Wednesday, April 30, 2008

From one "Extreme" to another in presidential primary

There’s some strange stuff going on in the Democratic presidential primary in North Carolina that may make some voters forget about the N.C. Republican Party’s “Extreme” ad linking nominee Barack Obama and Democratic governor candidates Bev Perdue and Richard Moore to radical preacher Jeremiah Wright's recent ravings.
For several days, voting advocates have warned that robocalls by someone identifying himself as “Lamont Williams” have targeted mostly African American households with some misleading and incorrect information about what they have to do to be eligible to vote. Listen to the robocall here.
Turns out that campaign has been linked to a group in Washington called Womens' Voices, Women Vote which has links to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Click here for a link.
Chris Kromm of the Institute for Southern Studies has more information on the group and its campaign. Click here for more.
I asked Kromm to boil it down to its essence. Here’s what he e-mailed back:
“I think the 3 important items here are:
“(1) This organization Women’s Voices unleashed a deceptive and probably illegal robo-call and mailing campaign in NC that confused voters about their registration status shortly before the May primaries; many of those targeted were apparently African American voters.
“(2) Many of the organization’s principals apparently have close ties to Sen. Clinton; the group itself seeks to mobilize a constituency that has leaned in Clinton’s favor.
“(3) When confronted about the illegal calls, the disruptive timing, etc., the organization’s response boils down to “oops, we made a mistake” – this coming from an operation that includes some of the most seasoned and sophisticated political operatives in Washington.
We agree with Bob Hall [Democracy North Carolina] and others -- it just doesn’t add up.”
Late Wednesday afternoon the N.C. Department of Justice sent out the following:
“Raleigh: Telemarketing calls that led North Carolina residents to question whether they could vote have stopped, but voters should question mailings scheduled to arrive soon, Attorney General Roy Cooper said Wednesday.
“On Wednesday, Cooper and his consumer protection team demanded that the organization Women’s Voices Women Vote stop breaking state law with prerecorded calls to North Carolina residents. The organization said Wednesday the calls would stop.
“The robo-calls told residents that they would be receiving a voter registration form in the mail that they needed to sign. But the deadline to register by mail has passed, and some call recipients already were registered, causing confusion.
“’Regardless of the motivation, the robo-calls violated the law and they needed to stop,” Cooper said.
The calls violated state law by failing to disclose who sponsored the call and failing to offer the organization’s contact information to get the calls to stop.'”

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear North Carolina voters,

I am one of the effete, latte-sipping elitists that Hillary Clinton has programmed you to hate and fear. I live in Los Angeles on the LEFT COAST. Even more horrifying, I’m gay!!! So it’s only fair that I should have a chance to say something. Your future and the future of this country will really depend on how well you heed my words.

First of all, although I'm a white guy, I'm not really afraid of Rev. Wright. I just retired after spending a life time teaching in an inner city high school in Los Angeles. Granted I resent some of Rev. Wright's comments, but then again, if I walked a quarter of a mile in his shoes, I might feel the same way. I've had plenty of experience with folks like Rev. Wright, and trust me, after spending a life time teaching in a 'hood nicknamed The Killing Fields, Rev. Wright was one of the least of my worries.

Secondly, I am really not to put off by Obama's comments either. You may not know some of the criticisms Obama levels at the African-American community, or even the African American church. He constantly stresses the importance of self-reliance, hard work, , education, and responsibility. When he criticizes his own community, even if he uses harsh words, he gets a standing ovation. So if he at times seems too harsh for your sensibilities, please understand where Obama is coming from.

With those two issues aside, let's talk about some ways our divergent life styles converge.

1. The current issue of the day is the high cost of fuel. Living in Los Angeles, I rely on public transportation for the most part. Even though LA's transit system isn't the best, my using it helps conserve gasoline. The less gasoline I use, the lower the price you'll have to pay. Currently only 7% of the people in LA use public transit. Supposing we could get 78% of the people in LA to garage their cars, supposing we could build public transport systems in other urban areas and persuade the effete elitist liberals living there to use public transportation. (They would if they had decent systems.) wouldn't that bring you cheaper gasoline? In addition, if you fly over Los Angeles, you'll see a sea of roofs. What would happen to the cost of gasoline if we covered those rooves with solar energy collectors? Can you see how my lifestyle might help yours?

2. With the soaring price of gasoline, Iraq has taken a back burner. Yet while I am writing this, young Americans are still fighting and dying. Yesterday I went to see a documentary called Body of War which portrayed the day to day life of a severely paralyzed Iraqi war veteran. Of course the veteran in the movie was a hetero from a sort of conservative home in a conservative neighborhood in the Midwest, but are those differences that important. As I watched, I really had to struggle to keep from bursting into tears. Hillary Clinton could have stood up against the war. She could have said no. She didn't because her political career was more important, than 4,000+ lives being lost. As a liberal on the left coast, I always opposed the war even when it wasn't popular. So did Obama. Everything I said about the war back in the day has come true - in some cases it’s much worse than anything that I could have imagined. You can say that Obama should have walked out of Rev. Wright's church. Fine. But one died because of Obama's decision. Hillary voted for the war in Iraq, thousands of people have died because of Hillary's error in judgment. Incidentally, invading Iraq after 9/11 made as much sense as invading Brazil after Pearl Harbor. Yet this is a military decision Hillary endorsed. Does this sound like a competent commander-in-chief?

3. In spite of my so-called elitist reputation, I support unions. Reagan got history all wrong. He didn’t cause the fall of Communism. Working class unions did. (Check the history again.) I belong to UTLA and subscribe to USW at Work. I love what USW is doing. Maybe I prefer opera to bowling, but in the end, are my musical tastes really that important?

4. I believe in health care for everyone - with an emphasis on preventative health care. I've read horror stories about health problems in small town America as well as horrible work-place accidents. I'm bitter, angry and frustrated when I get this news. Is that un-American?

5. I believe in saving the environment. Albeit I will never go hunting, but the less deer I bag, the more deer for you to hunt. Is there anything wrong with that? Furthermore I know that we won't have any deer at all if we keep pimp slapping mother earth. That's what we're doing right now. In addition I hear all sorts of stories about tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes. In LA, of course, we're worried about drought. This are all by-products of global warming,

6. I'm tired of all the brouhaha over trivial pursuits. Look at the recent cover of Newsweek: arugula vs. beer. What's sort of crap is that? Yeah, I have rather exotic eating habits, but then I've got to be careful about my weight. I suspect Obama is facing the same problem. But the more careful I am about my weight and health, the less health care I need and to more health care for you and your family. Similarly the less meat, beer, pizza, bacon and eggs I eat - the more for you. Furthermore, if I spend more money and buy organic food, I'm helping support a family farm somewhere in America. Is there anything wrong with that? Why is Hillary fixating on non-issues?

7. Finally I'm sick and tired of Hillary painting me as unAmerican. Urban America has its problems as Obama himself will be the first to admit. But in LA, no one has a funny name, no one has a funny skin color, no one a funny background and no one has a queer sexual orientation primarily because in LA everyone is "funny" in one way or the other, so wehave to try to live and let live. That strikes me as being much more American in spirit than place were only the straight white,and right have any claim to count themselves as human beings. And, right or wrong, that's the message I'm getting from Hillary.

Finally I need to break the truth. I don't care what pollsters say, Hillary is sure fire loser - for one reason only. She is engaging in fear and smear campaign. That's the only reason she's gaining ground. And her current success proves that fear and smear works. She may be riding high now, but trust me. After she wins the nomination, the GOP and the GOP media will use the same smear and fear tactics against her - and there will be nothing, absolutely nothing, she or any one else can do about it.

Hillary doesn't realize what she's doing. The only person she seems to care about is herself. What sort of candidate is that?
There's only one way to save the Democratic party or this country, for that matter - Vote for Obama. A vote for Obama is a vote against the fear and smear tactics of Karl Rove, McCain, Eaine Chao and the GOP.

The choice is yours. I'd advise you to think of everything Hillary promised you. If she wins the Democratic nomination, kiss it all goodby.
yours truly,
William Joseph Miller

Anonymous said...

Mr. Moore a supporter of Sen. Obama was on Larry King Live last night. I'm glad that one of his supporters finally admitted that Obama takes alot of money from lobbyists even if he claims not to have taken a dime. He also told Larry that Obama has taken the most money than any other canidate from the medical insurance companies. I just wish he had also admitted as David Axlerod had to that lobbyists have run many state primary campaigns too.

If lobbyists are as bad as Obama has said, and are the problem i9n Washington why is he in bed with them. He will not change this like he has said. He has already shown us all he will rail against it with one hand and take much more with the other. If he thinks this is no ties to lobbyists what does he think ties to lobbyists are? I guess it goes to show you he will say anything, do anything to get elected just what he accuses Clinton and McCain of doing.

One last thing if he will lie about this you can bet the rejection of Rev. Wright was just smoke and mirrors too. He saw the polls, realized a new speech would not work so tried this. 20 years of close family relationship gone I do not think so. If he didn't see what Rev. Wright was about after 20 years how is he going to figure out world leaders? He will not have 20 years to do it in, if he is lucky he will get a few months.

Anonymous said...

Dear North Carolina Voters,

William Joseph Miller's characterization of Senator Clinton is all wrong.

His writing, in my opinion, exemplifies everything wrong with his variety of anti-Hillary self proclaimed elitists.

The guy obviously wants to think of himself as an effete elitist, while unconvincingly stating otherwise. He really likes talking about himself.

He just doesn't get it.

The rest of us real people in America couldn't care less about the self-absorbed posers who must use this election as a platform to talk about whether they sip latte's, eat organic food, whether or not they are gay, or left-coasters. We don't care!

Have WJM, or his elitist fellows, noticed anything about the world other than their own navels?

The rest of us, regardless of our level of economic or educational class, are busy trying to get through life every day. Some of us may loose our homes. Some of us don't have health insurance or can't afford to use the insurance we have. Some of us have trouble putting food on the table, driving our cars, or trying to figure out how we'll be able to afford college for our kids or if we'll ever be able to retire.

The rest of us are busy worrying about how our loved ones are going to make it home in one piece from a war - that we - or our loved one, too may have made the mistake believing was for a good cause.

We have enough on our minds without suffering the continuous barrage of disparaging of most of America, our faith, our traditions, and our lifestyles.

Senator Clinton has an entirely different outlook. The Obama follower self-proclaimed elitists are always looking inward - to themselves. You can tell by the way they always have to talk about themselves. Its in their culture.

Senator Clinton, in contrast, looks outward - at the world, at us.

Senator Clinton truly cares about what problems people have, and how the problems can be solved. Its a whole different way of being and thinking.

Obama is an empty suit, and a wordsmith who speaks in generalities and looks down and talks down to American. He is racially divisive while proclaiming unity. When he is offensive, he at first tries to deny it, then blames others for picking on him, before he finally decides he has not choice but apologize, then he only does so reluctantly.

In contrast, when Senator Clinton makes a mistake - as we all do, because we're human - she acknowledges it and apologizes, then goes on to find another way to do the right thing.

Whats really most important to me is that Senator Clinton can be trusted to fix the economy, secure healthcare for all, end the war, and in general will be a leader who from the top down, promotes Americans to be free to be whatever we want to be. We'll be free to practice our faith, beliefs, our family and community traditions, our lifestyles.

I thought it was all about the concrete issues for me. That is why I like Senator Clinton as the better candidate. She has a strong understanding of what the real everyday problems are in this country and how to fix them, with the minimum of fuss, as quickly as possible. She is practical, sincere and respectful.

But after seeing WJM's posting, I realize that there is another reason I am for Hillary.
I am already sick of the suffocating arrogant navel gazers blabbing on about themselves. Their self absorbed whining during which they usually do not fail to imply that the rest of us must all be uneducated, unworldly, and not like good coffee is just insufferable!
Think of how much more insufferable they will become if their candidate wins! Now that I really cannot imagine having to suffer.

Hillary 2008!

Anonymous said...

I always find it interesting when the news leaves off some of the facts. It appears that the Womens' Voices, Women Vote group has strong ties to the Obama campaign. Of course, it's only appropriate to point out that they have ties to Hillary Clinton. Why not point out that the Obama sent out misinformation to many Pennsylvanians about Hillary Clinton. My brother, who lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia received 10 mailings from the Obama campaign half of which were negative attacks with misinformation on Hillary Clinton. Or maybe we should point out that Obama had to change his Oil ad because he was called on the carpet about the money he is taking from Oil Companies and their executives. Three advisors on the Obama staff work for Oil companies. So of course the tax break on gas is a bad thing,since Clinton wants the Oil Companies to pay the tax to the road and bridge fund while Obama just says it's a political pandering tactic. Maybe his oil friends are against it, so Obama is also!

Anonymous said...

Obama's dirty laundry in making it out of the cellar. Did he learn this from Rev. Wright, taking down a black female stateswoman?

The day after New Year's 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city's South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama's four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot...

...Obama quickly mastered the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics. His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside a black elder stateswoman like Palmer.

Anonymous said...

Go OBAMA 280 Delegate to Victory

get out there you new voters

we have 12,000,000

new register since 2004

GO OBAMA

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