Posted on 10/25/2004 11:37:20 PM PDT by conservative in nyc
CAMPAIGN OFFICES
iting incidents of violence at Bush campaign offices around the country, Republicans are asserting Democratic partisans have deliberately tried to intimidate voters, potentially storing ammunition for future arguments about the fairness of the election.
Yesterday, the Bush campaign provided a list of more than 40 examples it said had occurred since July, including the burglary from campaign offices of several items: two laptop computers in Seattle; a banner in Thousand Oaks, Calif.; petty cash in Spokane, Wash.; as well as break-ins last Friday in both Flagstaff, Ariz., and Cincinnati.
Also included were examples of lesser crimes including the defacement or theft of supporters' lawn signs as well as broken windows, slashed tires, shots fired, bullet holes and thrown eggs at campaign offices.
In addition, the campaign's "timeline of protests, violence and intimidation against Bush-Cheney '04" also lists 15 mostly nonviolent but sometimes confrontational protests organized by the A.F.L.-C.I.O. at various Bush campaign offices on Oct. 5 to deliver petitions protesting changes in the rules for overtime pay. In one effort to force their way into an Orlando campaign office, union protestors sprained the arm of a Republican field director.
"I don't know if it is an organized effort or not," Christine Iverson, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said. "But clearly these are attacks targeted at Republican voters, which attempt to intimidate them into not expressing their views and participating in the political process."
On Oct. 11, former Gov. Marc Racicot of Montana, chairman of the Bush campaign, sent a letter to John Sweeney, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., suggesting a possible connection between the labor protests and other incidents. "I hope you will put an end to protest activities that have led to injuries, property damage, vandalism and voter intimidation," Mr. Racicot wrote.
Denise Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the A.F.L.-C.I.O., called the allegations "outrageous," accusing Republicans of "trying to confuse the issue about who is really blocking voters' rights on Election Day."
Republicans and Democrats are dispatching armies of lawyers to polling places to lay the groundwork for fights over reports of voter fraud and intimidation if the election proves close. But Republicans, who typically benefit from smaller voter turnout, are more focused on charging fraud and challenging potential voters.
Voter intimidation is typically raised by Democrats, who benefit from higher turnout. This year, Republicans have made public a Colorado Democratic Party handbook suggesting that even without immediate evidence of intimidation, Democratic operatives might launch "a pre-emptive strike" by having local minority leaders discuss the issue.
In response to the Bush campaign's incident list, Democrats countered with a list of 19 incidents aimed at the campaign of Senator John Kerry, including a bullet that was fired into a supporter's house, graffiti at campaign offices, the smashing of a mailbox bearing Kerry campaign stickers and the theft of a laptop in Norristown, Pa.
Phil Singer, a spokesman for the Kerry campaign, called all the events isolated incidents. "There is a lot of passion, and we shouldn't let these incidents taint what appears to be one of the most energetic electorates in decades," he said.
The Bush campaign is much more focused on the issue. It has set up a hot line to collect information about any examples of "intimidation or harassment" of Republican voters or "destruction of Bush-Cheney property."
A group of 50 Republicans in the House led by Representative Tom Feeney of Florida sent a letter on Oct. 7 to Attorney General John Ashcroft suggesting the existence of "a plan to intimidate volunteers who were supporting their candidate" and requesting an investigation.
If the situation was reversed, the headline would be, "Republicans Attack Democratic Headquarters."
Bottom of A-22 underneath the Foley's bra ads??
Our Young Republicans office here in Pasco, Florida was egged a couple of weeks ago. It took quite a bit of time to clean.
These people are pigs.
And all this time we thought it was French hooligans looking for cash to buy more Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape.
It's definitely not Front Page news in the Slimes (that's reserved for the Iraqi "lost" weapons, Geneva Convention and Bubba Revival stories, with a picture of Bubba and John Kerry taking the upper left eighth of the page). I don't know where this story appears, though.
It would be Macy's, Bloomingdale's or Lord & Taylor, not Foley's here.
Gee, ya think...!
Well, it sure smacks of the way they left the White House after Clinton vacated!
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