Posted on 10/08/2004 11:24:06 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
Jim Mogen has three weeks to find 600 lawyers.
Every day now, in a blitz of phone calls and e-mails, the St. Paul DFL party chairman is rushing to recruit and train an army of volunteers from law firms and law schools for a high-stakes mission: to watch for any hint of trouble at precincts in every corner of the state on Election Day -- and to pounce on it.
"This effort is 100 times bigger than before," he said. "The presidential race in 2000 really opened our eyes to what can happen."
Mogen's challenge is part of a huge undertaking unfolding in Minnesota and many other states.
Fearing a replay of the vote-counting chaos that convulsed Florida four years ago and that ultimately forced the Supreme Court to resolve the presidential election, neither party nor any political groups are taking chances with this Nov. 2 vote.
They are lawyering up with a vengeance.
The Republican National Lawyers Association already has held a weekend seminar on new election laws and procedures for several hundred attorneys from across the country. GOP officials also are assembling legal teams in every battleground state to monitor thousands of precincts where they believe there are risks of voting irregularities.
Earlier this week, the Democratic National Committee created a task force of lawyers to keep close watch on state and local preparations for the election. It also is organizing "SWAT" teams of lawyers that will be sent on a moment's notice anywhere voting problems arise.
At the University of Minnesota law school next week, a group affiliated with People for the American Way will hold the first of four election-training sessions it is planning this month for scores of attorneys it will either dispatch to polling places or have on call.
'Brand-new world'
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
"I've never seen anything like this. It's a brand-new world," said Helen Palmer, president of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota. "I think we're all still in shock from what happened in Florida."
The idea that we have to do this just sickens me!
Very sad day indeed when we have the UN showing up to make sure our polls go right. Now we are employing how many lawyers. Well, by george, I bet unemployment will go down!
Thank you for the giggle that indeed was funny!
The one bright spot may be that all this "legal" presence will spook the dem cheaters bad enough that they may not show up.
It apparently worked in Maryland in 2002.
I'll be more than happy to show them the door if they come to the precinct that I work at on Election Day. With a school police officer on site, there should be enough concern to get them off site given the security threats we're living with and having unknown people just "hanging around."
"Doesn't Lawyer Season start on November 3rd? ;)"
I don't think lawyers are "deer/dear" to anyone.
It is my understanding that the attorneys (at least on our side) will simply be available for phone calls in an emergency. I know that in WI, we are recruiting 1 attorney for each honest county and lots for the 25 targeted areas that are urban and university.
The 72 Hr trainings are in the next couple of weeks...it varies by state and region w/in the state. Call GOP HQ and take the training, so you know what can and can't be expected on Election Day.
In my county, the election workers are experienced and vigilant and honest, so we are dispensing w/poll watchers, freeing up resources for the Dem-controlled and university precincts. The attorneys in some of the rural areas are not educated as to election law, are wimps, are politically unreliable (will pander to whomever has the Courthouse) and belong to corrupt old boy networks. In several counties, the campaign will assign attorneys from out of the area, AFAIK.
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