« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
RNC Voter "Audit" Letter Raises Questions
What 83 year-old William Sidwell of Queen City, Missouri found in his mailbox last week scared him. It was a letter from the Republican National Committee, but it seemed to bear grave news: "Our records show that you registered as a member of our Party in Schuyler County, MO," the letter said. "But a recent audit of your Party affiliation turned up some irregularities."
Audit? Irregularities? Was he in trouble? Were they threatening him? Sidwell went immediately to his ask his son, Dennis, a licensed public accountant, for advice. You can see the letter, and the accompanying "Voter Registration Verification and Audit Form," right here. Particularly puzzling to the both of them, Dennis told me, is that his father is a life-long Democrat.
The letter, it turns out, is just a misleading pitch for a contribution to the RNC -- one of the "irregularities" cited in the letter is that "I cannot find a record of you taking a single action in support of the Republican Party -- not locally, not nationally!" A contribution, the letter suggests, would help set the record straight.
The letter is signed by Bill Steiner, the director of the RNC's Office of Strategic Information, a title Steiner assumed at the end of July. His responsibilities "include managing the RNC’s national voter file and Voter Vault, the committee’s highly touted micro-targeting operation," Roll Call reported last month. And indeed, the voter "audit" requests detailed information about the voter's voting history and current opinions on the 2008 presidential race.
It's unclear how many similar letters (tens of thousands? millions?) have been sent by the RNC. The RNC did not respond to our requests for comment.
The letter "appears to be in a gray area," David Becker, Director of People for the American Way's Democracy Campaign and a former voting rights attorney at the Justice Department, told me. "It could potentially run afoul of the law if it led an eligible voter to believe they're no longer eligible to vote." The letter, Becker said, "appears designed to give that mistaken impression."
Rick Hasen, a professor specializing in election law at Loyola Law School, agreed that the letter was potentially misleading but didn't think it raised serious legal issues: "It is true that some elderly people or others with limited experience might perceive the letter as some kind of official audit, complete with its statements about 'irregularities,'" he told me. "But I believe most people would view this for what it is: a ham-handed fundraising letter, of the type sent out by both political parties to rev up the base and get contributions."
Karen Finney, spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, disagreed. "We have sent requests for people to renew their support for the party," Finney said, but they're "straightforward," and don't include "these kind of scare tactics." She said that the letter showed that the RNC is "stooping to a level of desperation to try and hold on to support and raise money."
Comments (131)
Anonymous wrote on August 10, 2007 12:36 PM:Given past history, I don't think suspecting more insidious motives makes me eligible for the tin-foil hat. They could be trying to identify potential Democratic voters for 2008 in order to challenge those registrations.
Doug wrote on August 10, 2007 12:38 PM:No surprises here. If it's related to the Republican Party, it just defines "business as usual."
ScrewBush wrote on August 10, 2007 12:42 PM:You ignored this quote from the mailing:
"We risk Hillary Clinton as President with Bill Clinton as the power behind the throne"
Wow, they truly view our electing a President as tantamount to appointing a King. If you read this entire mailing, you get the feeling that The Party is watching you. They are basically informing you that you have this last opportunity to be a loyal Bushie. The tone implies that if you don't contribute something bad will happen to you.
The GOP: party of fear and self-loathing gays.
bobalaska wrote on August 10, 2007 12:50 PM:If this mailing had been from the Democratic Party, Karl Rove would order Alberto Gonzalez to hold a press conference touting it as an example of voter fraud. Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling would be brought back to the Justice Department to work with US Attorneys to prosecute the "lawbreakers," and after looking at the political landscape would fire those who didn't do what karl wanted.
bobalaska wrote on August 10, 2007 12:50 PM:If this mailing had been from the Democratic Party, Karl Rove would order Alberto Gonzalez to hold a press conference touting it as an example of voter fraud. Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling would be brought back to the Justice Department to work with US Attorneys to prosecute the "lawbreakers," and after looking at the political landscape would fire those who didn't do what Karl wanted.
Carl from L.A. wrote on August 10, 2007 12:55 PM:"Wow, they truly view our electing a President as tantamount to appointing a King."
After the last six years, why shouldn't they?
Ygor wrote on August 10, 2007 12:58 PM:A $41 contribution is kind of strange, isn't it? Have they been consulting a numerologist? Why go for a prime?
noyatin wrote on August 10, 2007 1:01 PM:The use of the word "dues" in the letter is troubling. The term "dues" might imply that the person could no longer register as a Republican, throwing the vaslidity of his or her registration into question.
TheraP wrote on August 10, 2007 1:03 PM:The only positive news here - RNC likes "audits."
To Anon/Deep Throat: They're coming around to the audit idea. You just need to work a bit harder to get them to audit themselves - and all their officials.
**************
Fourth Branch - Time to Stand UP!
We the People seek redress.
Anon has pointed out what we can do.
Seek audits.
Get State Attorneys General involved.
Impanel Grand Juries.
To Enforce the Constitution.
****************
Dan Collins wrote on August 10, 2007 1:04 PM:Project for Constitutional Compliance (click)
Anybody contact Steiner for a statement?
Anonymous wrote on August 10, 2007 1:05 PM:Smacks of extortion to me. Maybe they should just have said -- "Contribute to the GOP or get sent straight to Gitmo."
X wrote on August 10, 2007 1:05 PM:Smacks of extortion to me. Maybe they should just have said -- "Contribute to the GOP or get sent straight to Gitmo."
Dave wrote on August 10, 2007 1:06 PM:A question for the lawyers: the legal experts seem to be focussing on the election law, but what about simply "obtaining money by deception", otherwise known as fraud?
I mean, the letter opens with outright and specific lies about the targetted individual and then closes by demanding money. Simple fraud, anyone? Lawyers care to comment?
TheraP wrote on August 10, 2007 1:10 PM:Igor:
"41" = bush senior?
a "sign" of things to come?
jeffgee wrote on August 10, 2007 1:12 PM:The GOP can't win without cheating. They counted on the one percent solution - 1% + 50% = mandate, the photofinish, for the permanent GOP majority. That 1% is gotten by any and all means necessary. DOJ investigations, voter intimidation, fear are all they know.
David McGiffert wrote on August 10, 2007 1:13 PM:They're at it in California, trying to change the way electoral votes are counted. Likely to lose in court unless it goes to a loyal Bushie judge.
(another) beyond the pale
BlueInTexas wrote on August 10, 2007 1:13 PM:fear mongering tactic.
These people have completely lost their humanity,
their direction as beings, their right to exercise
any direction whatsoever over anyone else.
Absolutely shameful and dishonest to the core.
Have you received one of these letters from the RNC?
File a mail fraud complaint at
theWalrus wrote on August 10, 2007 1:16 PM:http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
The reference to Bill Clinton as the "power behind the throne" lends some creedence to the rumor that the rightwing is preparing a massive attack/smear campaign against the former President with alledgedly "new" revelations against him.
Candyce wrote on August 10, 2007 1:16 PM:This kind of thing should be illegal, period. I'm all for free speech, but this is purposely misleading and fraudulent. We're dealing with people who are experts in the use of buzzwords. Audit, irregularities. 'Pay us and we'll fix your audited irregularities, or else.' This is nothing more than a shakedown.
jri wrote on August 10, 2007 1:22 PM:It might scare some loyal Republican foot soldiers away form the polls. That would be a real shame.
linda wrote on August 10, 2007 1:24 PM:**They could be trying to identify potential Democratic voters for 2008 in order to challenge those registrations.**
i go with this @ 12:36
cevrero wrote on August 10, 2007 1:24 PM:Big Brother is watching you!
John wrote on August 10, 2007 1:30 PM:I think it is significant on the questionnaire where the RNC ask the recipient to select the three issues that are the most important to him or her that health care is not even listed as a choice. As I have suspected health care in the opinion of the RNC is not an important issue that needs to be addressed.
davefromnyc wrote on August 10, 2007 1:31 PM:The statement "our records show that you registered as a member of our Party" is a lie and provides, in and of itself, a basis for a conviction of election and campaign finance fraud.
John wrote on August 10, 2007 1:33 PM:I think it is significant on the questionnaire where the RNC ask the recipient to select the three issues that are the most important to him or her that health care is not even listed as a choice. As I have suspected health care in the opinion of the RNC is not an important issue that needs to be addressed.
Alberto Gonzalez wrote on August 10, 2007 1:36 PM:The investigation into the data mining responsible for supplying voting history, activism and contributions on democrat US citizens to the RNC via Mr. Steiner has been completed and I have certified that the information was gathered in good faith. The intelligence agency had reason to believe that the information on MO voters consisted of international communications located outside of the US.
The information was shared with the RNC in an effort to varify the data collected. Any other details regarding the collection, investigation or certification of this information is classified and will not be disclosed.
AG AG
MoDem wrote on August 10, 2007 1:37 PM:Missouri has an open primary. You can choose to vote in the primary of any party on the day of the vote. You don't declare your affiliation when you register to vote, so, in Missouri, there is no such thing as a "registered" Republican or Democrat.
It is perfectly possible for the Republicans to have how people voted in primaries, but I suspect that is not the case here. It allows the writer to cite the sainted Ronald Reagan.
It would be interesting to know if anyone who was not eligible to vote in the 1980s got such a letter.
J Parker wrote on August 10, 2007 1:49 PM:The RNC is nothing more than a criminal syndicate taking whatever means necessary to ruin our democracy so they can maintain absolute power. They've basically violated federal laws by refusing to turn over pertinenet documents requested by the Senate Judiciary Committee, attempt to scare others by threatening legal action (bring it on), and just plain out and out lie. I say on September 15th when all 1 million of us we are in D.C., we drop by RNC headquarters, and do the same thing they did to WTC# 7, and just "pull it."
oleeb wrote on August 10, 2007 1:49 PM:This is a fascinating piece of fraud.
I don't know whether it is actually illegal, but it is unquestionably intended to decieve. Here are a couple of observations about this RNC fundraising letter:
1. There is no party registration in the state of Missouri and never has been.
Thus, any voter who thinks for even a second about the claims being made about them being a registered Republican would realize immediately that something was fishy about the letter.
Nobody in Missouri is anything other than a registered voter. Party membership doesn't exist in Missouri. They don't even keep separate lists of who voted for what party in the primaries. They only record that a person voted, not in which party primary.
2. The main intention here is to raise money, but you have to hand it to the audacious hustlers at the RNC, when they sink low to accomplish their ends they really go all out.
Not only are they casting a wide net (probably to all voters in a given county--Schuyler County is heavily Republican)and they are asking voters to self-identify as Republicans, but they are also asking them to reveal those issues that are most important to them so they can create a profile of the voter for targeted messages in the future. If the target fills out the form, the GOP starts a file with their name, address, contributor status, and a list of issues important to them.
The fact that the state does not help either party or the plethora of political consultants do Party ID is something that has vexed political folk in MO forever. It takes lots of time and effort to identify specific voters as D's, R's or I's, particularly statewide. The Republicans are killing several birds with one stone here.
In addition to looking for money, they are likely trying to beef up their ability to communicate with specific voters areas that have a history of being heavily republican in the state because all the major elections have been so close since 2000 in order to increase turnout in November elections.
Schuyler Co. is a rural area and the Republicans rely on heavily lopsided Republican turnout in rural counties in order to remain competitive in the state. Seems to me they are trying to increase the numbers coming out of these areas if at all possible. Had they been able to produce a relatively small number of votes statewide in Nov. 06, Jim Talent would still be Senator (God forbid).
It is clear that the enemy is especially concerned with being able to motivate gun nuts and the ever more extremist "right to lifers" in the state who not only oppose abortion, but also anything remotely resembling stem cell research.
They are willing to go to these extremes because of Missouri's bellwether status as a battleground state. The margins for President, Governor and Senator here in 2000, 2004, & 2006 were razor thin. If they cannot hold Missouri, chances are that their entire national electoral foundation outside the old Confederacy crumbles too. Had Democrats not conceded rural Missouri in advance in most cases, the Republicans would likely have been clobbered.
This tells me that the scumbags are scared to death. What a shame eh? :)
LiberalLibertarian wrote on August 10, 2007 1:50 PM:I'm sorry, but how in the heck do they know how someone voted? Isn't that supposed to be a secret? I understand contributions etc, but actual votes?
There should be a naughty Republicans site created (by someone who knows way more about computers than I do) to track all these nefarious schemes as they come down the pike.
Redshift wrote on August 10, 2007 1:54 PM:Republicans have a long history of trying to scam vulnerable seniors for contributions.
MANIMAL! wrote on August 10, 2007 1:54 PM:This also has "caging operation" written all over it.
RBB wrote on August 10, 2007 1:54 PM:My grandmother, towards the end of her life, was suffering from mild dementia, and this is exactly the type of letter that encouraged her to donate thousands of dollars to weird causes (including the Republicans) in the last year of her life. Although I agree with the experts quoted that this is probably not illegal, it is designed primarily for elderly voters - to scare them into either donating or thinking there is something wrong with their registration. Shameless, blunt, taking advantage of people who deserve to be protected - sort of like the overall philosophy of the Republican Party as a whole, no?
drational wrote on August 10, 2007 1:56 PM:What was the return address?
Bob's not Right wrote on August 10, 2007 1:56 PM:If it was the state Party rather than the RNC, then this could also be a caging letter designed to record returns for future challenge.
So let’s assume that he is a Democrat and that he did not do anything to prompt this letter.
“Our records show” – prove it, Freedom of Information requests, small claims lawsuits and basic discovery aimed at every one of the local RNC areas. Start choking them in paper.
“No record of your support for President George W Bush”, again FOI requests and discovery. Are there “records” of support, is my name on them let me see all of them.
“Dues Payment” larger legal implications if fraudulent.
“Local Queen City canvassers” names, addresses, notes, charts haul each and everyone into deposition with possible defamation/libel claim for reporting that you “indicated that you view yourself as Republican”
I would love to see a clearing house of these letters sent to registered Democrats to see the patterns. If they are as pervasive as it appears then this is a avenue to open the floodgates of discovery into the RNC on each local level.
Any comments on if this would work.
Mcboo wrote on August 10, 2007 1:59 PM:Well we know that these politicians love their pork. It appears now that they have added spam to the menu. This kind of fraudulent pitch sure reminds me of some guy with loads of cash in Africa that he needs my help in spending or maybe the legions of attractive girls that seem to be noticing me somewhere (unbeknownst to me) and now want to hang out with me.
If this kind of gimmick is not illegal then it should be. And the audacity that the party that's been crying "voter fraud" for years and using it to politicize the Justice Department would do this also gets my blood boiling.
judyinnm wrote on August 10, 2007 2:00 PM:I kinda like the idea that one has to PAY to join the republican party. Democrats let you in for free...
Carl Nyberg wrote on August 10, 2007 2:03 PM:It seems the appropriate test is not whether the 50th percentile of recipients would be misunderstand, but whether a significant of minority 1-5% of recipients could misunderstand the letter give a reasonable reading of the letter.
Fundraising letters are really only targeted at a slim percentage of the recipients anyway, right? Nobody gets even 5% of the recipients to give.
But another reasonable test to apply to the language is to ask what purpose is the language supposed to serve, if not to deceive the recipients. If there's no purpose for the wording except to deceive the recipients, it hardly seems a defense that most people were not deceived.
nyclib wrote on August 10, 2007 2:03 PM:I'd like to know the target demographics of who they sent this to. The elderly of both parties? By red or blue areas? Low income and presumed on their part to be less educated?
To me this crosses the line and enters the realm of fraud.
JEP wrote on August 10, 2007 2:05 PM:Beware the cornered beast..
Especially the Missouri Republican Party that spawned (good word usage there) Ashcroft, the Blunts and the Talents.
APPARENTLY, when they get cornered, they eat their own...
Carl Nyberg wrote on August 10, 2007 2:05 PM:It seems like it would be reasonable for law enforcement to ask the RNC to provide a list of people who responded to this mailing.
Then the people who responded could be interviewed.
Let's see if they responded because they interpreted the letter in the illegal way.
Anonymous wrote on August 10, 2007 2:06 PM:wow.
1) "We have no record of your support for President George W. Bush."
2) GOP considers the presidency = "the throne"...not surprising...
PJ wrote on August 10, 2007 2:06 PM:After reading this I called my senator's office in outrage. Arlen Spector is going to get on the case. So we should be okay.
nyclib wrote on August 10, 2007 2:09 PM:Carl Nyberg, I agree. Most people under a certain age, it would seem to me, wouldn't be fooled by Publisher's Clearing House either, but the fact is that their mailings have been successfully designed to trick a certain percentage of folks into buying subscriptions. I would hope that we would have higher legal and ethical standards applied to mailings regarding voting.
dras wrote on August 10, 2007 2:10 PM:This reminded me of something quite similar that happened to me. I've never voted Republican in my life and that's over fifty years.
Someone in St Louis wrote on August 10, 2007 2:13 PM:I received the same kind of letter except it was addressed to R.Patron. It caused a big laugh at how hard up the RPC was to raise money and I guessed that they picked up my address from a mailing list that said, Patron, like someone who resided at the address.
File a mail fraud complaint? What a good idea!
I just laughed when I got my shakedown letter, then I threw it in the trash. Really, my only thought was that the tone of the letter, not to mention its obvious falsity, could only alienate any independents or R-leaning voters, and embarass and further discourage the dwindling numbers of 'longstanding, principled Republicans' in my upper-middleclass subdivision. I didn't think of the possibility that the letter might actually intimidate and frighten vulnerable old folks...
I do wonder about the RNC's 'highly touted micro-targeting operation' if Mr Sidwell and I managed to be identified as registered members of The Party.
File a mail fraud complaint at
JEP wrote on August 10, 2007 2:14 PM:http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
Snark question that might not be so funny?
Are they going to go after Sidwell for leaking their letter?
What will "they" do in response, to "discourage" future such "leakers."
And, just a shout out to Josh and paul and Spencer and Laura and the whole TPMM gang, who needs the MSM when you've got patriotic muckrakers from Alaska to Missouri to The Florida keys!
History, of a journalistic kind, once again, in the making. Josh, someday you and your crew will be recognized universally in the world of investigative journalism, as a big part of the New 4th Estate that the blogs have become, this is just one example.
But surely a graphic one. Surely, it is hard for historians to recognize history when they are actually making it, right along with reporting it.
JEP wrote on August 10, 2007 2:21 PM:No one else see the fear of hillary rising here?
Even if they don't know for sure she's the candidate, they are using the possibilityof it for suppport...
SUre sems to support the theory thet the Republicans view her as the best chance to beat the Dems, not because they can beat her on popularity, but they can beat her on unpopularity.
Do they really believe that using her name will motivate their old Egvangelical base to vote against her, after they (the evangelicals) abandoned them in the wake of the Foley scandal?
I just hope they are wrong.
Ducky wrote on August 10, 2007 2:23 PM:They are pigs. They have no shame and are willing to intimidate anyone to keep their imperial crown atop their heads.
I am not a lawyer and when I read the letter I was sure this guy wouldn't have been able to vote.
Mail Fraud... Voter Intimidation... Outright blatant trickery. This can't be legal...
linda wrote on August 10, 2007 2:25 PM:gop fraud -- you're right; how could i have forgotten this repuke scheme:
Fund-raising group milks vulnerable senior citizens
By David Postman and Jim Brunner
Seattle Times staff reporters
The College Republican National Committee has raised $6.3 million this year through an aggressive and misleading fund-raising campaign that collected money from senior citizens who thought they were giving to the election efforts of President Bush and other top Republicans.
Many of the top donors were in their 80s and 90s. The donors wrote checks — sometimes hundreds and, in at least one case, totaling more than $100,000 — to groups with official sounding-names such as "Republican Headquarters 2004," "Republican Elections Committee" and the "National Republican Campaign Fund."
But all of those groups, according to the small print on the letters, were simply projects of the College Republicans, who collected all of the checks.
And little of the money went to election efforts.
Of the money spent by the group this year, nearly 90 percent went to direct-mail vendors and postage expenses, according to records filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
Some of the elderly donors, meanwhile, wound up bouncing checks and emptying their bank accounts.
"I don't have any more money," said Cecilia Barbier, a 90-year-old retired church council worker in New York City. "I'm stopping giving to everybody. That was all my savings that they got."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002075044&zsection_id=2001780260&slug=repubs28m&date=20041028
JEP wrote on August 10, 2007 2:26 PM:Just one last observation, remember that Claire McCaskill beat Jim Talent with 8 million versus 22 million, (with a little help from Rush) and that shattered the old Missouri addage that whoever wins the money game wins the race.
So the Missouri Republican Party has probably been pigeonholed worse than just about any other, and their desperation is showing.
Why do I smell Mehlman here, somehow?
Maybe even Rove, but somehow there's a hint of skunk in the Missouri air, and it's coming from somewhere in DC.
ejf wrote on August 10, 2007 2:30 PM:Could a lawyer tell us if the underlined claims are not true, is this mail fraud?
Dan wrote on August 10, 2007 2:31 PM:Hm. maybe I'm jaded after the 2004 election cycle but I'm not shocked by this mailing.
It looks like a lot of other political fundraising mail I've received over the years. For that matter, it looks a bit like those scary "official notice of termination" letters you sometimes get from magazine publishers.
Do you really think this goes so far as to be considered mail fraud or a 'caging' tactic?
I'm expecting far worse from the RNC as we get closer to 2008.
Bearpaw wrote on August 10, 2007 2:40 PM:I wonder how much the Official I-Love-America-and-You-Don't Republican Pride shirts will cost.
I can already guess what color they'll be -- brown.
Kija wrote on August 10, 2007 2:41 PM:No party that does something like this can seriously be considered a legitimate party. You can call it a racket, a gang, a mob, but it's not a legitimate party.
Robin wrote on August 10, 2007 2:46 PM:If this has come unsolicited to my email box I would have reported the sender for phishing!
Gandhi wrote on August 10, 2007 2:49 PM:Yeah, they really stand for values, these fake cons.
PaminBB wrote on August 10, 2007 2:55 PM:They are using the Clinton name to raise money. I got a phone call earlier this week asking for money to support the RNC, because they need to stop Hilary. I listened for a bit, then asked why they were calling me, a life long registered Dem. Maybe they are actuallty targeting Dems and Independents?
Kate wrote on August 10, 2007 2:57 PM:I agree with Dan. It's a stupid letter that just invites ridicule, but I don't find it intimidating or scary. Perhaps I am just used to repub tactics that truly are illegal and immoral, so this seems stupid but tame.
Bill W wrote on August 10, 2007 2:57 PM:I'm a life-long registered democrat and I've had similar letters sent to me at least twice in the past few years.
casam wrote on August 10, 2007 3:04 PM:This all sounds so much like a Rove tactic. As
most of you likely know he used to run a "direct mailer" company.
Here's an old article about some of his slimy acts.
[snip]
"Rove anonymously attacked his own candidate through fliers and blamed his opponent for those attacks. He ordered campaign staff to anonymously distribute fliers to people's homes with messages that personally attacked See and his family.
"I was told, 'Do not hand it to anybody, do not tell anybody who you're with, and if you can, borrow a car that doesn't have your tags,'" one staffer said. See "won" that election through such blatant cheating. 35
http://www.geocities.com/jacksonthor/cheat3.html
casam wrote on August 10, 2007 3:05 PM:This all sounds so much like a Rove tactic. As
most of you likely know he used to run a "direct mailer" company.
Here's an old article about some of his slimy acts.
[snip]
"Rove anonymously attacked his own candidate through fliers and blamed his opponent for those attacks. He ordered campaign staff to anonymously distribute fliers to people's homes with messages that personally attacked See and his family.
"I was told, 'Do not hand it to anybody, do not tell anybody who you're with, and if you can, borrow a car that doesn't have your tags,'" one staffer said. See "won" that election through such blatant cheating. 35
http://www.geocities.com/jacksonthor/cheat3.html
Greg wrote on August 10, 2007 3:06 PM:It may be a stupid letter that invites ridicule, but I vote for mail fraud. At least, that's what we should all say… maybe we can make a federal case out of it. I agree with davefromnyc.
"The statement "our records show that you registered as a member of our Party" is a lie and provides, in and of itself, a basis for a conviction of election and campaign finance fraud."
Fred M. wrote on August 10, 2007 3:07 PM:Posted by: davefromnyc
This is outrageous and obscene! It reads like a slimy sales pitch from a disreputable marketing company. I am a resident of Missouri and have sent a link to Attorney General Jay Nixon in hopes he will follow up. It is a distortion of the facts on so many levels! Their letter states:
1) "Our records show that you registered as a member of our party in Schuyler County, MO."
Yet the target's son states that his father is a lifelong Democrat. In addition, it you check their own statistical facts, all fields are blank or list "NO DATA," meaning their initial claim is demonstrably false.
2) "In fact, we have no record of your support for a Republican Presidential Candidate going back to President Ronald W. Reagan."
Again, their own statistics show they don't have any records AT ALL ... as far back to 1964.
It is obvious excuse to invoke the name of Reagan because republicans seem to believe everybody worships at this shrine.
3) "And despite several requests, you have never made a dues payment to the Republican National Committee (not even a partial payment).
This reads like something out of a collection letter! It is an obvious ploy to get gullible individuals to believe they are somehow past due on a payment.
4) "Our local Queen City Republican canvassers indicate that you view yourself as a Republican! (Some of our 72-Hour Task Force folks have even used the word "strongly" to describe the intensity of your support for our party).
I suspect this is pure boilerplate with no basis in fact. The RNC should be required to provide documentation for these claims since they seem to conflict with the data shown on their own statistical data sheet.
5) "They also report that you oppose increased taxes at all levels of government, and strongly dislike government bureacracy at and all forms of government waste and deficit spending --- all right in line with your being a Republican.
I guess George W. Bush is not in line with being a republican if strongly disliking deficit spending is a key identifier! Keep in mind that he is the guy who took us from a surplus to the largest deficits in our history in just a couple of years!
I agree that a dislike of government bureacracy is a key element of republican dogma ... and this is especially true of the current administration. However, I don't think many Americans would agree that this disdain for government has yielded positive or productive results.
There seems to be no limit to just how far republicans will sink!
Janet Carman wrote on August 10, 2007 3:10 PM:I live in Warren County Missouri and the father of a friend of mine recieved a similar letter. It stated that they noticed he had not voted for a republican president since Reagan, which is true. The letter upset him for he felt it was an invasion of his privacy and he always thought that how he voted was a secret. If he hadn't already stopped voting republican I think the letter would have done the trick!
Janet Carman wrote on August 10, 2007 3:10 PM:I live in Warren County Missouri and the father of a friend of mine recieved a similar letter. It stated that they noticed he had not voted for a republican president since Reagan, which is true. The letter upset him for he felt it was an invasion of his privacy and he always thought that how he voted was a secret. If he hadn't already stopped voting republican I think the letter would have done the trick!
Jo-Ann wrote on August 10, 2007 3:12 PM:I don't think average Republicans appreciate voter intimidation any more than Dems do. Good that it's happening early. Now more of the letters will get torn up and maybe some party switches will occur.
P J Evans wrote on August 10, 2007 3:19 PM:I've gotten letters from the 'moderate' wing of the CA Republics, wanting my help in 'taking back' the party. (They even sent me a flyer for a weekend conference. It was more amusing than anything else ... a panel on trying to reclaim the legacy of Teddy Roosevelt as a conservationist?)
I've been registered as a Democrat since I started voting, so I don't know why they think I should do anything for them. I think I've voted for maybe one Republican in my life, and that's Pete McCloskey.
Peter VE wrote on August 10, 2007 3:27 PM:Every time I get a similar fundraising letter, I wonder how much the cost to send the letter, record the donation, etc is? Maybe if enough people sent contributions of $0.50, could we actually cost them significant amounts.
TomaHawk wrote on August 10, 2007 3:28 PM:If you get one of these things, you can have some fun. The reply envelope is "postage paid by addressee." Blank out any personal id info on the envelope. Stuff the envelope with card-board or other heavy paper stock to make it as heavy as you can. Mail it. Let them pay postage on the otherwise empty envelope that ideally will weigh more than the single ounce they budgeted for.
ButItWouldBeFunny wrote on August 10, 2007 3:34 PM:> Let them pay postage on the otherwise empty
> envelope that ideally will weigh more than the
> single ounce they budgeted for.
Not that I am endorsing the idea, but I have heard stories of people taping the reply envelope to a brick and mailing it back ... ;>
Karma wrote on August 10, 2007 3:42 PM:I like it! Not only would the cost for mailing a brick back actually offset some of money the RNC collected from some other poor fool, but it would actually result in the RNC subsidizing part of the federal bureaucracy they hate so much!
tockeyhockey wrote on August 10, 2007 3:47 PM:so the republicans have to basically lie to people to get them to give?
that's what i call desperate.
swampcracker wrote on August 10, 2007 3:54 PM:How come the major media networks have not picked up on this story? It needs national exposure. Com' on bloggers. Don't be bloghogs. Give is some press!
swampcracker wrote on August 10, 2007 3:57 PM:How come the major media networks have not picked up on this story? It needs national exposure. Com' on bloggers. Don't be bloghogs. Give it some press!
Bob's not Right wrote on August 10, 2007 4:18 PM:This is a potential opportunity to get a RNC insider under oath in a deposition.
A quick google search reveals some interesting previous job titles within the RNC for Mr. Bill Steiner.
According to the GOP.com website he was previously the Deputy Director of Strategy since 2005 in charge of overseeing the RNC’s data operations including the “National Voter Files” and the “Voter Vault”. He served as the Deputy IT Director from 2000 to 2004.
This fund raising piece while ultimately may not be “illegal” it would certainly seem to allow a civil suit and not get the discovery phase squashed.
Gee..anybody remember what was going on with voter information in 2004/2005.
Eric Ferguson wrote on August 10, 2007 4:26 PM:I've been contacted for fundraising by both parties. From my personal experience, I can confirm that Democratic fundraising is straightforward, and I always have to figure out that fundraising is what the GOP is doing. That's a reason I donate to Democrats.
And if Republicans are indeed trying to intimidate voters ... again, that's the main reason I'm a Democrat. They don't always do what I want or get the threat to fair elections from the Republicans, but they do consistently protect voting rights instead of stopping anyone from voting.
biltud wrote on August 10, 2007 4:27 PM:Can't anyone look up who pre-paid for the postage via the permit number?
Also, didja notice how they bolded RUSH envelope?
Scott L wrote on August 10, 2007 4:29 PM:This from the people that hold all those White House e-mails. Nice to know they are in safe hands.
Joshua the Teacher wrote on August 10, 2007 4:35 PM:What?! Republicans sending letters to confuse and/or intimidate voters?
This is to be expected, and TPM could open up a whole new section dedicated soley to voter intimidation/fraud. I can even contribute a past story:
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/state/article_1324403.php
Make no mistake, they are shameless...
Mr.Murder wrote on August 10, 2007 4:35 PM:Every letter that gets no reply, or any additional mailings, can be withheld delivery and stamped returned, thus aiding a voter roll purge.
Hieronymus Braintree wrote on August 10, 2007 4:41 PM:"Yeah, they really stand for values, these fake cons."
Something I've been worked up over is how the Republicans rub our poor communal faces their religiousity, and the supposed moral superiority that comes with it, on one hand while lying with wild abandon on the other.
Imagine what a bunch of religious Democrats could do if they called them on it. Every time a Republican gets caught lying they publicaly ask what would Christ say if he knew what they were up to?
That could have a pretty good political impact, no?
And thank you SCLM for harping on this. You're really on the job.
P J Evans wrote on August 10, 2007 4:50 PM:Don't send bricks: it only makes the USPS mad at you.
Adam C wrote on August 10, 2007 5:14 PM:Stuff the envelope and return it if it's business reply mail.
Hilarious. If it were me, I'd drop a corroded old PENNY in that reply envelope and send it right on back...
Phillybits wrote on August 10, 2007 5:31 PM:Hopefully I'm not the first to notice this (as I haven't gone through all the comments yet but...
...does anyone find it odd that on the first page of the document, the office of President is referred to, by these Republicans, as "the throne" as in "If we don't, we risk Hillary Clinton as President with Bill Clinton as the power behind the throne?"
Does that not worry anyone else?
Ronald wrote on August 10, 2007 5:31 PM:"I've enclosed a RUSH reply envelope which comes back directly to me."
Should do what people do with Credit Card applications. Put some coins in it and send it back.
Martiki wrote on August 10, 2007 6:00 PM:I just sent a fraud alert to people on my mailing list to alert them of the fraudulent letter....maybe we all ought to do this?
TheraP wrote on August 10, 2007 7:03 PM:On Topic, if you think: Constitutional Compliance.
New post up - with some intriguing new ideas re Anon/Deep Throat's suggestions about surveillance and its uses.... er ... misuses.
(click my name)
The Oracle wrote on August 10, 2007 7:14 PM:I wonder if Bill Steiner worked previously for a Nigerian with lots and lots of money, which the Nigerian couldn't access unless some U.S. citizens contributed some money, which the Nigerian would gladly pay back with interest once his lots and lots of money was freed up?
Sounds to me like Steiner's RNC letter is just another variation on this Nigerian scam, probably something Karl Rove thought up in his twisted, evil little mind, targeting the elderly.
Does Karl Rove know a Nigerian with lots and lots of money?
TheraP wrote on August 10, 2007 8:26 PM:What is wrong with this system? The url is not showing in the last couple of tries.
Maury wrote on August 10, 2007 8:47 PM:The saddest part of this is that it almost has no impact anymore. The sheer volume of acts over the past years has turned something like this from prompting 'outrage' to just more like a shrug. Almost feels like 'yeah, what's new?'
Richard M. Mathews wrote on August 10, 2007 8:51 PM:I am surprised at the legal "experts" who say this does not raise serious legal issues.
I will just look at Federal law. State laws could also be implicated.
The suggestion that an audit turned up irregularities leads to wondering if the RNC is suggesting that they would overlook such "illegalities" in exchange for a contribution. That sounds a lot like 18 U.S.C. 873, Blackmail: "Whoever, under a threat of informing, or as a consideration for not informing, against any violation of any law of the United States, demands or receives any money or other valuable thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
Then there is 18 U.S.C. 594, Intimidation of Voters: "Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose..., shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
That is very similar to the Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 1971(b) (also see 1973i(b)): "No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, shall intimidate, threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose..."
Let us not forget 18 U.S.C. 1341, Mail Faud: "Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises... places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both."
Me_again wrote on August 10, 2007 9:28 PM:Oh yes, so now that our OLD folks have reached their collective DONUT hole - how does it feel= does it feel good?
Paying 1600 thousand dollars for afew pills??? but, but that young guythat loyal Bushism spinner, speaking for Bushims ONLY - said it was one of Bush's GOOD policies - good policy my ass.
Bush's plan to have BIG Pharma suck the elderly dry. You have to know he did that.
Better vote Dem nex time - cause Bush ONLY has one constituency and it ain't old people, it is NOT the conservative elderly- no sir its not,- its big Pharama.
Can we get a Hooray for Big Pharma???
Repugs are friendly to big business ONLY and they don't give a fuck about old people, AND NOT even war veterans are on Bush or the GOP's list, so pay everything out of your own pocket - Bush hates you. it why he talks about privatising your SS? Bush doesn't want to pay old people the money they earned for working hard.
paul wrote on August 10, 2007 9:31 PM:Any claim to have records of whom someone voted for would be voter intimidation and a confession of a bunch of state, local and federal violations, since no one other than the voter is legally allowed to have any knowledge of whom votes were cast for...
But this is the modern GOP we're talking about
Fred M. wrote on August 10, 2007 9:43 PM:> Let us not forget 18 U.S.C. 1341, Mail Faud
You might have something with this one ...
rm wrote on August 10, 2007 10:40 PM:Three things.
1) Caging, yes. Direct-mail targeting for those who respond, caging for those who don't. A double whammy, very elegant.
2) It is very, very creepy how they capitalize "the Party," and use threatening inferences. We know how you voted. You must prove your loyalty to the Party.
3) Typography, underlining, bold font. It looks exactly like the letters Publisher's Clearinghouse used to send out, before those court orders. "You have never been closer to winning than you are right now!" Very sleazy.
veto corleone wrote on August 11, 2007 12:07 AM:bad kitty brak gubment.
VeganMilitia wrote on August 11, 2007 12:54 AM:oops soory didn't mean to!
I like the idea of mailing a brick to the RNC headquarters.
I like even better the idea of hand-delivering it....
With a nice big windup first :-)
nikto wrote on August 11, 2007 1:59 AM:If it's Republican, it's criminal.
Direct Mail Dem wrote on August 11, 2007 2:49 AM:====================================================
You can depend on that like Gravity!
Much as I'd like to jump on the fry-'em bandwagon, I have to say they're just using pretty typical direct mail techniques.
1) "No record of support" doesn't mean anything other than they don't have any donations recorded to the RNC, or to individual Presidential campaigns. Not surprising -- they've put a lot of bank into building a robust and detailed voter and supporter database.
2) Mailing a brick taped to the bre -- this old chestnut has reached urban legend status. AFAIK, the USPS just discards the brick. It's been a while since I was involved in direct mail production, but if memory serves, they either separate out odd returns (like bricks) and you can reject them at the P.O. or you can apply for a refund, but whatever the process, the recipient absolutely isn't paying $4 or whatever 1st class postage would be for a brick.
3) $41 -- that's just what they say the average donation is. You put an odd number like that in there to make it seem legit, catch the eye. May be something to the idea mentioned above that it evokes GHWB, too. Passes for clever, I guess.
4) The questionnaire is phrased very carefully -- they really are just trying to populate their voter database with as much info as possible. Since MO is a no-party state, they'd have to send this to all folks, so the posters above who thought it might be tied to the voting history of the area are probably right. But it would also be useful to the RNC to know who *not* to contact as well, since there is no party affiliation to target.
5) The real purpose of this piece is getting a donation. Everything in both the letter and response device funnel you into the ask. Honestly, this may be phrased more alarmingly than most, but this kind of approach is by no means unique and neither is over-the-top or official-looking disclaimers and endorsements. Faux telegrams (in the '80's) or lookalike FedEx-type packaging (in the '90's) were another angle in the same vein.
Surveys are one of the most enduring direct mail techniques used to increase response -- folks are flattered that important people want their opinion, so they'll give it to you and then feel so good they'll give you a donation, too.
6) We may find it outrageous, but I'd be very surprised if any of this package is in violation of either USPS regulations or election law. It's really SOP to run all direct mail copy by legal before it ever hits the printer. The RNC may be evil incarnate, but they're not stupid. Or at least they didn't used to be.
kentuck wrote on August 11, 2007 7:14 AM:These types of tricks by the GOP are usually reserved for the Democrats or the press. Now they are pulling it on their own supporters! They are either desperate for cash or they have no limit to their chutzpah....or both.
But, one would think it quite a gamble to try and trick your own supporters in such a way. Because, if discovered, it could have a devastating negative impact on their base support. It's a sign of desperation.
VL wrote on August 11, 2007 8:55 AM:The "Party," with a capital P? Where have I seen that before?
VL wrote on August 11, 2007 9:03 AM:"Party" with a capital P? What totalitarian government am I thinking of?
VL wrote on August 11, 2007 9:07 AM:Well, if you've ever seen an indignant fool say, "That wasn't a mistake, I wasn't fooled, I knew exactly what it was all along, I wasn't fooled," then you've met a Republican.
moondancer wrote on August 11, 2007 1:21 PM:My ex mother in law was stripped clean by the GOP pirhanas. They called her constantly, found new pacs for her to contribute to, but the worst was one operative chatted her up and convinced her to forgo a long planned vacation and give the money to congressional pac. She refuses to believe any wrong was done to her, and by the way watches fauz news about 18hrs a day.
deZerTomb wrote on August 11, 2007 3:02 PM:Piss on it and send it back to 'em.
Louise wrote on August 11, 2007 4:12 PM:"But, one would think it quite a gamble to try and trick your own supporters in such a way. Because, if discovered, it could have a devastating negative impact on their base support."
Well, gee, how can we make the discovery of this attempt at trickery the headline of the day?
Bananaphone wrote on August 11, 2007 6:07 PM:Sneaky, very sneaky. The language of this letter fascinates me, because it implies but never admits to tracking voters or intimidating donations. Some examples:
1. "We have no record of you every supporting......." It implies that they've been watching you and you've let them down. However, your voting record is private (we assume) so they should literally have no record of how you voted.
2. "You've never made a dues payment....." I didn't realize my party affiliation was a club, that I had to pay dues to stay a member. I pay dues to my club, I make donations to my party.
3. "Some of our 72 hour canvassers have even used the word 'strongly' to describe the intensity of your support for our party". When you have no record that I've voted for a Republican since Reagan, I have no record of supporting Bush and I've never made a donation (sorry, a "dues payment") to my party? What exactly are they basing my strong support on?
4. "you also tell people you are one of us." Oh crap, they've been listening to my conversations?!
5. "A contribution of as little as $25 will make you a Sustaining Member of the Republican Party". The capitalization of "Sustaining Member" is the only indication that this is a title, nothing more. Taken as implied, I would assume that not making a donation would mean that I would be dropped from my party (to sustain means to retain or "keep on"). Interestingly enough, sustaining membership is not capitalized on the Republican Verification form, but since it does indicate that your donation makes you a sustaining member of the RNC, not the Republican party, it's technically correct.
5. (Canvassing data apparently was collected in 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006). I'm guessing this was when the US Census contacted the person, or maybe they just checked random boxes. But it would seem as if the Republican party was watching this person for the last 23 years. Creepy.
6. (doesn't technically count, but it is confusing: In Issue Orientation, the person is asked to check yes or no and indicate intensity. 5=strongly support and 1=do not support). If I check Anti-Tax as "no" and mark "5", does that mean I strongly support Anti-Tax, or I strongly support voting no on Anti Tax? Conversely, if I mark "no" on Anti Tax but also mark "1", does that mean I do not support voting no on Anti Tax?
This sort of letter really creeps me out. One poster described it as ham-fisted, but in truth the language in this letter was subtly and masterfully crafted to intimidate without breaking a single rule.
Bananaphone wrote on August 11, 2007 6:08 PM:Sneaky, very sneaky. The language of this letter fascinates me, because it implies but never admits to tracking voters or intimidating donations. Some examples:
1. "We have no record of you every supporting......." It implies that they've been watching you and you've let them down. However, your voting record is private (we assume) so they should literally have no record of how you voted.
2. "You've never made a dues payment....." I didn't realize my party affiliation was a club, that I had to pay dues to stay a member. I pay dues to my club, I make donations to my party.
3. "Some of our 72 hour canvassers have even used the word 'strongly' to describe the intensity of your support for our party". When you have no record that I've voted for a Republican since Reagan, I have no record of supporting Bush and I've never made a donation (sorry, a "dues payment") to my party? What exactly are they basing my strong support on?
4. "you also tell people you are one of us." Oh crap, they've been listening to my conversations?!
5. "A contribution of as little as $25 will make you a Sustaining Member of the Republican Party". The capitalization of "Sustaining Member" is the only indication that this is a title, nothing more. Taken as implied, I would assume that not making a donation would mean that I would be dropped from my party (to sustain means to retain or "keep on"). Interestingly enough, sustaining membership is not capitalized on the Republican Verification form, but since it does indicate that your donation makes you a sustaining member of the RNC, not the Republican party, it's technically correct.
5. (Canvassing data apparently was collected in 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006). I'm guessing this was when the US Census contacted the person, or maybe they just checked random boxes. But it would seem as if the Republican party was watching this person for the last 23 years. Creepy.
6. (doesn't technically count, but it is confusing: In Issue Orientation, the person is asked to check yes or no and indicate intensity. 5=strongly support and 1=do not support). If I check Anti-Tax as "no" and mark "5", does that mean I strongly support Anti-Tax, or I strongly support voting no on Anti Tax? Conversely, if I mark "no" on Anti Tax but also mark "1", does that mean I do not support voting no on Anti Tax?
This sort of letter really creeps me out. One poster described it as ham-fisted, but in truth the language in this letter was subtly and masterfully crafted to intimidate without breaking a single rule.
bananaphone wrote on August 11, 2007 6:28 PM:sorry for the double post :(
Kenneth E. Tucker wrote on August 11, 2007 6:55 PM:The message? Thugery begins at home!
and
We are watching you...closely.
and
You party allegiance is in question.
so...
Best get in line, now!
In der Linie erhalten! JETZT! Scheißeschwein!
Brad Eleven wrote on August 11, 2007 8:16 PM:I got one like this in Texas CD-22, about six months ago. The last primary I voted in was Republican, so that's how I show up on the voter rolls--no party registration in Texas.
The envelope said "Republican Party Census," and had similar verbiage, something like, "We have no record of your participation in our Party. Please cement your agreement with our moral principles with a donation today."
The "cement your agreement with our moral principles" is literal, I remember it clearly because I thought, "Yeah, great, I'll send you money so you can do more push polls and support warrantless wiretapping."
I burned it and managed to stain the formica. Badge of honor, I call it.
Kate Henry wrote on August 11, 2007 9:01 PM:"After reading this I called my senator's office in outrage. Arlen Spector is going to get on the case. So we should be okay.
Posted by: PJ"
That's a joke, right???
Chris wrote on August 11, 2007 10:38 PM:As a former Assisted Living manager and a nurse with almost thirty years experience in caring for elderly and geriatric care, it occurs to me that some of you are missing the point. This letter upset the recipient and he turned to his son for assistance and advice on what to do. What about the elderly folks who don't have that kind of support? What about the ones who take the carefully crafted phrases as a threat or fear that this is money they are somehow obligated to give?
The creepy, we are watching and you had better pay us right now overtone of this letter plays into a type of paranoia that many elderly people develop. If this letter puts fear into the heart of a single voter it is a horrible, calculating and cruel thing to do, but it is going to scare and intimidate a lot more than just one voter and this is just the beginning.
Yes, they pull this kind of nasty stuff all the time, but I am still outraged. I will continue to be outraged and they need to be called on it every time they do it. Thank you TPM for shining a harsh light on these moral cockroaches.
Al in Austex wrote on August 11, 2007 11:57 PM:If enough of these letters were sent out , and there was an ascertainable intent to defraud - even if the letter did not break any laws - could not there be a basis for a class action civil suit - Seems I remember seeing AARP involved in a class action law suit involving alleged attempt to defraud Senoirs by a major telecommunication company - Something about "slamming" the Seniors long distance phone service from one phone service carrier to another. Let's get AARP's reaction to Steiner's shakedown of Senoirs.
41 wrote on August 12, 2007 7:39 AM:I ask these question not as a lawyer ,but as really pissed off layman-( with very poor grammar & run on sentences) - trying to figure out how to protect may Dad and other SENOIRS from these predatory pissants formerly known as the GOP !
I wonder if the Southern Poverty Law Center would want to look at this too -weren't they the outfit that sued the Aryan Nation up in Idaho -and wound up winning the case & bankrupting the Skin Heads ? Maybe we can sic the SPLC on these Brooke Brothers Brownshirts ?
Has anybody sent this to Lou Dobbs ? I would betcha Mr Dobbs would air this story .
RE: "41"
There are 41 PNAC signatories, you know.
The number also has mystical significance in certain numerological systems, including kabbalah and biblical prophecy. (Google the Bible Code for some crazy fun!)
In Jewish numerology, 41 is the numerical equivalent of "eim" (mother) which often symbolizes Sarah, the mother of Israel.
See also Isaiah Chapter 41- a significant prophecy for Zionist Christians and Jews.
Make of it what you will, but the number seems to have significance for a wide variety of superstitious people on the Right- "the base."
robertlewis wrote on August 12, 2007 8:49 AM:
robertlewis wrote on August 12, 2007 8:51 AM:I sent money to Rep.Conyers based on the belief that he was going to start impeachment proceedings against the bush administration. I now know that this talk of impeachment was nothing more than a money raising tactic. I now support Ron Paul.
I sent money to Rep.Conyers based on the belief that he was going to start impeachment proceedings against the bush administration. I now know that this talk of impeachment was nothing more than a money raising tactic. I now support Ron Paul.
Frank wrote on August 12, 2007 9:32 AM:Nobody sees the possibility that this is a Democrat dirty trick?
W.D.Russell wrote on August 12, 2007 9:54 AM:Power behind the throne? The GOP is worried their boy king will be replaced by a president.
lori wrote on August 12, 2007 1:30 PM:Who gives a damn...if someone wants to belong to a party that would do this...so what?
Lori wrote on August 12, 2007 1:37 PM:this should be a big indicator to old school republicans that the scumbags they support are worse scumbags than they thought.
SO WHAT?
42 Dollars is an obsure number they can use to track the effectiveness of the letter. In case someone sends a check with no donation slip accompnying it. I am a professional fundraiser and strange dollar requests are a data tracker and tend to be more successful.
Lori wrote on August 12, 2007 1:38 PM:I love a good conspiracy, but has anyone considered that $41 is an obscure number they can use to track the effectiveness of the letter. In case someone sends a check with no donation slip accompanying it.
I am a professional fund raiser and strange dollar requests are a data tracker and tend to be more successful.
Anonymous wrote on August 12, 2007 2:26 PM:robertlewis
Rep. Conyers was told by Pelosi not to implement impeachment proceedings. I believe it is unconstitutional for Pelosi to have made this statement. This needs to be made clear to all of the Democrats. I do not understand your going to Ron Paul, but that is your perrogative. The House must proceed with impeachment proceedings, and the American people have to insist on this, BEFORE IRAN IS INVADED.
Ed Tarbush wrote on August 12, 2007 11:12 PM:How do you like that?
A ReTHUGlican finally put down a little boy long enough to pen a scam letter.
Now I've seen it all........
RoughEdges wrote on August 13, 2007 4:08 PM:Since when have voting records ever been private? HOW you voted is private. That you voted period is a matter of public record and each state manages it differently.
DB wrote on August 15, 2007 3:37 PM:Tape the return envelope to a brick and drop it in a postbox. By law, they're required to pay for the return shipping.
Seamus wrote on August 15, 2007 5:13 PM:The wording, not just in the letter itself, but on the envelope in which it was sent, brings this dangerously close to mail fraud. I'm sure there are some Asst. United States Attorneys who would investigate and perhaps seek an indictment over less than is prsent here.
Of course if they did in this case they'd immediately be fired by Gonzo.
slappy magoo wrote on August 15, 2007 5:18 PM:Tape the return envelope to a brick and drop it in a postbox. By law, they're required to pay for the return shipping.
Posted by: DB
Date: August 15, 2007 3:37 PM
Hell, why stop with a brick? Don't you have any used auto parts or broken microwave ovens that would like to visit an authentic political headquarters?
Bananaphone wrote on August 15, 2007 7:14 PM:Slappy, I'm thinking more on the lines of an old shoe. Preferably a little smelly. I'm continually surprised by what the Postal Service will deliver (but no unrefrigerated fish. That will get returned to you)
Steve C, wrote on August 16, 2007 10:27 AM:My girlfriend, who is a lifelong Republican, received the same note. She was so offended at the tone, (accusing her of not supporting the party or even being a Republican) that she is returning a note informing them of her change in registration to Independent.
Way to go RNC.