Blogswarm - Online Political News Magazine

House GOP Leaders Hijack 9/11 Commission Recommendations
Tell Your Representative to Reject PATRIOT Act Expansion and New Assaults on Civil Liberties

The 9/11 Commission made a thorough study of America's vulnerability to terrorist attack and made non-partisan recommendations for steps the United States could take to enhance our security.

Now House GOP leaders have hijacked the Commission's recommendations -- and, in some cases, disregarded them entirely -- to ram through nakedly partisan legislation which will undermine fundamental civil rights and civil liberties without providing greater security.

Call your U.S. House member today and urge the rejection of H.R. 10, the House 9/11 Commission bill.

Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

The 9/11 Commission's recommendations deserve careful consideration by Congress with a goal of bipartisan consensus on legislation that enhances safety and protects our fundamental freedoms. Call your representative today and explain that H.R. 10 violates that test and infringes on basic rights and liberties.

For example, H.R. 10 would:

• result in the creation of a de facto national ID card and linked state motor vehicle databases with uncertain privacy protections;
  
  
• codify the problematic "registered traveler" program developed by the Transportation Security Administration, which could allow terrorists to evade more rigorous screening and may result in unequal treatment of Americans on the basis of factors which have no relation to terrorism, such as credit score and employment or rental history;
  
  
• allow greater use of secret electronic surveillance and secret searches; and,
  
  
• significantly undermine fundamental due process and basic fairness in our immigration system by restricting redress for unfair, arbitrary or abusive deportations, and making it harder for victims of political persecution and torture abroad to make asylum claims.

H.R. 10's deeply partisan wedge-politics are not the American Way. Our security and civil liberties are too important to be sidelined by electoral politics. Call your U.S. Representative today at (202) 224-3121 to express your opposition to this legislation.

America elects fewer women to Congress than the average country in sub-Saharan Africa.

It's not just countries like Sweden, New Zealand, and Argentina that elect twice the percentage of women. Among the 60-plus nations that elect a higher proportion of women than we do: Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana.

We have to support women running for office -- both incumbents and the leaders of tomorrow. Two women in particular have built grassroots campaigns that deserve your attention.

The first: Nancy Farmer, the challenger in the race for U.S. Senate in Missouri. She leads a common sense movement against an incumbent whose time has passed. Her opponent, Senator Kit Bond, is a relic -- he followed Jesse Helms in voting against the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. And he just voted against a minimum-wage increase while managing to hike his own salary to $158,000 a year.

Helms is long since retired -- and with your help Bond will be, too. Missouri elected Nancy Farmer as State Treasurer -- as Senator she will bring fiscal responsibility back to Washington. She has the right experience to solve real problems. Nancy Farmer is a rising star in a new generation of women leaders. She needs -- and deserves -- your help:

http://www.nancyfarmerforussenate.com/contribute.php

The other woman who has earned our support: Barbara Boxer. Senator Boxer fights the battles too many Democrats hide from. She helped give millions of low-income children access to quality health care. And she introduced a bill to give all Americans access to the same health care plan as Members of Congress.

In the words of the late Paul Wellstone, she is a fighter from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. The values he fought for still live on with Barbara Boxer in the U.S. Senate. We need to keep her there. Please support Barbara Boxer now:

https://www.boxer2004.org/dfa/

Two weeks ago Democracy for America challenged all the Democratic Senate campaigns to demonstrate grassroots support. In response they rallied tens of thousands of their supporters. These two extraordinary women came out ahead of all the rest.

These candidates deserve to win because they will make better Senators than their opponents. But double standards and glass ceilings still exist in America. We have a long way to go -- but with your help, electing these two women will bring us closer to true equality.

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

P.S. Want to help get out the vote for other great candidates in your area? Get to your final local DFA Meetup before the election this Wednesday at 7 PM: http://dfa.meetup.com

"The Martinez strategy: Fewer issues, more dirt," Jim Defede, Miami Herald, 10/3/04

I was so ready to start off this week's rant with all of the gaffes in Mel Martinez's bid for the Senate--from what the St. Petersburg Times called a 'bigoted' primary campaign against Bill McCollum and blaming his staff for calling federal law enforcement agents 'armed thugs' to firing his campaign manager over the weekend. But, from time to time, you just have to let the press speak for themselves. So, here it is, in the words of Miami Herald columnist, Jim Defede:

In the hotly contested race for U.S. Senate, candidate Mel Martinez has stayed on the offensive, first against fellow Republican Bill McCollum and now against Democratic nominee Betty Castor. Since we expect more of the same in the final weeks leading to the Nov. 2 showdown, the following is how I imagine next week's strategy session will go between Martinez and his campaign staff.

Martinez: Good afternoon everyone. Where are we?

Staffer No. 1: Well, the polls are still very close. It's a dead heat between you and Betty Castor.

Martinez: OK, any ideas?

Staffer No. 2: We could try debating her on the issues.

Martinez: Issues! Are you crazy? No, what we need to do is slime her just like we did Bill McCollum in the primary.

Staffer No. 1: Are you sure you want to go negative, sir?

Martinez: Oh, I'm not going to go negative. You guys are. This week, Danny and Tom will issue statements suggesting the reason Castor supports stem cell research is because she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and that she is mentally incompetent to be a senator.

Staffer No. 2: Is that true, sir? Does she have Alzheimer's?

Martinez: Of course not. But once you guys say it, some nitwit's going to believe it. And if the media goes nuts and blasts us for being insensitive, I'll step in, act disgusted by your assertions and repudiate you as a couple of ''young turks.'' But even after I distance myself from your remarks, some people will still believe Castor is sick. This is going to be great.

Staffer No. 1: I'm sorry, sir. There is only one problem. You can't call Danny and Tom ''young turks'' because you already called Pete and Bobby ''young turks'' after you had them accuse McCollum of being in bed with the "radical homosexual lobby.''

Martinez: Darn it! [Pause in conversation. Martinez can be heard talking to himself.] Think, Mel, think. I got it! We'll call them overzealous.

Staffer No. 1: Nope. We used that one for the guys at the ad agency that produced the commercial labeling McCollum "antifamily.''

Martinez: OK, how about rogue staffers? You guys wouldn't mind being rogue staffers would you?

Staffer No. 1: No, sorry sir, you called Carlos and Hector rogue staffers after they issued that news release you wrote for the Spanish-language radio stations calling the federal agents who seized Elián González "armed thugs.''

Martinez: Well-intentioned but misguided?

Staffer No. 2: That's what you said about Sandy and Diane after they said Castor was an accomplished thespian in college.

Martinez: Renegade? I don't remember condemning anyone on my staff for being a renegade.

Staffer No. 1: Well, we were saving renegade for the commercials suggesting Castor may have been a founding member of al Qaeda.

Martinez: [Sounding annoyed.] Look people, I can't do this on my own. I need your help. I realize none of you like being repudiated. Do you think I like repudiating you? I don't. But I made it very clear from the beginning that this campaign was going to be based on one simple theme: plausible deniability. I can't get elected if people are going to hold me accountable for the mean and nasty things we're doing. My only hope is to blame each and every one of you.

Staffer No. 2: You're right, sir. And, I think I speak for everyone in this room when I say we are all honored to be the kindling in the bonfire of your vanity.

Martinez: OK, I have no idea what you just said. Sounds like homosexualist talk to me, but nevertheless if it was an apology, I accept it. Now let's get back to the hard work of this campaign. Remember, the mud isn't going to sling itself people. In the meantime, get me a thesaurus because for the next 30 days I'm going to repudiate each and every one of you like my life depended on it.

Other Florida newspapers agree: "Martinez's tactics raise troubling questions about his character and leadership." (Tampa Tribune, September 2, 2004). And an even longer list of Mel's mishaps can be found on the Palm Beach Post website.

If Mel can't be held accountable for what happens in his own campaign, how can Floridians trust him to be held accountable in the Senate? Will he blame constituents for his votes? Distance himself from Senate floor statements after making them? Click here to see the latest ad from Betty Castor, entitled "Shoes," that asks, "can we believe anything he says?"

While Mel has been preoccupied with blaming and firing his staff members, Betty Castor has been busy reaching out to voters, campaigning on the issues and fundraising. You can see why the St. Petersburg Times endorsed Betty Castor over the weekend, declaring, "In the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, one candidate brings a reassuring resume and the other an identity crisis." Ouch. Told you makeovers usually don't last. You can read the full endorsement by clicking here.

Nethercutt from Nether Nether Land--Far Right and Farther from the Truth

What kind of politician would use Osama bin Laden and images of 9/11 to get elected? None other than Republican Senate candidate, George Nethercutt running in Washington state. He is so behind in the polls that he released a TV ad linking Senator Patty Murray to Osama bin Laden--during the very week she was fighting to increase homeland security on the Senate floor!

"False" "slanders" is what newspapers call Nethercutt's attacks against Senator Murray (Seattle PI, August 31, 2004). The ad was so outrageous, the Seattle Times wrote, "The George Nethercutt for U.S. Senate campaign should yank a sleazy attack ad running on TV stations in our state. The ad insults the intelligence of Washington voters." (Seattle Times, October 1, 2004). Just like his fellow far-right Republican Senate candidates, Martinez, Coburn, Keyes and Coors, George Nethercutt "will do anything to be in office." (Seattle Times, September 2, 2004).

But Senator Murray came out with a new ad in response to Nethercutt and the latest polls show his desperate and dishonest attacks are failing--badly. Murray's lead against Nethercutt has actually widened in recent days. She now runs 17 points ahead of Nethercutt. Click here to view Senator Murray's latest ad.

"Maybe It's Good for Pete Coors, But It's Bad for Colorado"

You have to see the DSCC's new ad exposing the truth behind Pete Coors' record as a businessman--click here to view the ad entitled "Headlines." Coors is running for the Senate as a job creator. Well, I can see why. He's real good at creating jobs. Just not for Americans. And he's all for tax cuts, too... in the form of tax breaks for millionaires like himself. After all, this is a man who has justified his vow to fight any attempt to "tax the rich" by claiming, "I don't think there's anything wrong with being self-serving." (Rocky Mountain News, September 18, 2004).

And he wants more of the tax breaks George W. Bush handed to him and other corporate friends on a silver platter. The additional tax cuts Coors proposes for the rich will save him another $670,000 on his tax bill. How does he expect to pay for these irresponsible and unaffordable tax breaks in a time of war and a historic budget deficit--both started by his own party? The same way he cut himself a break as CEO of Coors Brewing Company.

When he needed to finance his fat executive bonus, he went on a cost-trimming, job-cutting, outsourcing spree. At the same time he was laying off hundreds of Colorado workers, he applied to hire scores of foreign workers for jobs paying as much as $135,298 a year. (Rocky Mountain News, September 28, 2004). His company repeatedly violated environmental regulations, and was fined for it by the US Environmental Protection Agency. But those fines were a drop in the bucket compared with the bottom line benefits he was swimming in. So, his company remains the third-largest source of water pollution in the state.

Bitter Vitter Puts Himself Above Louisiana Issues, Maybe Even Above the Law

Last week, I ranted about how David Vitter was placing the interests of corporate crunch above the issues at stake in the Louisiana Senate race. This week, he puts personal ambition and party politics above the issues affecting ordinary Louisianians. As reported by The Advocate,

"The three Democratic contenders for U.S. Senate all mention issues when asked to point to one thing they will do if elected that will help Louisiana the most. But for U.S. Rep. David Vitter, the lone Republican in the race, it's a different story. Just his presence in the Senate would open all kinds of possibilities, Vitter replied when asked to name his top issue." (The Advocate, September 30, 2004).

Considering he decided to keep $10,000 in political contributions from indicted officials at Tom Delay's PAC, Americans for a Republican Majority, Bitter Vitter thinks he's above the law, too. If he doesn't listen to voters and doesn't listen to federal judges, who does he listen to? His party--he voted with them 96% of the time in Congress.

Driving Home the Point in Oklahoma

What will Oklahoma City residents see on their way home from work? A new billboard that displays Republican Tom Coburn's now infamous quote, "You have a bunch of crapheads in Oklahoma City," and calls on Coburn to apologize for this inflammatory remark. Click here to view the billboard.

All of us following the Oklahoma Senate race have been hearing one offensive remark after another coming out of Tom Coburn. Yesterday, the rest of the nation got to know this far-right Republican:

"Oklahoma's Senate candidates faced off on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, with... Republican Tom Coburn, a former House member, invoking John F. Kennedy's name and suggesting as 'evil' a $442 billion budget deficit brought on by a GOP Congress and administration...

Carson, a former Rhodes scholar, stuck closely to his strategy of painting Coburn as a 'gadfly' with a propensity to make off-the-wall comments, and whose voting record indicates he cares more about his ideology than supporting projects for Oklahoma." (Washington Post, October 4, 2004).

And Coburn reiterated his stance on the death penalty for abortion providers:

MR. RUSSERT: You would outlaw all abortion.

DR. COBURN: Except to save the life of the mother. I would think that every created life has value.

MR. RUSSERT: If a doctor performed an abortion in violation of that law, he should be subject to the death...

DR. COBURN: Well, I think whatever we decide should be the subject as a country, if in fact it's violating the law. I know it's not violating the law today. But it grieves my heart every time that we terminate.

MR. RUSSERT: But if you had your way, Doctor, and this is important, you would have a law banning all abortions, and if a doctor violated that law, he or she should be put to death.

DR. COBURN: He or she should be put to the penalties that we think, as a society--today, in many states, we don't have the death penalty. In other states, we do. Whatever that is, but I believe that we have to stick on the side of life. I think...

MR. RUSSERT: But you think the death penalty would be an appropriate penalty in that situation.

DR. COBURN: If somebody intentionally takes life at any stage throughout the country, except to save a life, and that's innocent life, I think we have to use the law that's on the books to respond to that. I sure do.

Remember Coburn, Oklahomans know this Senate race isn't a "battle of good versus evil," as you believe, but a battle of ideas. That's why the most recent Daily Oklahoman poll now shows Carson leading by 5 points--a dramatic reverse from last month when Coburn held a 9-point lead. (Daily Oklahoman, September 27, 2004).

Above the Law in Ohio, Too

Republicans are running so scared in Ohio that Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is threatening to disqualify voter registration cards that are not printed on 80 pound stock paper. What the *#@!? That's right. Ohio residents who failed to weigh the paper their voter registration form was printed on will have to re-submit their applications. But the deadline to register in Ohio is... today. That means thousands of Ohio voters will not have the time to re-apply and will therefore be denied the right to vote in this critical battleground state.

This a clear violation of US Voting Rights Codes that state, "No person acting under color of law shall... deny the right of any individual to vote in any election because of an error or omission on any record or paper relating to any application, registration, or other act requisite to voting, if such error or omission is not material in determining whether such individual is qualified under State law to vote in such election."

As usual, the Republicans believe they are above the law. Their creative engineering of the polls is painfully familiar to all of us. And, just like their far-right Senate candidates, they export election tricks across state borders almost as fast as Pete Coors exports Colorado jobs!

DSCC Supporters: Clicking Away to Victory

In case you missed my victory lap around the DSCC office last week, let me thank all of our supporters again for pushing the DSCC online war chest to above the $1.3 million mark at the close of the 3rd quarter. You helped exceed our target of $1 million, and political observers are taking notice. Roll Call wrote, "In both South Carolina and Oklahoma, the two Republicans held leads in the high single digits prior to the DSCC spending. The races are now within a few points."

Take a look at how your contribution is making all the difference in the most hotly contested Senate races:

"The DSCC has been on the air with independent expenditures since Aug. 19, a move widely credited with revitalizing the campaign of state Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum (D), which had been floundering for several months.

'With the DSCC being the only outside money in the race for two months, it has allowed our opponent to stay in the game when she otherwise would have been through,' said Terry Sullivan, campaign manager for Rep. Jim DeMint (R).

A similar situation has been playing out in the Oklahoma race between Rep. Brad Carson (D) and former Rep. Tom Coburn (R). There, the DSCC began running independent-expenditure ads just after Labor Day, hammering Coburn with $533,000 worth of ads before the NRSC has even placed its first buy." (Roll Call, September 28, 2004).

"Democratic prospects have improved in two states: Oklahoma and South Carolina... A Democrat win there would change the party's prospects at retaking the Senate." (Stuart Rothenberg; Roll Call, October 1, 2004).

The Hotline's analysis now places us at 50 seats in the Senate. Thanks to all of your support, 51 is within clear reach. Stay tuned--only 29 days more to go! And don't forget to watch tomorrow's Vice Presidential debate at 9pm EST. Because it's not just the next Vice President of the United States we'll be watching, but the next tie-breaker in the Senate, as well.

Scary Stats of the Week

The Supreme Court is back in session today so I thought it was appropriate to remind you of a few key, scary numbers:

• 5-4 razor thin margins have decided the most important Supreme Court decisions on issues like women's rights, privacy rights, and civil rights.
• 4 out of the 9 Supreme Court justices over the age of 70.
• 10 years since the last Supreme Court retirement--the longest period since 1823 that we've ever gone without a vacancy.
• 2 or 3 justices that will likely be appointed by the next President of the United States.
• 1 new justice is all the Republicans need to overturn Roe v. Wade.
• 51 Democratic Senators is what it will take to block nominations of another conservative Bush Administration.

Republican Blooper of the Week

"I even take the position that sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged." (Justice Antonin Scalia; Harvard Crimson, September 29, 2004). No further comment necessary from this mother of two.

Actually, Stop Ranting, and Start Acting: Things YOU Can do to Win Back the Majority

The election is fast approaching, folks.  Your action today will make the difference between 49 and 51 Democratic seats this November!!  We are looking for help with Get Out the Vote (GOTV), legal and fundraising efforts across the country – especially in our key states of South Dakota, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Colorado and North Carolina.  A successful GOTV effort is crucial to our goal of taking back the majority in the US Senate.  We are interested in volunteers for a day, 4 days, a week - it does not matter.  We will assist with housing and other logistics.  Being a part of an effective statewide campaign is an extremely rewarding experience, one that you will never forget.  Please contact Steve Heuer at Heuer@dscc.org or 202-224-2447 if you are able to help in the push to regain the majority!!  You can also contact the following volunteer coordinators on our campaigns:

• Tom Daschle for Senate in South Dakota:  Lisa Thimjon at 605-334-9895 or Thimjon@tomdaschle.com
• Brad Carson for Senate in Oklahoma:  Jen Gaspar at 918-592-4975 or gaspar@okdemocrats.org
• Ken Salazar for Senate in Colorado:  Kirsten Osgood at 303-830-0246 or kosgood@coloradovictory2004.com
• Erskine Bowles for Senate in North Carolina:  Derek Shapley at 910-834-0626 or dshapley@bowles2004.org
• Inez Tenenbaum for Senate in South Carolina:  Dave Macgonagle at 803-929-0255 or dmacgonagle@scdp.org

What's your Weekly Rant?

We want to hear from you! Sign up and Log on to FromtheRoots.Org to post your own comments.

Best Regards,

Anne Holy Cow we're going to win Lewis

The New York Times revealed yesterday that top
administration officials grossly mislead the public about Iraq's
supposed nuclear weapons program.[1] The government's top nuclear
scientists said that the aluminum tubes Iraq had acquired
were "too heavy, too narrow and too long" for use in
creating nuclear weapons.[2] They were perfectly suited, however,
for use in Iraq's existing legal rockets.[3] Meanwhile,
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice went on CNN before
the invasion of Iraq and said the tubes "are only really
suited for nuclear weapons programs."[4]

In October 2003, David Kay - the administration's
handpicked weapons inspector - concluded, "We have not uncovered
evidence that Iraq undertook significant post-1998 steps to
actually build nuclear weapons or produce fissile
material."[5] Stunningly, appearing on talk shows yesterday morning,
Rice continued to insist that Iraq may have been pursuing
nuclear weapons and that the aluminum tubes may have been
involved in that process. On ABC's "This Week" Rice said, "As
I understand it, people are still debating this."[6] David
Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and
International Security, said Rice "is being disingenuous, and
just departing from any effort to find the truth."[7]

Sources:

1. "How the White House Embraced Disputed Arms
Intelligence," New York Times, 10/03/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2131193&l=60492 .
2. Ibid.,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2131193&l=60492 .
3. Ibid.,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2131193&l=60492 .
4. "Ritter Meets With Iraqi Leaders," CNN, 9/08/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2131193&l=60493.
5. "Statement by David Kay ," CIA, 10/02/03,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2131193&l=60494.
6. "Rice: Iraqi nuclear plans unclear," MSNBC, 10/03/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2131193&l=60495.
7. Ibid.,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2131193&l=60495 .

Visit www.Misleader.org for more about Bush Administration
distortion.

Voters got a clear look at the candidates side by side in last week's debate, and they're ready to vote for change. The latest Newsweek poll -- which showed Bush with an 11 point lead after the Republican convention -- now shows Kerry-Edwards leading with 47 percent to Bush-Cheney's 45 percent.^[1] Even Gallup's new poll shows the candidates tied.^[2]

Starting last Friday, an incredible collection of musicians are adding to Kerry's momentum with the Vote for Change concert tour across 12 swing states. Next Monday, the artists will meet in Washington, D.C. for a historic finale show, televised live on the Sundance Channel. More than a dozen talented artists will share the stage, speaking to our national aspirations as only songwriters can.

This is going to be one of the great moments of this election, and we want to share it with you. Please host a watch party next Monday evening, Columbus Day. We'll join a special MoveOn PAC online conference featuring messages from Bruce Springsteen and many of the other artists. Then we'll tune into the concert on the Sundance Channel, the radio, or over the Internet.

To host a party, go to:

http://action.moveonpac.org/vfc

Hosting a party is fun and easy. We'll walk you through it step by step. You can host a private party just for your friends or a public party for MoveOn members in your neighborhood. All you need to participate is the Sundance Channel and a computer with speakers and high-speed Internet access or a speakerphone.

The concert will be inspiring and powerful. And we'll also get some important work done. During the concert, we'll all handwrite letters to voters in swing states who are undecided or unsure they'll make it to the polls. This is our chance to share why this election is so important and why we need to vote for change. We'll help you get you started and tell you where to send the letters.

The Vote for Change tour was born when a group of America's most respected musicians realized they couldn't sit this election out. At the Philadelphia concert, Bruce Springsteen shared what he feels is at stake in this election. His clear and genuine comments speak to the power of the Vote for Change tour, the power of musicians to help us see ourselves honestly, and the power of people to make a change.

You can hear Bruce Springsteen and sign up to host a watch party, at:

http://action.moveonpac.org/vfc

By attending or hosting a party for this powerful event, you can recharge your batteries and recall the historic significance of our work together. As always, thanks for all you do!

Sincerely,

--Adam, Eli, Hannah, James, Laura, and the whole MoveOn PAC Team
  Monday, October 4th, 2004

P.S. Once enough parties are created, we'll ask folks to sign up to attend. Look for our invitation later this week!

Next Monday evening, the Vote for Change tour will culminate in one of the great moments of this election -- a grand finale, televised live on the Sundance Channel, featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp, and many other special guests. We're holding watch parties nationwide to celebrate and mobilize. Can you host?

Sign Up

If you don't get Sundance, you can listen on the radio or over the Internet. As soon as we have the details, we'll post them on our website.

Sources:
[1] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6159637/site/newsweek/
[2] http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/03/gallup.poll/

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

If you haven't heard the news yet, don't worry you aren't alone. This broke online late on a Friday (which happened to be the Friday after the debate). dKos12 candidate Ginny Schrader had her campaign hacked. The firewall "caught" Campaign Solutions, internet firm to Bush, the RNC, the NRCC and about a third of the Republican caucus. Then the lying began:

Denying hacking Ginny

Donatelli said she believes it is impossible for someone in her company to hack into Schrader's campaign computer without Donatelli's knowledge. She said no one associated with her firm has ever been accused of hacking in the past.

CNN July 22, 1999 - Donatelli denies hacking HRC

Hockaday Donatelli Campaign Solutions, the firm that maintains the Hillaryno.com site, denied any involvement in hacking the rival site and said it was unaware of the maneuver until contacted by a reporter. "This is not a good thing," said Becky Donatelli, cochair of the Virginia-based consulting firm that has built Web sites for a large number of Republican candidates."

same story:

She [Donatelli] said she had never heard of the nationally watched race between Fitzpatrick and Schrader or even knew who retiring U.S. Rep. James C. Greenwood was despite her decades of Republican involvement in campaigns dating back to Ronald Reagan's first run for president in the mid-1970s.

Visit Campaign Solutions' client list and you'll see they consult for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Yet they have never heard of the race the Democrats are targeting as one of the top 13 in the country?

This whole thing stinks

Chris Bowers has started a great discussion on leveraging the blogosphere to google the rest of this story since the press is as involved as Bush was in the National Guard:

Now that it is out of the bag, as shown here, here, and as Jerome wrote earlier today, it is time for all the Googling Monkeys out there to help the Schrader campaign. Someone is trying to hack Ginny's computers, and that someone is apparently connected to Republican consulting firm, Campaign Solutions. This firm, whose clients include Bush-Cheney 2004, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee, and Representative Pat Toomey (PA), has been involved with several hacking incidents in the past. Campaign Solutions has denied involvement. The Fitzpatrick campaign denies any connection to the incident and Campaign Solutions:

Jim Cawley, Fitzpatrick's campaign manager, said his campaign knew nothing about the incident.

"This is, by no means, anything that we would (condone)," he said.

He also said that Fitzpatrick's campaign had had no contact with Campaign Solutions.

Proving otherwise would be very important, and might permanently change the dynamics of this campaign. Dig up whatever you can.

See the discussion:

Are you ready to elect John Kerry and John Edwards? Can't wait to defeat George W. Bush and Dick Cheney? Then do it now! You can vote today.

Just like in 2000, this year's presidential election could be decided by just a few votes in a handful of hotly contested states. The potential impact of votes cast in September and October is huge. That's why early voting is so important.

Many states allow you to vote early by absentee ballot or even in person. Voting now means you don't have to worry about getting to the polls on Election Day, when a busy day at the office or a child home with a cold might stand in your way. It's a great way to make sure your vote is counted. And you can learn how at the DNC's Early Vote Center:

http://www.democrats.org/evc/

You can request your ballot or find out if your district offers in-person early voting. We've also included answers to common questions, and provided contact information for your local election office.

http://www.democrats.org/evc/

By voting early, you'll miss standing in line at the polls. But there's no chance you'll miss voting on Election Day.

Make your voice heard: Vote for John Kerry and John Edwards, and all our Democratic candidates today!

Many thanks,
The DNC Online Team

Make Sure You're Registered

Voter registration deadlines are fast approaching! Make sure you're registered to vote in time. Check the registration deadline in your state at our Early Vote Center.

Oct. 4 Registration Deadline: AZ, CO, FL, LA, MI, OH, and PA

Oct. 5 Registration Deadline: NM

Overseas Voting

Do you know an American who lives overseas? Want to make sure they can vote in 2004? Send them to our Overseas Vote website, where they can get the information they need and apply for a ballot.

Overseasvote2004.com

Right now I need all of you to join me and make a pledge: the mistakes of the 2000 election will NEVER be repeated again. The day after the election, as the recount began, Al Gore's campaign was already outgunned, outmanned, and outmatched -- we learned one lesson: be prepared. With the race so close in so many states, we need to be prepared for any possibility -- and that means being ready for any recounts.

The Federal Election Commission has just granted our request to raise funds now to cover recount expenses. Your contribution to Kerry-Edwards 2004 GELAC (General Election Legal and Accounting Compliance fund) will provide the resources to make sure we are prepared to win any post Election Day battles.

Make a contribution to our GELAC fund today:

https://contribute.johnkerry.com

Our GELAC fund also pays for the administrative costs at the campaign -- by paying for these expenses with GELAC funds, the campaign is able to spend more of its limited public funds on critical campaign expenses such as media, candidate travel, and direct contact with voters.

Make our public funds more valuable and make sure we are prepared for any possible recount.

https://contribute.johnkerry.com

Thank you,

Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager

by Chris Bowers

Now that it is out of the bag, as shown here, here, and as Jerome wrote earlier today, it is time for all the Googling Monkeys out there to help the Schrader campaign. Someone is trying to hack Ginny's computers, and that someone is apparently connected to Republican consulting firm, Campaign Solutions. This firm, whose clients include Bush-Cheney 2004, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee, and Representative Pat Toomey (PA), has been involved with several hacking incidents in the past. Campaign Solutions has denied involvement. The Fitzpatrick campaign denies any connection to the incident and Campaign Solutions:

Jim Cawley, Fitzpatrick's campaign manager, said his campaign knew nothing about the incident.

"This is, by no means, anything that we would (condone)," he said.

He also said that Fitzpatrick's campaign had had no contact with Campaign Solutions.

Proving otherwise would be very important, and might permanently change the dynamics of this campaign. Dig up whatever you can.

---

by Jerome Armstrong

The race in PA 8th, which all started here with the netroots activists, has become a top-tier, first priority, contest for control of the House. This past week, I've been in DC and out here in the Bay area, engaging in politics, so while the blogging has been light, the insight has been great.

Ginny's race is now one of the keys to taking control of the House for Democrats. I talked with one longstanding GOTV group in DC that, up to about 2 weeks ago, has been standoffish about the 8th, yet now, they are going into the CD with all of their resources. EMILY's list, they are starting to come around, and supposedly are going to "re-evaluate" the race early next week; Philly for Change helping out I heard. And in terms of the CW in DC, pundits like Stuart Rothenberg are starting to shift their predictions. On the ground, Ginny had a 3:1 advantage in turnout for the recent debate; her core supporters being women of all ages.

So, it's with that background of one of the most intriguing 2004 campaigns in development, that the recent break-in through hackers has occurred. If this is the first time you've heard about it, you can read these Daily Kos, Daily Kos, and MyDD threads for background.

In short, the FBI is currently investigating a failed hacker attempt to steal database information within a computer used by the campaign, and it looks like the parties involved have ties to the GOP. If that winds up being the case (read this post if you have any doubt), it's nothing beyond the pale of what we've come to expect from a Republican Party that's getting scared shitless right now about losing control. As that post shows, we are dealing here with the same group of Republicans that attempted to hack into Hillary Clinton's website, and whom successfully hacked the DSCC's computers earlier this year.

It's telling. Ginny's got the Republicans in the 8th on the run. The GOP nominated an ultraright candidate in a moderate district in the backroom, and out in the open, Fitzgerald pales in comparison to Ginny Schrader.

After seeing the diary about Ginny Schrader hacked I googled the firm that had this quote in the story:

Donatelli said she believes it is impossible for someone in her company to hack into Schrader's campaign computer without Donatelli's knowledge. She said no one associated with her firm has ever been accused of hacking in the past.

CNN July 22, 1999: Hillary gets hacked

Hockaday Donatelli Campaign Solutions, the firm that maintains the Hillaryno.com site, denied any involvement in hacking the rival site and said it was unaware of the maneuver until contacted by a reporter. "This is not a good thing," said Becky Donatelli, cochair of the Virginia-based consulting firm that has built Web sites for a large number of Republican candidates.

You don't deny if you aren't accused.

CNET News March 5, 2004: GOP clerks nabbed Democratic data, says probe

Two Republican Senate staffers accessed and leaked information from thousands of Democratic files over an 18-month period, an investigation by the U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms has concluded.

...The probe began after memos authored by Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee were leaked to several newspapers and published in early November 2003. The documents, which indicated that Democrats consulted with free-speech advocates and other lobbying groups on judicial strategy, were said by conservatives to show that the Democratic Party followed the agenda of special interests.

"The memos repeatedly make clear that a small collection of extreme-left groups--abortion groups, race organizations and leftist groups specifically focused on judges--are driving the Democrats' agenda and vision," stated a November editorial by the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, a pro-Republican lobbying group. The group--whose Web site is hosted by Campaign Solutions, a self-described "Republican voter contact and communications firm" -- posted all 18 memos to the Web in November 2003.