Johnnie Mclean, Deputy Director of the N.C. Board of Elections, is steamed.
This morning, Republican National Committee chief counsel Sean Cairncross and spokesman Danny Diaz told reporters on a conference call that voter registration fraud is "rampant" in North Carolina. The culprit, they said, is ACORN, the Chicago-based community organizer under scrutiny for such fraud in several states.
How rampant is it in N.C.?
Not at all, Mclean told The Ballot moments ago.
"It just hit my last nerve, I think," she says.
The Board of Elections has identified 135 fraudulent registration applications out of about 700,000 received this election season, Mclean says. Those bogus applications, she says, appear to have created "by a lazy worker" hired by ACORN.
One of the applications came from Mecklenburg County, 104 from Durham County, and 30 from Wake County. None of the applications made it into the statewide database.
ACORN has submitted about 18,000 new applications this year. "They really have tried to improve the process over the years," Mclean said.
RNC spokesman Diaz argued that a percentage of the false forms may end up leading to voter fraud. Experts and election officials say that fictionalized voter registrations rarely result in people casting ballots.
As for the N.C. claims, says Mclean: "For somebody to say that with no apparent evidence to support it, it just doesn't do very much to establish trust in the elections process."
(hat tip to the News & Observer's Ryan Teague Beckwith for RNC call.)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
"Rampant" N.C. fraud? No, says irked official
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28 comments:
Just another ploy by Republican strategists. They attempt to distract the electorate from the present economic and military messes for which they are responsible; they refuse to present solutions for the American public to assess; and they are searching for a reason to pin the blame on when they are thoroughly repudiated by the American voter on Nov. 4.
is there any way you can take your photo off the front page or atleast change it every so often, every time i check out the site the most prominent thing on the page is you.
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As for the N.C. claims, says Mclean: "For somebody to say that with no apparent evidence to support it, it just doesn't do very much to establish trust in the elections process."
ACORN has added a lot of distrust to the elections process. To think fraud didn't occur in ACORN's registrations here would be very surprising.
Anon, 4:15:
I suspect you're not alone in wanting that. A family member says I look smug!
But sorry, blogs with photos is the Observer way for now. Maybe we can change them up.
Peter
The GOP is always looking for somebody else to blame for their shortcomings and taking no reponsibility for their own actions. They know Obama has a double digit lead because he is focusing on the issues that matter to Americans. The GOP seems to have nothing left but divisive rhetoric and it is not helping the campaign. The only way McCain can reestablish his character at tonight's debate is to apologize for people at his campaign rallies chanting hateful things while the head of the GOP in Va encourages McCain's campaigners to link Obama with terrorists (like William Ayers is a terrorist). McCain's campaign is trailing a stench of divisive and non-constructive rhetoric that could lead to some nut shooting an Obama supporter...
This is just another example of shameful Republican party actions that America has witnessed over the past months. The comments by Sean Cairncross are biased, inflammatory, undermine the confidence in the electorial process, and are completely inappropriate coming from a person's who's role is to serve as RNC chief counsel, rather than someone who is leading campaign smear tactics. I am saddened at the Machiavellian approach by republicans to this election year and the clear lack of ethics. At a time when our country and world need sound leadership and an American president with integrity, we, instead, get a campaign led by a man who can't be faithful and honest with his own family, will stop at nothing to get elected, and will try to disguise his lack of morals/ethics by calling himself a "Maverick". I respect and thank John McCain for his past service and sacrifices to this county, but he certainly has not shown himself to be someone who takes to heart our constitution and society mores unless it serves to benefit him. Can McCain and Palin say the words, "In God We Trust" without winking...I doubt it.
Yes, another lie by the republicans to scare people. The only tactics the republicans know is lies, forceful yelling and fear based manipulation.
DO YOU REALLY WANT that kind of ilk running the United States? Or is the fear based police state what you want?
What really irritates me is that the Republicans are positioning themselves to cry "fraud" before the election even takes place. It's clear that they're hopelessly behind so they want the next-best thing: to be able to call for the election to be overturned.
When did the GOP become the party of whiners and excuse makers?
SELL THE LIAR WHO SAYS NO FRAUD THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE!
Good time for a commenting reminder: Let's watch for over-the-top namecalling, plus falsehoods, etc. If you have a question, email me. Thx.
so this guys saying he's incompetent, not catching hardly any of the known fraud so far.
from the party that thinks its wrong to have to show ID at Voting booth, gives ACORN 800k and is under investigation in states all over the nation.
The purpose of enrolling the bogus voters(Mickey Mouse) isn't so they can necessarily get the vote, but to create an environment where "John Smith of 1300 Main Street" slides under the radar in the confusion.
With ACORN's track record, why wouldn't you think there would be fraud in other states they were involved in registering voters....oh wait it's not fraud, it's just a mistake, someone didn't understand the rules....didn't we just here this a few months back with Mr. Mackey??? But again that wasn't the democrats fault, it was the GOP for asking questions
What is it they want? Voter registration is over. I guess they think the bad ACORN publicity and Obama's "guilt by association" will have people voting for McCain. They risk having citizens think the elections, hence, the next government, are illegitimate. This isn't good for the country.
I have not seen the Observer report on all the hateful rhetoric stenching up the Obama campign trail, but it is a fact. The head of the GOP in Va did say that Obama and Bin Laden have "friends in common who bombed the pentagon" and gave similar talking points to McCain campaign workers in Gainesville Va. According to the Richmond news, McCain was campaigning there yesterday and claimed that the remarks were made by somebody who is unknown. How much money has that unknown head of the GOP helped raise for McCain in Va? The result is that ignorant voters get their terrorist button pushed and have chanted at McCain and Palin town meetings that Obama is a terrorist and even "Kill Obama". Those people should be removed from those meetings immediately and the head of the Va GOP should be removed from his position, but this has not happened and the GOP hate-mongering continues. Not quite the class act from McCain and Palin that Obama is showing...
The GOP needs to take responsibility for their low poll numbers and for the hateful and divisive rhetoric stenching up their campaign trail
"The purpose of enrolling the bogus voters(Mickey Mouse) isn't so they can necessarily get the vote, but to create an environment where "John Smith of 1300 Main Street" slides under the radar in the confusion."
That implies that ACORN is in league with an army of John Smiths who, at risk of being jailed, try to "slide under the radar" at the polls.
Can you provide any evidence whatsoever that this is the case -- that there are indeed a bunch of fake voters being directed by ACORN to take advantage of this situation?
If you can't provide evidence, I would kindly ask you to retract the accusation. This is America, you don't just go around accusing people without any kind of evidence.
Wow, The dems are not only accused of condoning (or possibly) encouraging fraud, but the dems on this board post messages that condem the Republicans for complaining about or being concerned about voter fraud. Incredible, but typical, attempt to make people think that THEY are wrong when they catch someone else doing dishonest things. Un- believable.
The Dems will win this race because they are focusing on the issues that matter to Americans. The GOP is losing by double digits because they focus on the wrong things...
This is so typical of what we're hearing from the righteous wing.
Smoke and mirrors. Distractions. Irrelevancies.
Let's cut to the chase here.
OK, so how many "fraudulent registrations" actually result in a fraudulent vote?
Apparently no one in NC is stupid enough to put Mickey Mouse in the statewide database or to show up and vote as Mickey Mouse.
And the "experts" say that these fictionalized registrations rarely result in someone casting a ballot.
It seems to me that this is the real question.
But no one seems to ask it.
-anon1
The biggest fraud in this election is Barry Obama.
Patriot said:
"This is America, you don't just go around accusing people without any kind of evidence."
I wish that were true, but so many people see how effective that tactic has been so it has become very common now.
Rumor has become Truth as no one bothers to research anything that they "instinctively" agree with.
Critical thinking skills are at an all-time low.
If it sounds good, it's true.
That one poll showing that something like 20% of a certain religious subgroup believe Obama is Muslim (despite all evidence to the contrary) tells me a lot.
There are people out there who actually believe they can manufacture a "reality" by spreading lies.
Is it any wonder this country is going down the tubes so quickly?
-anon1
Anonymous 4:55 PM,
Read Peter's post again.
"Republican National Committee chief counsel Sean Cairncross and spokesman Danny Diaz told reporters on a conference call that voter registration fraud is 'rampant' in North Carolina."
We know these Republicans lied because the person who would know, the Deputy Director of the N.C. Board of Elections, said there isn't 'rampant' voter registration fraud. He is steamed about the lie being told to the press.
Why don't you condemn the lying?
to the posting " economic and military messes for which they are responsible"?? How about the Democrats and "community organizers" that forced bad loans upon the financial institutions to begin with? Barney Frank and the uber liberals said there is no risk involved with sub prime loans and then resisted regulation efforts as nothing more than political lynching.
How about looking beyond Rolling Stone for your information. The mortgage crisis is the result of a failed social experiment, of which we can expect more of under Oblama
The problems at Fannie Mae date back to 2001 when the earnings were misrepresented so their CEO's could get their bonuses. While a few individuals from both parties called for regulation - the majority of both did not. The executives were prominent representaives of both parties because that ensured FNM maximum leverage on Capitol Hill. These executives had personal chefs and fires laid in their six office fireplaces in the morning. The real estate bubble, the one thing that gave the middle class an economic step up, was created by bipartisan greed. Dan Mudd, the CEO since 2004 is a well-connected republican and Phil Gram, McCain's economic adivisor supported less regulation while Andrew Cuomo, the Dem head at HUD at one time, gave them as much grief as anybody. Rick Davis, McCain's campign chair, received money from lobbying his firm did for FNM through most of the summer. If voters think they are being responsible by getting their infor from You Tube and misleading ads they need to know it is as wrong as the allegations that voter fraud is rampant in NC...
It's a bit odd to me that the people who are now screaming "fraud" are the same people who were all for Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos".
Remember that little charade?
Rushies were supposed to register as Democrats and vote for Hillary to screw over the other side.
I know someone who actually did this and admitted it.
I wouldn't be surprised to find that people of a similar ilk are behind a lot of the bogus registrations.
Just because ACORN is a "liberal" organization doesn't mean that "liberals" are the ones throwing the monkey wrench into the system.
We've already seen who was willing to stoop to deception in the primaries.
Why not again?
-anon1
I bet if a republican said something nice or good about obama, all of his supporters would say that it is a lie!!!!
Yeah, those 15 year olds and others were very upset when they learned that they really could not vote. The 15 year old actually questioned the person doing the registration and that person tried to convince the kid that he could vote. The son's mother had to tell him that it was all a big mistake. What an education!!!! sounds like those educations that you get in chicago!!! wink, wink
Well something stinks with Mecklenburg County elections. We have had 2 out of the last 3 county commission races at large where votes suddenly appeared shortly after midnight that threw a democrat into office.
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