Republican Robocall Pretexting Campaign 674
WCityMike writes, "In 53 Congressional campaigns across the country, including the Pennsylvania 6th, the Connecticut 4th, the North Carolina 11th, the New Hampshire 2nd, and the Illinois 6th and 8th (and possibly all races), the National Republican Congressional Committee is conducting a $2.1 million campaign to make it appear as if Democrats are spamming callers with telemarketing calls. The NRCC hired Conquest Communications Group to conduct a massive nationwide robocalling campaign with calls specifically scripted to appear as if they're coming from the Democratic candidate — in violation of FCC regulations on such 'robocalls,' which requires the identity of the caller to be stated at the beginning of the message [47 CFR 64.1200(b)(1)]. The call begins with 'Hello. I'm calling with information about,' and then says the name of the Democratic candidate. There is then a pause; if the recipient hangs up here, they will receive repeated calls back with the same message, potentially up to 18 times or more (according to one callee). If the callee doesn't hang up, they hear a smear message from the machine about the Democratic candidate. The NRCC thinks the legality of the calls is, conveniently, a 'complicated legal question that's not going to get adjudicated this weekend.'" Update 20:47 GMT by SM: Thankfully we all learned how to deal with these folks last week.
"smear message"? (Score:5, Interesting)
I was wondering when this would happen... (Score:4, Interesting)
The phrase "out of touch" comes to mind....BTW - I'm a registered independant, and thinking of going Libertarian.
Suuuuuure it's complicated (Score:5, Interesting)
They're right. It won't get adjudicated this weekend.
However, just like their phone-jamming shenanigans in New Hampshire, it will get adjudicated against their corrupt asses [washingtonpost.com].
So let them have their fun. This kind of crap is exactly why this Republican will be voting against every Republican on tomorrow's ballot.
Funn how my party continues to call the Democratic party one of traitors when it's my party which is undermining democratic principles.
Shouldn't be surprised (Score:3, Interesting)
Here is a little story about a local Republican race here in Minnesota. It is just before the primary, there is a heated race between two individuals for the Rep. Senate nomination. A flier is sent out smearing one candidate, he previously was accused of physically assaulting his daughter, a charge he was later found not guilty of by jury. The flier contained so many false statements it was crazy, to top it off the people who wrote the flier included a graphical logo to make it look like it was sent by our Sheriff's Dept. Unfortunately I was the person who designed that logo for our website. I am the system administrator for that County. Long story short, through my web logs it was discovered that the authors of the flier were members of his own party on the State level. Apparently they felt that the previous accusations against him would be a problem down the line. So they pulled their dirty tricks on one of their own. The best part is that he won the primary. But once again his party stepped in and told him to step aside. He refused and they withheld all party support for his campaign. Just another case of a party that is struggling with scandal doing anything to hold on and keep from falling out of power.
Effective counter measure (Score:1, Interesting)
Not new (Score:4, Interesting)
Its rather a shame that the local republican controlled newspaper made no mention of this in their so-called "bad campaigning expose".
Re:So Slashkos.. what are the Democrats dirty tric (Score:1, Interesting)
By the way, here is a top 10 reasons for voting Republican:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/top10/2
Re:Should do things the DNC way ... (Score:1, Interesting)
North Korea got nukes on Bush's watch?
B-b-but Clinton gave them a (useless for processing) nuclear reactor!
Mark Foley is engaging in predatory activity and the leadership is covering it up?
B-b-but Gary Studds did something similar twenty years ago!
Your party got the country stuck in a quagmire in an unjustified war?
B-b-but Lyndon Johnson was in charge for part of Vietnam!
Your president sees the only net loss of jobs in the history of the country?
B-b-but Jimmy Carter!
In the event that the Democrats manage to (re-)corrupt themselves as badly as this pathetic, thuggish excuse for a legislature has, expect to see the "b-b-but Bush!" defense over and over for a bit as well.
Almost nobody in this country who engages in politics in any sort of high profile manner, and this is especially true of the internet, generally seems to have any shred of decency in their body. Don't be too surprised at the dishonest, illogical, and idiotic things that spout forth from them, such the GP poster's inane comment about the isolated tire-slashing incident (b-b-but Katherine Harris!)
Comment removed (Score:2, Interesting)
This story is amusing... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Please mod this troll (Score:3, Interesting)
Do you expect anything less?
The Rove/Bush machine put fliers all over South Carolina in 2000 during the primaries saying that John McCain had fathered a "black" child.
The Rove/Bush machine sent a debate-prep videotape to Al Gore's headquarters in 2000, hoping to then play the "Gore campaign stole our video tape!" angle that they used against Jimmy Carter in 1980. Only Gore's campaign didn't take the bait and immediately called the media to report it. It turned out that a RNC staffer sent the tape (and took the fall, even though she was doing exactly as her bosses wanted her)
This is how they operate. Republicans always feel the ends justify the means, especially this current batch. It is a pattern in everything they do. They wanted to go into Iraq from the moment they took office, and they didn't care how much they had to lie or trump up false evidence to do it. The ends justified the means.
They feel that this country cannot survive without them in power, so there is no tactic too shameless or illegal that they won't try. In their minds, they MUST remain in power, so they will do anything and everything - even if it involves violating the law - to ensure that they do.
It is why Blackwell in Ohio accused his opponent of being endorsed by NAMBLA. (As Jon Stewart said, "how far do you have to be trailing in the polls to throw out the NAMBLA card?")
It is why supporters of Corker in Tennessee aired an ad indicating that Harold Ford Jr. is interested in white women.
There is no strategy too vile, too shameless, too illegal, too immoral for the Republicans. They represent the worst side of human nature. They are pigs. They know it, and they don't care. Too them, the stakes are too great to allow the Dems to take control of any part of government, and they will lie, cheat, and steal to prevent it from happening.
The ends justify the means.
That is why, if there is any hope of saving this nation from the course it is on, we must fight against them at every turn.
Re:What the hell is wrong with you Americans? (Score:3, Interesting)
So, yeah... anyone who doesn't give a shit, doesn't vote, but they sure can BITCH! Just remember... if you don't go and press a button/pull a lever/sign your name -> YOU CAN'T BITCH!!!!!!!!
I, for one, am not voting for a single solitary soul (not that they have any) that currently is in office. It just pisses me off that because of my precinct, it will all be straight Republicans. Oh, and I'm voting NO on every single ballot issue.
Simple (Score:2, Interesting)
As a side note, I'm a Canadian so I can't vote but I've lived in the U.S. for 7 years and am somewhat active in local politics and government because I live here and have a stake in things too. I can't vote, but I can tell my voting friends what I think on topics and individual politicians and let them decide for themselves.
And this is any different than...... (Score:0, Interesting)
Somehow I think not.
If its wrong for one, its wrong for both. Tell the whole story next time, K thanks.
Democrats and the stock market (Score:4, Interesting)
PS - I didn't get any stinking Bush tax cut. I'm not rich enough. Repeal the damn thing already!
I just called! Re:Conquest Communication Group (Score:3, Interesting)
Another Republican smear (Score:3, Interesting)
Cell phone spamming too (Score:1, Interesting)
Really effective stuff too. I dont even live in the area served by either of these candidates. My dad does though...he'll be voting for the democrat sight unseen...another case of voting for "not the spammer".
Other resources (Score:5, Interesting)
The Dems are On this [dailykos.com], filing one of the only C&D letters I've actually supported. Kinda brilliant of the NeoCons, really -- they hire an impersonator to make a fake 5 minute message, robocall it at 11 PM till 4 AM, make it long enough that most people hang up long before they hear the "paid for by the Republicans" message at the end, and, well, it's just brilliant. Too bad the Democrats are too ethical to try something like this themselves.
Jim Webb's campaign is also being specifically targeted by this, in what is probably a "test run" by Karl Rove. Robo calls are reporting that people will get arrested if they vote, that their locations have changed, pamphlets are being handed out telling black people not to bother voting, and the Voting Machines are set up to "accidently" mess Mr. Webb's name up. [dailykos.com] Even the Board of Elections are saying these efforts are Widespread and Deliberate [americanchronicle.com] (and, oh yeah, ILLEGAL).
Kinda a pity that the Republicans are so afraid of the United States Citizens voices being heard that they have to resort to such disgusting efforts to repress the vote. Of course, having seen this the last 3 elections in a row, this isn't a real surprise.
Re:If you're going to rip of MAD magazine... (Score:3, Interesting)
MAD Magazine may have expanded it further, but it's based on a alleged real event.
George Smathers [wikipedia.org] was alleged to have given a similar speech to rural Florida audiences when challenging incumbent Claude Pepper [wikipedia.org] in the 1950 Democratic primary for a US Senate seat.
However, it was not reported at the time by Florida newspapers and a $10,000 reward offered (by Smathers) to anyone that could prove it has gone unclaimed. The story was probably intended to poke fun at rural Florida (and Southern) voters, rather than Smathers.