Censored Whig Letters

Hey Everyone,

So the Rally planning is underway. The info again is: Monday October 27th 5-8 pm at Kilby Cream Farm in Rising Sun. It is FREE!! We have our two bands confirmed “The Wallis Brothers” and the lead singer from “Mythica Music”, we have Krazy George (the guy who invented “The Wave”) confirmed, and we’ll be having Sharon Weygand, Clay from the Kratovil Camp, and someone from our Obama Group speaking. We’re still waiting on a highlight speaker for the night so we’ll see…

We’re also going to have a hayride, corn maze, bonfire (with smores!), ice cream, hot dogs, hot chocolate, and baked goods available (for sale). We figured because of the timing (5-8) we should provide some sort of food aside from ice cream for people. Here’s where I need everyones help:

We need:
~chairs (we have 20 fold up chairs)
~tables (we have 4)
~plates (paper)
~napkins
~ketchup
~mustard
~sour kraut
~relish
~hot/cold cups w/lids
~water bottles
~graham crackers
~marshmallows
~hershey’s chocolate bars
~smore’s sticks (if you have skewers for the BBQ)
~hot chocolate
~hot dogs
~buns
~baked goods for sale (brownies, cookies, pies, etc)

Also:
~people to help out at the event
-selling food/drinks, cooking hot dogs, distributing Smores supplies, signing people up to volunteer for GOTV, selling Obama merchandise, help setting up event (we’re meeting there at 3:00 pm)

If everyone can bring something, or if you can donate something even if you can’t come to the event, it would be the easiest. We have a TINY amount of money left to purchase a few items if we can’t get them donated, but it would be WONDERFUL if everyone could pitch in a little- whether it be time, or items needed.

Let me know ASAP if you can help/donate an item.

Also- try and distribute the flyers ASAP. Our group has already stopped at some African American Churches to see if they’d announce the event at their service, stopped at libraries, and some grocery stores. We even had someone put some flyers on cars that had Obama stickers on them! That’s all we need to get the word out! If everyone posts 2 flyers up somewhere public we can get some GREAT visibility!! We’ll also be in the Whig on Thurs, Fri, and Monday in the local section.

If you’re coming to the event- don’t forget to wear your Obama shirts! If you don’t have one, we have a bunch here at HQ now. Along with signs, stickers, pins, bracelets, etc.

Any questions, comments, ideas- please email me ASAP

Thanks!!
Alissa Quinlan
Cecil Countians for Obama
http://www.cecil4obama.blogspot.com

For only $5 each, I am selling off thousands of CD’s. All kinds of music- rock, R&B, blues, jazz, country, pop, soundtracks, gospel and more. Thousands of artists. Many are new, never unwrapped. Some are used but in perfect condition.

I have nearly as many cassette tapes available at half the original low prices- most are $1.50 to $3.00.

Selling at a loss so I want my friends and neighbors to get first pick.

Call or write to arrange a time to look at the selection. Phone number is 443-907-2367. Email address is demlabor@aol.com.

If the distance is greter than you can travel, I might be able to ship them if you pay shipping costs. Send want lists.

CHEAP CHRISTMAS GIFTS while they last. First come, first served.

Kratovil-Harris Debate Trilogy

By Jim Kehl

I attended three debates between Frank Kratovil, Democratic candidate for Congress in the First District, and Andy Harris, his Republican opponent. These debates clearly demonstrated the profound differences between the two men.

Frank Kratovil believes that principle is more important than party. He wants to be an independent representative who champions fiscal responsibility, environmental stewardship, and who focuses on the hard working people of the First District. Frank believes that the economic needs of First District citizens must be balanced with the Chesapeake Bay’s environmental protections. He is running for Congress in order to be part of the needed change in Washington.

On the other hand, Andy Harris promises more of the same policies that have led to the current economic and international crises. Harris displayed an alarming lack of knowledge with respect to certain issues. He once again demonstrated his negativity in that he is against legislation, such as the economic bailout, but fails to provide any answers himself. He runs false ads and makes unsubstantiated charges against his opponent. The following is a partial list of outrageous charges and errors made by Harris:

• Harris claimed Iraq was a theocracy and that Saddam Hussein was a theocrat. Iraq was a secular state under Saddam Hussein, who was opposed to religious fanaticism;

• Harris said that the economic crisis was caused by “failed liberal policies of the past.” The economic crisis was caused by a lack of oversight of financial institutions and by deregulation enacted during the last 25 years by Club for Growth and conservative ideologues like Phil Gramm;

• Harris was against the economic bailout, but failed to provide a solution himself. Harris’ support of deregulation of the utilities cost Maryland taxpayers thousands of dollars. Harris did not exhibit an understanding of economics;

• Harris accused Kratovil of not prosecuting drug dealers and sex offenders in a number of cases. There are many reasons the State does not prosecute cases, lack of evidence being the most common. A decision not to prosecute a case has nothing to do with a prosecutor’s character or that person’s stance on crime;

• Harris claimed to support the Bill of Rights, but then railed against “criminal defense attorneys who represent vile criminals” and “trial attorneys who sue anyone.” It is a right of any person charged with a crime to be represented by an attorney. “Tort reform” is a code word for denying individuals fair compensation from negligent physicians and others. Trial attorneys and defense attorneys represent the common person; they are the backbone of our legal system;

• Harris said there is “no thing government runs better than the private sector.” He even knocked the Post Office! I happen to think the U.S. military is conducting the Iraq situation better than the private mercenaries employed by Blackwater and Haliburton. There are many other functions that the private sector can’t perform and that must be performed by government. This is a tremendous lack of understanding of the role of government exhibited by Andy Harris;

• Harris said Kratovil was appointed to the Md. State Board of Victims Services by former attorney general Joe Curran. Frank Kratovil displayed his certificate of appointment that was signed by former governor Ehrlich. Harris did not admit he made a false accusation;

• Harris said that Gilchrest became “out of touch with the First District.” Gilchrest stood for principle and, for that reason, incurred the wrath of Republican leaders who support Harris. Many Republicans are supporting Frank Kratovil; I am not aware of any prominent Democrats who are supporting Andy Harris. Who is more bipartisan?

• Harris claimed he did a good job representing all citizens of his District. A researcher discovered that Harris was unable to get a single bill he sponsored passed in the 2006 to 2008 Md. General Assembly sessions. How did he do a good job if he could not pass any legislation? How does he expect to pass legislation in Washington if he cannot get along with other legislators?

I could list other differences, but my space is limited. If you think things are good and you want to continue the current policies, then Andy Harris is your candidate. If you want a congressman who decries partisanship, is willing to take a practical, independent approach to problems, values people over ideology and believes in financial responsibility and proper oversight, then you need to vote for Frank Kratovil and get as many other voters as you can to vote for Frank.

OUR FULL ENDORSEMENT TALLY: Obama Widens Lead to 104-32

By Greg Mitchell and Dexter Hill

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875230

Published: October 19, 2008 11:50 AM ET updated Sunday

NEW YORK (Updated Sunday) The Obama-Biden ticket maintains its strong lead in the race for daily newspaper endorsements, by 104 to 32, a better than 3-1 margin, picking up 50 or more papers in the past day, including (see separate stories), the Detroit Free Press, Buffalo News, Cleveland’s Plain Dealer, Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, New York’s Daily News, Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer, Portland’s The Oregonian, Denver Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Salt Lake Tribune, Kansas City Star, and Chicago Sun-Times.

In a real shocker, two solid Bush papers in 2004, the Houston Chronicle and Austin American-Statesman, also came out for Obama today. So did the more traditionally Democratic the News & Obsever in Raleigh and the Orlando Sentinel, both in key battleground states.

Obama’s lopsided margin, including most of the major papers that have decided so far, is in stark contrast to John Kerry barely edging George W. Bush in endorsements in 2004 by 213 to 205.

McCain did pick up a Texas nod from the San Antonio paper, plus a big one from the Columbus Dispatch in Ohio, as well as The San Diego Union-Tribune. All backed Bush in 2000 and 2004.

Note: We are updating this story and list all day Sunday so return for additions.

The readership of the newspapers backing Obama now stands at over 10 million vs. McCain’s just under 2.5 million.

The NY Daily News was yet another paper, now numbering at least 23, that backed George W. Bush in 2004 and now support Obama. The Long Beach (Ca.) Press-Telegram and Asbury Park (NJ) Press did the same. Four smaller papers also made this switch: The Naples (Fla.) Daily-News, the New Haven (CT) Register, the Times-Reporter in New Philadelphia (Ohio), Mason City (Iowa) Globe-Gazette and the Yakima Herald-Republic in Washington. In addition, the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, which sat out the 2004 contest, endorsed Obama today. McCain has picked up only one Kerry paper so far: The Daily Press of Newport News, Va.

The Salt Lake Tribune and the Las Cruces (N.M.) Sun-News also had backed Bush in 2004 but now switched to the Democrat.

Some of the other Sunday endorsements in no particular order:

For McCain: Las Vegas Review, Fargo (ND) Forum, Bakersfield (Ca.) Californian, The Daily Press of Hampton Roads, Va., several papers in Texas (Lubbock, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Longview, Wichita Falls).

For Obama: Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News, Salem (Ore.) Statesman-Journal, Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, Idaho Statesman, Las Vegas Sun, Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal, Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal, Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune, Daily Breeze of Torrance, Ca., Rockford (Ill.) Register, Nashua (NH) Telegraph, Concord (NH) Monitor, Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune, Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard, Daily Herald of Arlington, Ill, Burlington (Vt.) Free Press, Mid-Columbia Tri-City Herald.

Please send any endorsements you see or make to:
gmitchell@editorandpublisher.com.

For links to the latest endorsement editorials — and frequent updates on the media and the campaign — go to:
The E&P Pub

The Obama campaign has links to editorials backing him:
http://therecord.barackobama.com/?p=2908

Obama also yesterday gained the backing of two major weeklies: The New York Observer (NYC) and Willamette Week in Oregon.

Here is the latest chart of dailies which we are about to update for Sunday. As always, we include in brackets who the paper went with in 2004 with B=Bush and K=Kerry.
*
BARACK OBAMA
103 daily newspapers total
Over 10 million circulation (we are still counting)

ALABAMA

Tuscaloosa News (K):

ARKANSAS
Arkansas Times (K): 34,000

CALIFORNIA
The Argus (Fremont) (K): 26,749
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek) (K): 183,086
Daily Breeze (Torrance)
Daily Review (Hayward) (K): 30,704
The Fresno Bee (K): 150,334
La Opinion (Los Angeles) (K): 114,892
Long Beach Press Telegram (B)
Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Times (N/A): 773,884
Marin Independent-Journal (K)
The Modesto Bee (K): 78,001
The Monterey County Herald (K): 28,933
Oakland Tribune (K): 96,535
Pasadena Star-News (B)
The (Stockton) Record (B): 57,486
The Sacramento Bee (K): 288,755
San Bernardino Sun (B): 54,315
San Francisco Chronicle (K): 370,345
San Jose Mercury News (K): 234,772
San Mateo County Times (K): 25,982
Santa Cruz Sentinel (K): 23,290
Tri-Valley Herald (B): 29,759

COLORADO
Boulder Camera (K)
Cortez Journal (K): 6,700
The Denver Post (B)
The Durango Herald (K): 8,870
Gunnison Country Times (N/A): 4,000
Ouray County Plaindealer (K): 3,000

CONNECTICUT
New Haven Register (B)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Washington Post (K): 673,180

FLORIDA
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Miami Herald (K):
Naples Daily-News (B)
Orlando Sentinel (K):
Sarasota Herald-Tribune (K)

GEORGIA
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (K)

HAWAII
Honolulu Star-Bulletin (K): 64,305

IDAHO
Idaho Statesman (K):

ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune (B): 541,663
Chicago Sun-Times (K):
Daily Herald (Arlington) (K)
Rockford Register (K)
Southwest News-Herald (K)

INDIANA
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

IOWA
Mason City Globe Gazette (B)
The Storm Lake Times (K): 3,200

KENTUCKY
Lexington Herald-Leader (K)

MAINE
Bangor Daily News (K)
Brunswick Times-Record (K)

MASSACHUSETTS
The Boston Globe (K): 350,605
The Standard-Times (New Bedford) (K): 30,306

MICHIGAN
Detroit Free Press (K):
The Muskegon Chronicle (K): 41,114

MISSOURI
Columbia Daily Tribune
Kansas City Star
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (K): 255,057

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Concord Monitor (K)
Nashua Telegraph (K)

NEW MEXICO
Las Cruces Sun-News (B)
Santa Fe New Mexican (K): 25,249

NEVADA
Las Vegas Sun (K)

NEW YORK
Buffalo News (K)
The Daily News (B)
el Diario: 53,856

NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville Citizen-Times (K): 50,160
Durham Herald-Sun
News & Observer (Raleigh) (K)
Wilmington Star-News (K)

OHIO
Akron Beacon-Journal (K):
The (Toledo) Blade (K): 119,901
Dayton Daily News (K): 116,690
The (Canton) Repository (B): 65,789
Times-Reporter (New Philadelphia)
Springfield News-Sun (K): 24,684
The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

OREGON
Register-Guard (Eugene) (K):
Mail Tribune (Medford) (K): 30,349
The Oregonian of Portland (K)
Salem Statesman-Journal (K)
Yamhill Valley News-Register

PENNSYLVANIA
The Daily Item of Sunbury
The Express-Times (Easton) (B): 44,561
Philadelphia Inquirer (K):
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (K): 214,374

TENNESSEE
Chattanooga Times (K): 71,716
The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (K): 146,961
The (Nashville) Tennessean (K): 161,131

TEXAS
Austin American-Statesman (B)
Bryan/College Station Eagle
Houston Chronicle (B)
The Lufkin Daily News (K): 12,225

UTAH
The Salt Lake Tribune (B):

VERMONT
Burlington Free Press (K)

VIRGINIA
Falls Church News-Press (K): 30,500

WASHINGTON
The Columbian (B): 44,623
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (K): 129,563
The Seattle Times (K): 220,883
Yakima Herald-Republic (B)

WEST VIRGINIA
The Charleston Gazette (K): 48,061
Huntington Herald-Dispatch (K)

WISCONSIN
The Capital Times (Madison) (K): 16,335
Wisconsin State Journal (Madison) (B): 87,930

JOHN McCAIN
32 newspapers total
About 2.5 million daily circulation (we are tabulating)

CALIFORNIA
Bakersfield Californian (B)
Napa Valley Register: 16,283
Riverside Press-Enterprise (B)
The San Francisco Examiner (B): 80,000
San Diego Union-Tribune (B)

COLORADO
Mountain Valley News (Cedaredge): 2,000
The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction) (B): 31,349
The Pueblo Chieftain (B): 49,169

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Washington DC Examiner (N/A): 100,073

FLORIDA
Bradenton Herald
Tampa Tribune

MARYLAND
The Baltimore Examiner (N/A): 50,000

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Herald (B): 182,350
The (Lowell) Sun (B): 44,439

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Foster’s Daily Democrat (B): 22,547
Union Leader (Manchester) (B): 51,782

NEVADA
Las Vegas Review (B)

NEW YORK
New York Post (B): 702,488

NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo Forum (B)

OREGON
Bend Bulletin (B)

OHIO
Columbus Dispatch (B)
The (Findlay) Courier (B): 22,319

TEXAS
Amarillo Globe-News (B): 44,764
Beaumont Enterprise
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Dallas Morning News (B):
San Antonio Express-News
Wharton Journal Spectator
Wichita Falls Times Record

VIRGINIA
The Daily Press (Hampton Roads) (K)
The Winchester Star

WASHINGTON
(Spokane) Spokesman-Review (B): 89,779

WEST VIRGINIA
Wheeling News-Register (B): 12,821

——————————————————————————–
Greg Mitchell and Dexter Hill (gmitchell@editorandpublisher.com)

Breaking: Obama Demands Special Prosecutor Investigate GOP Voter Fraud Activities
By Ari Melber 10/17/08 3:13 PM

http://washingtonindependent.com/13548/breaking-obama-demands-special-prosecutor-investigate-gop-voter-fraud

Charging that the FBI probe of ACORN represents an “unholy alliance” between Republican operatives and potentially illegal conduct by law enforcement targeting voter fraud, the Obama campaign demanded Friday that the U.S. special prosecutor looking into the U.S. attorneys scandal investigate the matter.

General counsel Bob Bauer sent a letter to Atty. Gen. Michael Mukasey charging that coordinated “misconduct” by McCain campaign representatives and GOP officials were relevant to the special prosecutor’s work, because the activities may relate to the dismissal of seven U.S. attorneys in late 2006.

The letter requests that the special prosecutor’s inquiry “include a review of any involvement by Justice Dept. and White House officials in supporting the McCain-Palin campaign [and RNC’s] systematic development and dissemination of unsupported, spurious allegations of vote fraud.”

To advance the effort, the Obama campaign convened a conference call with national reporters, though Friday afternoon is not a time that campaigns usually push priority messages

Biden Helping A Working Family: An Untold Story

Very early on the morning that Senator Biden flew to the nation of Georgia as the Russian-Georgian war was cooling down, I received a phone call from a labor activist friend of mine from the Eastern Region of the Laborers (LIUNA) union. The caller was Brian McGlinchey. He asked me if I could get in touch with a certain Laborers Local 199 member who was facing foreclosure and was trying to support a family of ten (now eleven as a new son was born two weeks ago). McGlinchey explained that the Senator Biden personally wanted to discuss the difficulty facing this working family to see if he could be of assistance.

I immediately called the wife of James Yetman, the union construction worker whose family was facing the loss of their home, at their house. She explained that James was already on the job. She gave me his cell phone number. As I fired up my coffee pot and started dialing James Yetman, I looked at my clock. It was 6:45am. I thought to myself, “How can a working man already on the job at this hour be facing foreclosure?”

I already knew the answer. James had a wife who was unable to work because of a uncurable serious chronic health condition and because she was nearly 8 months pregnant. She had 5 children from a previous marriage when she married James. They had 3 more together (not counting the one on the way at that time). James had been out of work for an extended length of time during the winter. Fuel, food, medical, insurance and heating expenses had exploded during the past year. They were being squeezed from every direction.

They had been victims of a mortgage that I had viewed as predatory when I examined it. It was certainly more than they could afford on their income. They had not had many options other than agreeing to the lenders terms since it is almost impossible to find landlords willing to rent to such a large family. Section 8 housing had been severely underfunded by the Bush White House and their Republican allies in Congress. They were going to get no help from the Bush Administration. Maybe, just maybe, Biden might be able to help.

I managed to get James on the phone as I sipped on my first cup of coffee. I had great difficulty getting him to agree to meet Senator Biden. James did not want to miss the hours of work. He needed the money. This was before Senator Biden had been selected as the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate. James finally relented when I told him that Biden was on a banking committee in the US Senate and was his best chance of keeping his home.

James checked with his boss and called me back after getting approval to leave for the meeting with Biden. I picked him up from his job site in Newark, Delaware. We drove to Wilmington, Delaware to meet Biden at Angelo’s Luncheonette. We arrived a little early.

Angelo’s is a really small, working class neighborhood establishment with excellent and inexpensive food. I was surprised that the Senator would pick a place like this to meet. It had no reporters hanging around nor the usual political crowd that frequent the kind of public places where I had normally met other political figures in the past. I liked it immediately.

I had ordered lunch for James and myself when three of the leaders of Laborers Local 199 walked in the door. They were Business Manager William Carter, Vice President James Maravelias and Business Agent Toby Lamb. They explained that they were there to show their support for the union member facing foreclosure.

They were very concerned about the plight of the family. I understood their position. Non-union members often do not understand that members of the union movement really do consider each other as members of the same union “family.” We call each other brothers and sisters. The really active members and the leaders really mean it!

We were all finishing our lunch together when Biden arrived. He had his sister Valerie with him and several staff members. I was really surprised that no press were in attendance although one of the staffers had a camera. We persuaded the staffer to take some photos. I am really glad they did since many friends of the Yetman family refused to believe the story about the meeting without the photos.

There were maybe another ten customers and workers in Angelo’s Luncheonette besides the five of us from labor. Biden gave everyone considerable personal time and attention before talking to us. Everyone wanted their photo taken with Biden. Most had personal stories to share or previous personal meetings to discuss with the Senator. It was easy to see that Biden was at home in this middle class and working class neighborhood. He was one of them who had made good and not forgotten them.
Eventually, Biden made it to the back of the establishment where we were sitting. He remembered the local union leaders and talked with them briefly. They introduced James Yetman to Senator Biden. James was visibly nervious at first but the Senator quickly put him at ease. Soon they were deeply involved in conversation.

You could see the deep concern on Biden’s face as Yetman started giving the Senator the details of the problem. I did not hear much of the conversation except when Biden exclaimed at one point “nine children!” and when he called to his staff for a pen and paper to take notes.

A few minutes longer into the conversation, I saw Biden get out his cell phone to start making calls on behalf of the Yetman family. I was shocked. I have been a political activist for nearly 40 years and had never seen a sitting US Senator make calls on behalf of a voter immediately at any meeting or event. His cell phone could not get a signal so Biden called for his staff to get him one that worked in Angelo’s. They passed him one and he started making calls on the spot.

Later, I learned that Biden knew the Yetman’s currently lived in Oxford, Pennsylvania and could not even vote for the Senator in Delaware. James Yetman had once been a Delaware resident but now voted in Pennsylvania. Remember this meeting happened before Biden was selected by Obama as the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee. Biden was doing the right thing for this working family even when there were no votes to be gained or reporters present. He was just being Biden.
As we were leaving Angelo’s Luncheonette, Biden noticed my union pins.I was wearing my UAW, USW, OPEIU and Delaware AFL-CIO ones. Biden told me how much he appreciated the support the workers of Delaware have given him over his career.

The last person Biden spoke with was James Yetman. He called James by name. Biden promised him that he would continue looking into his mortgage foreclosure problem. The last thing I heard Biden say was “you have my word.”

As I was driving James Yetman back to his job site, his cell phone rang. It was the first of many calls from Washington, D.C. and Biden’s Delaware Senate office. Every few days, Biden’s Senate office called or wrote the Yetman family. The contacts continue to this day. The Yetman’s have even received calls from the Biden family about their foreclosure problem. Biden has certainly kept his word.

The Yetman family is still facing foreclosure. This family may yet be out on the streets if their mortgage company will not cooperate. It will not be because Senator Joe Biden did not intervene on their behalf. It will not be because Biden does not care.

Biden is a real friend of working families even when there is absolutely nothing in it for him politically. Biden truly cares and truly understands working Americans. We need him as a leading voice in the Executive Branch of the federal government. We need him as Vice President. If he had been setting government policies and priorities in the White House during the past 8 years, millions of working families might not be facing foreclosure today.

Written by Stephen Crockett (Host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com and Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com ). Mail: 698 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware 19702. Phone: 443-907-2367.

Feel free to publish without prior approval.

The continuing saga of of FOX’s obsession with ACORN
Reported by Chrish - October 8, 2008 - 123 comments

http://www.newshounds.us/2008/10/08/the_continuing_saga_of_of_foxs_obsession_with_acorn.php

Much as they were with “drill here, drill now,” FOX and Friends is on a daily mission to cast suspicion of the organization ACORN, accusing them of complicity in voter fraud cases, and essentially trying to steal the election for Barack Obama, who they are also trying to link to ACORN via his previous work with Project Vote. This morning 10/08/08 they featured Eric Shaun in Independence MO, where he spoke briefly with a woman identified as an Election official from … Nevada?

The segment was introduced as a news item about a police raid on ACORN offices in Las Vegas. According to FOX, authorities went in to confiscate records of fraudulent registrations. But unbeknownst to FOX viewers, ACORN had already been cooperating with authorities to combat voter fraud, according to a press release yesterday:

For Immediate Release: October 7, 2008

ACORN Statement from Bertha Lewis, Interim Chief Organizer, on Incident in Las Vegas:

“Over the past year, ACORN has worked hard to help over 80,000 people in Clark County register to vote. As part of our nonpartisan voter registration program, we have review all the applications submitted by our canvassers. When we have identified suspicious applications, we have separated them out and flagged them for election officials. We have zero tolerance for fraudulent registrations. We immediately dismiss employees we suspect of submitting fraudulent registrations.

For the past 10 months, any time ACORN has identified a potentially fraudulent application, we turn that application into election officials separately and offer to provide election officials with the information they would need to pursue an investigation or prosecution of the individual.

Election officials routinely ignored this information and failed to act. In early July, ACORN asked to meet with election officials to express our concerns that they were not acting on information ACORN had presented to them. ACORN met with Clark County elections officials and a representative of the Secretary of State on July 17th. ACORN pleaded with them to take our concerns about fraudulent applications seriously. One week later, elections officials asked us to provide them with a second copy of what we had previously provided to them. ACORN responded by giving election officials copies of 46 “problem application packages,” which involved 33 former canvassers.

On September 23, ACORN had received a subpoena dated September 19th requesting information on 15 employees, all of whom had been included in the packages we had previously submitted to election officials. ACORN provided our personnel records on these 15 employees on September 29.

Today’s raid by the Secretary of State’s Office is a stunt that serves no useful purpose other than discredit our work registering Nevadans and distracting us from the important work ahead of getting every eligible voter to the polls.”

Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com, gotta love him, has spelled out the accusations and answers in a Huffington Post article. More information not disclosed to FOX mushrooms was that the ACORN Office Raid may be Linked to U.S. Attorney Firings Scandal.

But while all this invaluable information is available to folks not satisfied with eating up FOX’s regurgitation like baby birds, said chickies got disinformation from “FOXNews Voter Fraud Investigative Unit,” basically Eric Shawn and a cameraman. You can judge for yourself the value of his reporting, below.

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill gets it:

“There has been no fraudulent voting…The people who claim this is a huge problem can never produce any instances where anyone voted fraudulently. They have registered fraudulently.

“Anyone who is registering someone who is not a real person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” McCaskill said, but she did not accept the accusation that the apparently bogus registrations were “clogging” the system.

Note that Steve Doocy alleges that ACORN is itself involved in the voter fraud, not the individuals submitting the fraudulent applications; note too that Gretchen Carlson cites one instance of a woman registering (not voting) multiple times in Missouri as evidence of fraud “all over the place.” And last but not least, note that Eric Shawn is waving registrations which are either evidence of a crime or valid, complete with identifying personal information, on national television.

Barack Obama’s work in 1992 as Director of Project Vote in Chicago, registering low-income people and minorities to vote, was dragged out as some kind of indictment that he is closely connected with the accusations of today. This whole ACORN assault is a trumped up Republican crusade to cast doubt on election results should Obama win (which polls indicate he will) and to prime the pump for lawsuits challenging That One’s win.

http://vodpod.com/watch/1075758-palast-on-gop-voter-theft

Please share this video link with everyone you know!

Reason That Harris Supporters Support Him

by Jim Kehl

Someone shared with me a reason that many persons in Maryland’s First Congressional District support Andy Harris. The logic is as follows: these voters believe that government programs are wasteful expenditures of funds and that the enactment of new government programs will result in increases in their taxes in order to fund more wasteful spending. Harris has stated that he has taken a non-binding pledge not to vote for any tax increases; Harris also has a legislative record of voting against government action. The Harris supporters therefore conclude that voting for Harris will prevent their taxes from increasing because Harris is against all government programs and has said he is against tax increases.

This logic is flawed. First, the Harris supporters enjoy the benefits of many government programs. These supporters travel on roads, have their food inspected by the Food and Drug Administration, benefit from having a military, having fire department and police departments, receiving Social Security benefits and using many other government services. There are many issues in the First Congressional District that require involvement of the government, including preservation of the Chesapeake Bay. The citizens of the First District do pay taxes. They should receive benefits from their tax money just as any other citizens. Harris would prevent their receipt of these benefits because of his intransient attitudes and because he does not get alon with other Republican and Democratic legislators. Harris was unable to pass any legislation during the 2006 to 2008 sessions of the Maryland General Assembly that he sponsored because his ideas were out of step with the ideas of many citizens and because he is an “intractable” State Senator.

No one believes that government action is the solution to every problem. No one wants the government to be manufacturing products, providing medical services or to be engaged in any activities that are properly performed by the private sector. However, there is a role for the government in regulating financial markets, helping communities cope with natural disasters, providing financial assistance to community projects, and in other areas. Andy Harris is unreasonably against government involvement. Andy Harris cost Maryland’s citizens thousands of dollars because he supported the deregulation of public utilities. Andy Harris is good at saying “no.” He doesn’t know when to say “yes.” Anyone can vote “no.” It requires judgment to know when to vote “yes.” Andy Harris does not have that judgment.

An example of Harris’s lack of judgment occurred during the Maryland General Assembly’s last session. Maryland had a sales tax on computer services that everyone agreed was bad for the majority of Maryland’s citizens. A bill was proposed and passed that eliminated the onerous computer sales tax and replaced it with an increase in the tax rate on a person’s individual Maryland taxable income in excess of $1,000,000 from 5.5% to 6.25%. This increased income tax rate was going to affect very few of Harris’ constituents and Maryland taxpayers. Harris voted against this bill. Had Harris had his way, an onerous tax would have been left in the law. This is bad judgment on Harris’s part.

The moderators of the debate at Cecil Community College should have asked Andy Harris what his alternative to the Federal Bailout was. He said that he was against the bailout. Did he not understand that the purpose of this bailout was to free credit so that businesses could borrow the funds necessary to meet their payrolls? Did Harris understand the panic that would have ensued if workers did not receive their paychecks? We don’t know because the moderators failed to ask Harris these questions.

The Harris supporters and the First District need a congressman who has the common sense and judgment to reject unnecessary government programs and the common sense and judgment to support vital programs. They also need a congressman who can see that the citizens of the First District receive the governmental support they are entitled to. Andy Harris’ past record indicates that he alienates even fellow Republicans. Ann Kimberly, a Republican widow who was married to Rogers Morton, is one person who was alienated by Harris. As a Congressman, Andy Harris would be a detriment to the citizens of the First District.

The First District voters can count on Frank Kratovil to use his judgment, common sense and experience to vote against unnecessary government programs. Frank will also use these traits to support legislation that is beneficial to the First Congressional District and to see that the First District receives the government funding it deserves. The voters who are concerned about their taxes being increased due to the enactment of wasteful government programs should vote for Frank Kratovil.

Kratovil-Harris Debate at Cecil Community College

by Jim Kehl

On October 7, 2008, congressional candidates Frank Kratovil and Andy Harris debated at Cecil Community College. Generally, Frank Kratovil’s performance indicated that he was aware of the problems confronting citizens in Maryland’s First Congressional District. Frank stated that he will approach these problems with an independent mind that is free of partisanship. Frank realizes that solutions to many problems require a balancing of competing values (for example, environmental values must be balanced with economic needs).

On the other hand, Andy Harris indicated that he is an unreasonable person who is the human manifestation of obnoxiousness and negativity. Andy Harris thinks he is the smartest person in the room and also thinks he is right even when all evidence and other experts on a subject indicate that he is wrong.

For example, Harris could not admit that he was wrong about his proposal for a summer gas tax holiday even though every economic expert said this idea would not lower gas prices. The price for gas is set at whatever price the market will permit. Tax policy has nothing to do with it. Canceling the gas tax would not have reduced the price and would have just resulted in more profit for the oil companies. Andy said he was not wrong because the economists did not help him fill up his gas-guzzling SUV.

Frank Kratovil said he would have voted against the recent Congressional bailout plan because it contained earmarks that were unnecessary. Harris accused Kratovil of saying that the bailout solved all problems. The truth is that Harris interpreted that from an article that appeared in the Star Democrat. I went to that article and did not see that quote from Kratovil. The Cecil County Chamber of Commerce did not question Harris about his solution to the current economic crisis. This is a consistent Harris pattern. He is against ideas by others, but posits no solutions himself. Harris is against the bailout, but has no ideas about generating the credit activity that will allow businesses to function.

Harris said that “leadership in Congress got us in trouble by supporting risky mortgages.” Congress does not provide mortgages; banks and lenders do. It was actually policies supported by Harris and Club for Growth that caused this crisis because they supported deregulation that allowed lenders to avoid financial responsibility. Kratovil reminded voters that Harris supported the deregulation of gas and electric and that this deregulation led to increased utility bills for Maryland’s citizens.

Harris does not want to reduce the deficit because he supports a permanent extension of the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. Harris also favors elimination of the capital gains tax. Qualified dividends and long-term capital gains are taxed at a maximum federal tax rate of 15%. Earned income could be taxed at a rate as high as 35%. In effect, Harris favors taxing earned income at a higher rate than investment income. He thinks coupon clippers who sit around their pools all day should pay lower taxes than working people.

Harris posited the canard that tax revenues increased when Reagan lowered taxes. That is false. Reagan raised taxes several times because his tax reductions did not generate sufficient tax revenues. It is also not true that Congress increased spending in the Reagan era. Had Congress adopted Reagan’s budgets without any changes, spending would have been higher than it actually was.

The Cecil County Chamber of Commerce appeared to be concerned with tax policy. If a voter believes that workers should be subject to higher tax rates than investors, then Harris is the voter’s candidate. If a voter wants a pragmatic person who will take a non ideological approach to problems, then the voter should vote for Frank Kratovil.