Colorado's Katherine Harris Threatens the '08 Election
My home state of Colorado, as anyone following the election campaign knows, is a major presidential battleground state. Both John McCain and Barack Obama have visited the state multiple times, including in recent/coming days. Though a new poll shows Obama taking a commanding 12-point lead, everyone expects both the presidential and U.S. Senate race here to be very close. That's why the Secretary of State Mike Coffman's (R) moves should worry everyone in Colorado and elsewhere. We've got our own Katherine Harris here -- and a careful look at the news suggests he's moving to game this election in a state that could be the Florida of 2008.
I say "careful look" because Coffman's behavior -- while outrageous and potentially election-throwing -- has received coverage mostly in the back pages of local newspapers (and similarly little attention from the national media). But if you bother to dig down, you will see what I'm talking about -- and it's scary.
Here's page 21 of Saturday's Rocky Mountain News:
The story on the left describes Coffman's efforts to invalidate roughly 5,000 registrations (depending on which source you ask). Here's the crux of what's going on:
"5,000 Coloradans whose voter status is in limbo because of [a] controversial check box...The registration form asks for a driver's license or state ID number. If applicants don't have that, they're supposed to check a box and then put down at least the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. But thousands of people didn't check the box. According to a policy adopted last year by Secretary of State Mike Coffman, these applications are supposed to be listed as incomplete...National and local voting-rights organizations criticize Coffman's policy, saying it violates other federal laws. They say Coffman is unfairly putting up barriers for people who are eligible to vote and want him to change his policy."
The check box is "controversial" because you are asked to check it on the form if you don't "have" a driver's license or ID card. Here's what it looks like on the form (which you can download and see yourself here):
So, here's the thing -- what's the definition of "have?" I may have one at my house or in my car, but not with me at the very moment I am filling out the registration form. In that case, it would be logical - and, in fact, honest -- for me to not check that box, while also putting down the last four digits of my social security number as my selected method of verifying my registration. Alternately, for whatever reason (privacy, etc.), I may simply feel more comfortable listing the last 4 digits of my social security number, rather than my entire driver's license number. So therefore, I might have listed my social security number and not checked the box.
And yet, if you made any of those logical choices -- if you gave all the social security information required by law, but simply didn't check the box - Coffman is attempting to use that choice to potentially invalidate your registration and prevent you from voting.
In case you think Coffman's move isn't extreme or motivated by partisanship, consider the fact that two big Republican counties are doing exactly the opposite of Coffman. As the Rocky Mountain News notes, "Election officials in Jefferson and Larimer counties also disagree with Coffman, saying they are weighing in on the side of the voter and won't disqualify people because of what they call a technicality." The Denver Post reports that Coffman reacted by sending a letter to other counties telling them they cannot follow suit, meaning two Republican counties are registering these voters, but others are not.
Thus, it isn't surprising that the Rocky Mountain News notes that "the largest number [of registrations affected by Coffman's edict] are Democrats, followed closely by unaffiliated voters," and "hundreds live in predominately minority neighborhoods in Denver and Aurora" (ie. traditionally Democratic constituencies).
Remember, Coffman is an up-and-coming Republican "star" -- he's simultaneously Secretary of State and running to replace Colorado U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R). So he's not some nonpartisan election observer -- as I said before, he's positioning himself to be Katherine Harris, who also went on to use her notoriety as an election thief to win a seat in Congress.
And Mike Coffman in particular understands that 5,000 Democratic votes is no small number in a place like Colorado. A 12,000 vote switch from Republican to Democrat in 2006 would have cost him his election to the Secretary of State's office.
To be sure, there are going to be a lot of election-day shenanigans all over the country, much of it in the shadows. But what we're seeing here in Colorado is a very public attempt to use Republican-controlled offices to potentially disenfranchise thousands and rig the election. Indeed, the Denver Post now reports that Coffman has asked his fellow Republican crony, state Attorney General John Suthers (R), to validate his moves with an official legal opinion so as to trip up potential pre- and post-election legal challenges to the disenfranchisement. This isn't a conspiracy theory - it's happening all right out in the open for everyone to see.
It all adds up to the kind of coordinated Republican scheme we've seen in the last two elections. And once again, that scheme could throw a national election.
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Go to Greg Palast's site, Steal Back Your Vote (google it). Download the pamphlet and share it with your friends. Vote in groups. Don't let them close the polling station until you've voted. Insist on a proper ballot, not a provisional one. It's your right. Obama plans to have thousands of lawyers at polling places to deter intimidation.
What can we do? What can Coloradoans do to stop him?
I fondly hope that upon inaugaration, Obama, if elected, and the new congress take up the voting situation in thei country. It is absolutely third-world!
Re: The registration form, I posted this earlier but it bears repeating:
Upon reading the form, I conclude that the operative word is "OR". The form palinly states " provide A, or check B, OR provide D or check E. The word OR is placed in such a position that one would assume that by satisfying the top area or the bottom area, they had fulfilled the request.
Here's the bottom line:
1. It is patriotic and American to vote. It is a right as a citizen.
2. It is anti-patriotic and anti-American to try and suppress votes, to switch votes and to disenfranchise votes by caging. Period. It is also a felony crime in many instances.
3. Those who engage in practices to try and throw elections are morally and ethically challenged.
There you have it.
Innocent Until Proven Guilty.
Republican lead efforts to disenfranchise thousands of legitimate voters across the United States are basing their argument on the need to protect this election from voter fraud. By removing voters from the voter rolls, legitimate voters are being punished without having committed a crime. Surely if indeed any voter fraud is being attempted, the time to punish such criminals is after the crime has taken place. Then, and only then, can actual criminals be determined and punished. To remove voters from the voter rolls prior to an election goes against the basic American legal principle of Innocence until Proven Guilt.
Where is the ACLU? Where is the Obama legal team? Help, help, were drowning out here.
My sister who lives in Denver was telling me about this joker the other day. So at least some people are wiseing up to the Trickery. Some people know about this but it may not be enough. Does anyone think Lou Dobbs will do a story on this? Colorado is close to Mexico !
Come on!!! Do you think that Lou Dobbs would really try to help? I don't think so. I would not hold my breath waiting on it. I would contact CNN and the Obama campaign.
"Coffman has asked his fellow Republican crony, state Attorney General John Suthers (R), to validate his moves with an official legal opinion...
That sounds exactly like the Bush/Gonzales bullsh*t.
Voters should NEVER mail their ballots! That's placing an awful lot of trust in the Postal Service for one thing, and risk their ballots being tossed into the Circular File by the Harris/Coffmans who do not believe in honest elections for another.
Anyone is free to call their county registrar's office and demand that they check to see if their ballot arrived after it was mailed. Don't ever forget, these people are employed by you, the taxpayer.
I would like to remind Coffman how Katherine Harris ended up I wonder if Coffman ready to fall on the knife for the Republian Party ? I hope that all states will see the need to do away with a lone partison Secretary of State running elections going to a biparty commission instead I realize that the republicans hate free and fair elections. the republican party needs to realize that if they can't win without cheating then there is no future for their party, they are totaly out of step with real American values!
But, aren't the republicans the real chrisitans? The thinks that they do just insult your intelligence.
Because it is done everywhere. McCain needs to flip a lot of states to win. Not just Colorado. I'd say Florida, Indiana, Ohio as well. It would be too obvious. They might try. It's worth a shot. But McCain doesn't have the old guard (Bush Sr) to pull strings. His campaign tried to incite race riots by that one campaign worker who was cut by a black man (but it was a campaign hoax). Notice how the networks are not promoting that story-it is a powderkeg.
You see, politicians are, well, insecure people, and need the ability to "influence" an election. They don't like being completely helpless, at the mercy of Joe the Mechanic-so they are forever scaring, manipulating, lying, cheating, stealing their way into office and doing their best to dupe the American people. It is how democracy works.
why aren't these people thrown in jail? This is theft, from 5,000 people. It is our lives and our country, not some damn political game for irresponsible public officials.
Disgusting. I've e-mailed a link to Keith O, maybe we'll see it on Countdown.
You can go up to the top of this page and click "share" and use e-mail form to send the link...
Obama/Biden '08! Volunteer a few hours or more over the next week! Every bit helps! :-)
I had problems with the "share," but I saved the addresses and sent it via my email.
Obama needs to get an Army of Lawyers into CO tonight!
Kelly, I guarantee you he is already on top of it........
This is all the more fuel to the argument that we should move to abolish local control of elections, where local partisan politics can influence a national outcome, and create a single uniform, standard National Electoral Commission to ensure every US citizen is able to cast their ballot in the same fair and just way, and to prevent unfair State rules or regulations affecting the outcome for ALL Americans.
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Well do you think Lou Dobbs would want to talk about this on his show...??
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