - the majority of whom are black - from behind a vehicle > with blacked-out windows. > > The private detective claimed not to know who was paying for his all-day > services. > > On the scene, Democratic Congresswoman Corinne Brown said the surveillance > operation was part of a campaign of intimidation tactics used by the > Republican Party to intimate and scare off African American voters, almost > all of whom are registered Democrats. > > Greg Palast reporting. The film will be broadcast by Newsnight tonight, > Tuesday, 26 October, 2004 at 2230 BST (6:30pm New York time). > > > ================== > Contact: media@gregpalast.com > > > View Greg Palast's BBC Television film, "Bush Family Fortunes," available > this week on DVD in an updated edition from The Disinformation Company at > gregpalast.com > > > To receive Greg's investigative reports click here: > gregpalast.com > > > > news.bbc.co.uk