Election Day: Dirty Tricks Watch

(crossposted at The Blue Herald)


I know many folks read Josh Marshall's excellent assorted blogs, but he's been in the lead documenting some scary crap. Many other liberal and non-partisan outlets have been doing a great job as well covering the last rounds of GOP dirty tricks. Here's Marshall's main page. "Blue" is also doing a splendid job at The Blue Herald.

Here's what I figure. The GOP is scared shitless. They're pulling out all the stops. And it's absolutely imperative that all this crap gets investigated, and the villains serve jail time. Those that can't be prosecuted need to be exposed and shamed. I want everyone annoyed by an RNC robocall posing as a Dem call in the middle of the night, or repeated deceptive RNC robocalls to the same house, to know who the real culprits are. I'd like to see all nefarious moves widely talked about and the culprits imprisoned. No weekend political talk show should fail to cover this. No major newspaper or television network should not make this a headline. Al Franken just had Simon Rosenberg (founder/president of the New Democrat Network) on, and Rosenberg was pointing out that Dems really need to hammer home how the GOP disenfranchises voters, and that the Dems are the party that wants all votes counted. Make the Republican "franchise" take a well-deserved hit. The Republicans need to pay a price for this, and the only way is exposure, discussion, and criminal penalties.

The encouraging news is that people are documenting this BS on blogs, on YouTube videos, and even the MSM is covering some of this. Some of the better outlets are covering this quite well. The Washington Post has an article on the RNC robocalls and how they violate FCC guidelines. Their political chats have been flooded with readers asking about them about the deceptive robocalls and urging investigation. People are justifiably pissed off and are taking action.

However, it's up to television networks especially, specifically the craven false equivalency crowd in the media, to grow a conscience, some courage and integrity and cover this relentlessly, because these GOP moves are in many cases illegal and are in all cases unethical. This is Republican villainy (and if there's any Dem villainy, condemn that, too!). This is not time for the sort of ludicrous mindset that dictates that if George Bush knifes a man to death the media must report for balance that John Kerry must have meant to trip over that kitten.

I am sick of disingenuous arguments from knaves who cannot win a debate on substance. I am sick of the dumbest, meanest, most short-sighted and selfish people being in power. I am sick of people who cannot govern preventing those who actually want to help our country from making it better. Voting is the American secular equivalent of a sacred right. No citizen entitled to vote should ever be denied or deliberately impeded. I am sick of this mendacity and these election day tricks.

How dare Bush preach freedom while simultaneously attacking civil rights and the Constitution. How dare he adopt a tone of moral purity when across the country his party is trying to suppress the vote. Being a true patriot means honoring why America was founded to begin with, not the consolidation of power. Americans have died to secure the right to vote, and to give that right to other Americans. How dare Bush and his party disrespect their sacrifice. America is an ideal and a promise to keep striving. Freedom is more than a buzz word.

And no civility is due those who would rob us of our civil rights.

Regardless of the outcome of any given single election, evil cannot prevail indefinitely. The party of FDR, JFK, MLK and Wellstone cannot be stopped by these motherfuckers.

Get out that vote!