Posted on 12/05/2002 10:31:12 AM PST by geedee
The party of vote fraud is at it again: Democrats perpetrated "serious irregularities" in South Dakota's scandal-plagued U.S. Senate election last month, United Press International revealed today.
Republican poll watchers and workers witnessed sleaze aplenty:
Three people being offered money for voting for incumbent Democrat Sen. Tim Johnson, who supposedly eked out a 528-vote victory.
Voters giving two or three names to election personnel before finding a name that matched on the voter rolls, which they would use to cast their ballot.
Democrat operatives organizing voter rides from inside the polling place. The Republican Senate candidate, U.S. Rep. John Thune, quickly caved in after the Nov. 5 election. Thune's decision does not mean the fraud has gone away, a party spokesman told UPI.
"Other entities are looking into the possibility of voter fraud," said the Republican National Committee's Jim Dyke. "The RNC is very interested in investigating fraud and putting a stop to it if they find it."
Johnson's campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, denied wrongdoing and claimed the campaign was conducted honestly.
South Dakota's incoming secretary of state, Chris Nelson, a Republican, said he wasn't aware of any investigation into illegalities.
"If somebody's got evidence of such they need to file a complaint with law enforcement," he said after UPI outlined the allegations.
After Thune refused to seek a recount, conservatives criticized the decision because voters had been deprived of their franchise. "Some Republicans say privately they believe Thune did not pursue the matter because he feared the political ramifications would prevent him from challenging Tom Daschle in 2004 should the Democrats' Senate leader seek re-election," UPI reported.
$10 a vote
Key to Johnson's alleged victory was Democrat fraud on Indian reservations. Chicago and other major cities aren't the only places where Democrat criminals "register" dead people to "vote."
Todd County, home to Rosebud Indian Reservation, was a center of vote fraud.
"You know what the going rate was around here? Ten bucks," said Ed Assman, a retired state highway patrol lieutenant, who served as a Republican poll watcher at the Parmalee Precinct in Todd County. "There were several affidavits signed by Natives who either took money or were offered the money."
UPI obtained copies of affidavits taken by the Republicans from two women and one man, all American Indians, who said: "I was promised $10 if I would go vote. I was given a ride to the polls in a van with Tim Johnson for Senate signs in the window. The name of the van driver was Terry. After I voted, the van took me back from the polling place. When Terry dropped me off, he offered me $10 for voting."
It is a Class 2 misdemeanor in South Dakota for any person to pay money to induce a voter to vote. Asked whether there was any scenario under which a payment would be acceptable, Nelson, the incoming secretary of state, said: "No. Not if $10 was in exchange for voting."
Money Is 'Not an Object' for Democrat Crooks
Assman said he saw cash exchanging hands between a Democrat poll watcher and the driver of a van used to transport Johnson's supporters to the polls.
"Right in front of me at one point," he said. "I had another gentleman there with me, and he called it to their attention, that it was inappropriate. I said to [a Democrat poll watcher], 'Boy you're spending a lot of money today,' in reference to the vans. There must've been 50 vans on the reservation. He said money was not an object, that they had unlimited funds."
UPI outlined the allegation to Hildebrand, manager of Johnson's campaign, who said: "I want the name of the van driver alleged to have paid people to vote. And I won't respond to the charge until I see an affidavit from him saying he did it. Three people claiming to have been paid isn't good enough for me to comment."
Republicans also reported at least 30 incidents where a name given by a potential voter could not be located on the voter registration list. The poll watchers say these people were then asked if they might be registered under another name. A search for a second or third name would take place until a match allowing the person to vote could be found.
South Dakota election law says anyone impersonating a registered voter is guilty of a felony.
Similar incidents of voter fraud have been reported in Shannon County, home of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and many sources say it was "much worse" there, UPI noted.
The issue now: Will gutless Republicans whimper quietly, as usual, or finally do something about Democrat election thieves?
I'll try to not be so enthusiastic in the future. I hate SPAM as much as anyone.
Whimper quietly, as usual.
Otherwise, as long as you search, this is fine post. Pinging Dan of UPI for his information, seeing UPI referenced here.....
I heard that Trent Lott is so mad that he is going to refuse to pay next time he has lunch with Ted Kennedy. Not only that, he was heard to say "shuckey darn, they cheated us again". Rumor has it that he was so hot, his hairpiece needed cleaning. Watch out for Big Bad Trent when he is mad.
Here is what will happen, if anything. The FEC will take about 4 or 5 years to "investigate" this. They will either whitewash the whole thing, or maybe a few Indians somewhere out on a reservation in the middle of nowhere will pay a $50 fine or something. And Johnson and the Rats will take this election to the bank, like they do all they others, and keep that seat for another 6 years, and slaughter the 'Pubs in the next round, because once a Rat gets in there, he's awfully hard to dig out (pumping public largesse into the constituents, you see).
That's why the 'Pubs need to grow a pair and fight like hell (within the rules) for everything. The 'Rats know this and do it all the time, whenever they can. But I think in the end Thune and the 'Pubs will play the gentlemanly "good losers" and let it go. Well, heck, guys, this is politics, and like the man says, show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser. As long as the Pubbies keep rolling over for the Rats on fraud like this, the Rats will keep gigging them.
Simply put, the Democrats know from experience that there is very little risk in vote fraud - - nobody proscecutes, nobody goes to jail, and nobody in government really seems to give a crap - - so why not cheat? The Republicans better figure out something quick. Beat the scumbags at their own game. I've always said that Republicans need to have the spine to go down, down, way down to the bottom of the cesspool and fight the Democrats where they live.
Todd County, home to Rosebud Indian Reservation, was a center of vote fraud.
"You know what the going rate was around here? Ten bucks," said Ed Assman, a retired state highway patrol lieutenant, who served as a Republican poll watcher at the Parmalee Precinct in Todd County. "There were several affidavits signed by Natives who either took money or were offered the money."
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