The Agonist - USA: Campaign 2006

Report: WH Used Taxpayer Money to Promote GOP Candidates

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:00:57 -0700

JUSTIN ROOD and MADDY SAUER | October 15

ABC News - Cabinet Secretaries and Top Officials Deployed to Key Districts for Political Events, Report Finds

The Bush White House mounted an "unprecedented" political effort to use top officials and taxpayer funds to promote Republican Congressional candidates during the 2006 election cycle, according to a congressional investigation.

The White House Office of Political Affairs deployed roughly 30 cabinet secretaries and other top officials over 300 times to key districts around the country -- often on the government's dime -- to appear at political functions supporting Republican candidates, concluded the probe by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Obama Doesn't Take Special Interest Money?

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:54:34 -0800

The media is all abuzz with this presidential primary race between the two Democratic contenders. They are so excited and I’m feeling like a zombie. I can’t watch the television or go on the big websites because I am thoroughly disgusted, and so totally not interested. I don’t care what kind of “spin” they put on these two politicians; I can’t stand either of them. If it’s not totally clear in every Liberal/Progressive’s head’s by now, it really should be. These two candidates represent just about everything, and everyone that we have been screaming about since Bush came into office.

Liberal/Progressives and Corporatism

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:28:29 -0800

It’s about time that Liberals were proud of being called…well, Liberals. There has been change in this country, brought on by the radical Neo-Conservative movement that seems to have been utterly rejected by the American people. The Neo-Cons and their right-wing radio personalities and their Faux-News network have found their days numbered, and their audience shrinking. The constant bromating and discordance has provided no defense against the surge of Democrats that flock to the caucuses and primaries to remove the Republican Neo-Con stain that has sullied our government. The people in this country want change, and for the moment, that change is being touted by Barack Obama who seems certain to win the Democratic Primary by a significant margin, that is unless the super-delegates swing the tide to Hillary, and that doesn’t seem likely.

Less than half of military votes overseas counted

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:16:41 -0700

Leo Shane III | Washington | Sept 25

Stars and Stripes - Overseas military voters had less than half of their votes counted in last year’s congressional elections, according to data released by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Monday.

“One thing is clear: At every level of government, we need to do a better job,” said Donetta Davidson, chair of the commission. “We must make sure all eligible voters are getting their opportunities.”

The figures, released at the commission’s annual conference on ways to improve and troubleshoot the absentee voting process, showed that only about 992,000 of the nearly 6 million eligible overseas citizens requested ballots for the 2006 general election.

That included about 119,000 military personnel stationed outside the United States. Of those, only about 57,000 — less than 48 percent — had their votes successfully cast or counted.

EAC officials said that’s roughly the same percentage that were counted for expatriates and domestic military filing absentee ballots. The major failures were on the ballot delivery side, with about 72 percent of those who failed to vote never receiving any of their requested election materials.

Commerce, Treasury funds helped boost GOP campaigns

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:15:13 -0700

Marisa Taylor and Kevin G. Hall | Washington | August 17

McClatchy - Violations of the Hatch Act are treated as administrative, not criminal, matters, and punishment for violations ranges from suspension to termination.

Top Commerce and Treasury Departments officials appeared with Republican candidates and doled out millions in federal money in battleground congressional districts and states after receiving White House political briefings detailing GOP election strategy.

Political appointees in the Treasury Department received at least 10 political briefings from July 2001 to August 2006, officials familiar with the meetings said. Their counterparts at the Commerce Department received at least four briefings — all in the election years of 2002, 2004 and 2006.

The House Oversight Committee is investigating whether the White House's political briefings to at least 15 agencies, including to the Justice Department, the General Services Administration and the State Department, violated a ban on the use of government resources for campaign activities.

RFK: Rove And Rove’s Brain, ‘Should Be In Jail,’ Not In Office

Tue, 08 May 2007 07:48:00 -0700

By Greg Palast, May 7

NEW YORK — Voting rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for prison time for the new US Attorney for Arkansas, Timothy Griffin and investigation of Griffin’s former boss, Karl Rove, chief political advisor to President Bush.

“Timothy Griffin,” said Kennedy,”who is the new US attorney in Arkansas, was actually the mastermind behind the voter fraud efforts by the Bush Administration to disenfranchise over a million voters through ‘caging’ techniques - which are illegal.”

[Hear Kennedy on Griffin, Rove and ‘caging lists’ here]

Kennedy based his demand on the revelations by BBC reporter Greg Palast in the new edition of his book, “Armed Madhouse.” On one page of the book, Palast reproduces a copy of a confidential Bush-Cheney campaign email, dated August 26, 2004, in which Griffin directs Republican operatives to use the ‘caging’ lists.

This is one of the emails subpoenaed by Congress but supposedly “lost” by Rove’s office. Palast obtained 500 of these, fifty with ‘caging’ lists attached.

more ...

Voting Machine Co. Directed Own Audit in Contested Florida Election

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 17:41:29 -0700

Brad Friedman | March 24

BradBlog - Terms of 'Independent' State Run Audit, Source Code Review Dictated by Voting Machine Company to Florida State Election Director Prior to Tests of Failed Touch-Screen Voting Systems from Contested Jennings/Buchanan Election!

The private voting machine company which manufactured the touch-screen hardware and software used during Sarasota, Florida's contested District 13 Congressional election between Christine Jennings (D) and Vern Buchanan (R) sent a letter in December of 2006 to David Drury, the chief of the state's Bureau of Voting Systems Certification, dictating the terms of the state-run audit convened to investigate the causes for massive undervote rate which seems to have tipped the election.

Speaker-to-be wants Ciro as a rep-to-be

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:19:37 -0800

Gary Martin | San Antonio | November 30

San Antonio Express-News - Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders are pouring thousands of dollars into Ciro Rodriguez's bid to unseat Rep. Henry Bonilla and expand a Democratic majority in Congress.

The help from Pelosi, D-Calif., comes after Texas Democrats and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus pledged cash to Rodriguez and his uphill fight against a better-funded Bonilla.

Meet Senator Millionaire

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 15:55:29 -0800

Jessica Holzer | Washington | November 20

Forbes - Despite having a hardscrabble farmer and an avowed socialist in their ranks, the incoming class of senators does little to shake the Senate's image as a millionaires' club.

The wealth of the incoming class will hardly raise eyebrows in the Senate, where about half of the current 100 members are also millionaires and the average net worth is $8.9 million, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington. By contrast, less than 1% of the U.S. population has a net worth of $1 million or more.

In 2006, senators were paid an annual salary of $165,200.

More at the source.

Democrats are set to subpoena

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 04:28:08 -0800

Richard B. Schmitt & Richard Simon | Washington | November 10

LAT - Rep. Ike Skelton knows what he will do in one of his first acts as chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the Democratic-led House: resurrect the subcommittee on oversight and investigations.

The panel was disbanded by the Republicans after they won control of Congress in 1994. Now, Skelton (D-Mo.) intends to use it as a forum to probe Pentagon spending and the Bush administration's conduct of the Iraq war.

What Happened, What's Next? : Agonist 2006 Post-Election Open Thread

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 08:12:20 -0800

Team Agonist | Blogistan | November 8

Stoic Tester(D-MT) still waiting (NYT).

Claire McCaskill(D-MO) gains Senate

(epa/Scott Rovak)

The Agonist catch-all Open Thread for 2006 post-election events and ruminations. Post away!

The Guardian - Democrats have taken back control of the House of Representatives, 12 years after Newt Gingrich's Republican revolution.

As the new Speaker of the House, San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi will control its agenda. Democrats will also assume control of the powerful House committees. The advent of a Democrat-led House will reintroduce a system of checks and balances that has been absent from the first six years of the Bush presidency.

More threads:
• OH-15 winner still in doubt
• Democrats edge closer to control of Senate
• Senator-Elect Jim Webb (D-VA) Recount Thread
• A battle not the war- notes on what comes next
• ballot initiatives

Hastert Tells GOP Leaders He Won't Run for Minority Leader

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 13:47:44 -0800

Washington | November 8

AP - Triggering a post-election shake-up, Dennis Hastert announced Wednesday he will not run for leader of House Republicans when Democrats take control in January.

"Obviously I wish my party had won," the House Speaker said in a statement that added he intends to return to the "full-time task" of representing his Illinois constituents.

His decision to step down from the leadership cleared the way for a likely succession battle among lawmakers who face the sudden loss of power after a dozen years in the majority.

Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, currently the majority leader, is expected to run for leader, and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana announced during the day he also will seek the post. Joe Barton of Texas has signaled he may join the field. Republican leadership elections are scheduled for Nov. 15.

Democrats edge closer to control of Senate

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 10:37:47 -0800

Washington | November 8

NBC News - The battle for the Senate hung on a single race after Democrats picked up a seat in Montana, defeating incumbent Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, NBC News reported Wednesday.

Don Tester’s race against GOP incumbent Burns was delayed by equipment glitches, a heavy turnout and the narrowness of his lead — fewer than 2,000 votes.

Ballot Initiatives

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 06:49:27 -0800

Catherine Philp | Los Angeles | November 8

UK Times - Voters may be turning against the Republican Party but results from a host of ballot initiatives across the country suggest that the conservative social values it embodies are far from dead.

Gay rights took a pounding across the country with seven states in the South and Midwest voting to ban both gay marriage and civil unions, and Colorado looking set to reject a proposal for domestic partnerships.

Republicans had put the issue on the ballot in key battleground states as a device to get out the vote among disillusioned conservatives who might otherwise stay at home. The tactic apparently worked.

Proposals to legalise possession of marijuana in Nevada and Colorado were also heading for defeat, despite the best effort of pro-pot campaigners.

Growing hostility to rampant immigration was credited for the victory of Arizona campaigners to make English the official state language, making life harder for the thousands of new immigrants from Latin America now unable to get official documents in Spanish.

Voters in six states decide to raise minimum wages

2006 US Midterm Elections Open Thread

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:32:01 -0800

Team Agonist

The Agonist catch-all open thread for results, rejoinders, and rat-catching on and in Tuesday's democratic process. It's now closed. The post-election discussion continues at "What Happened? What's Next?"

Democrats regain House

MSNBC - Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years Tuesday night and made strong gains in the Senate, according to NBC News projections.

Projections by The Associated Press show the Democrats’ picking up 19 seats in the House, more than the 15 they needed to regain control.

12:45 Chris Matthews is reporting 33,000 uncounted votes in Fairfax County, VA. If true, Webb will win, that's Dem country.

12:04 Every minimum wage raise referendum is currently either ahead or has been won, except Colarado's which is running very slightly against. Arizona's ban on same sex marriage currently looks like it is failing, but Colorado's domestic partnership referendum is running behind (hmmm, anyone see a pattern here?) South Carolina is voting no to same sex marriage, but South Dakota has defeated a ban on abortion.

11:49 Maybe I should stop posting VA updates till it's called? CNN is now reporting Webb ahead by a little over 2,000. Fingers crossed. And bitten.

11:43 With 97.42% of the Virginia votes counted, Allen is ahead of Webb by aboiut 5,000, or .11% of the vote. 24,850 votes, which is 1.1% of the vote went to the Greens. Odds of making them up? Minimal. And if this seat doesn't flip (D) that means we're probably looking at a (R) Senate.

Earlier updates and more stories in comments, and after the jump