Deja vu, King County, Washington "discovers" new ballots

This is one of the articles from Milwaukee Journal that says 7 persons arrested so far. I read on another site that one was from Virginia (I am in Falls Church, Va.) and one was the son of the newly elected Democratic congresswoman.

http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=27209

Google News search might find you the names but if I can find them I will send them on.

Here is more stuff on who was arrested from The Washington Times for Nov. 11:

Democratic activists
Milwaukee police are focusing on Democratic activists, including the children of two prominent politicians, in the Election Day slashing of tires on 20 vans and cars rented by the Republican Party.
Opel E. Simmons III, 33, a veteran Democratic Party activist from Virginia, was arrested last week and released two days later without being charged, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Sowande Ajumoke Omokunde, also known as Supreme Solar Allah, was arrested and held for several hours on Friday. The 25-year-old is the son of state Sen. Gwen Moore, who was elected to Congress on the day of the incident.
Police also were interested in talking to Michael Pratt, son of former acting Mayor Marvin Pratt, who led Sen. John Kerry's Milwaukee campaign, the newspaper said.
Lewis Gibson Caldwell III also surrendered to police in connection with damage to the vehicles, which were intended to transport voters to the polls.

LOL This is BIG! I have a meeting tomorrow night with local group members here in the *Richmond* area. I can't wait to tell them.
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!

"OPE" GAVE THIS INTERVIEW October 28, 2004

Democrats Counting On Black Turnout
Kerry Backers Push For Swing-State Edge

October 28, 2004
By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief

MILWAUKEE -- With Judge Judy providing the background noise on the little TV, Izie Johnson tells the Kerry patrol why he may not vote.

"I don't like any of 'em," he says as he surveys the Wonder Bread selection at Young's Grocery. State Rep. Lena Taylor pounces. She's not going to let him go until he says he's voting - and voting for the Democratic nominee.

"I'll vote local. I'll vote for you," Johnson says with a look that tells Taylor to back off.

Taylor will not relent. "Fine then," she says, leaning gently toward the older man. "I need you to vote for president for me."

And so it goes - another stop in the Kerry strategy for victory that is, in part, based on turning out massive numbers of black voters, and especially in places such as Milwaukee's black community. It's a mission that often means one person at a time, one argument at a time.

If African Americans turn out in heavy numbers, Kerry strategists reason, it will be the cushion they need not only here, but in key states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

The community, in turn, is motivated as rarely before. The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies this month found President Bush's favorability rating among African Americans at 30 percent - and Kerry's at 78 percent.

"This year is different from any other year I've seen," said David Bositis, center senior research associate.

Black leaders cite Bush's economic policies as harmful, and note strong African American opposition to Iraq. And they bristle at Bush's skipping NAACP meetings and what they see as cool relations with the Congressional Black Caucus.

But there is this cautionary note: Black anger with Republican presidential candidates is nothing new, and since the 1960s, GOP nominees usually get about 10 to 12 percent of the vote. Bush got 9 percent in 2000.

The problem for Democrats has historically been getting people to the polls. Traditionally, said veteran organizer Opel E. Simmons III, the community gets some help from the nominee. But it's usually assumed black leaders will do the job and get people to vote, and campaigns generally devote time, money and effort to so-called swing voters elsewhere.

Not this time. People such as Simmons were brought into the campaign early and helped plot strategy across all demographic lines. In Milwaukee, the heart of a state that could very well determine who wins the presidency, Simmons has a corps of 250 people canvassing - 10 times as many as in 2000.

His army has knocked on 94,000 doors on Milwaukee's predominantly black North Side, and will finish knocking on all 125,000 by Friday. Then they'll spend the weekend going back to selected homes.

Bush campaign officials believe they can blunt this movement with the president's conservative social agenda - something that appeals to many blacks.

The administration's faith-based initiatives have won Bush some support among black ministers, influential voices in the community, though in Milwaukee and elsewhere church leaders are generally backing Kerry. Bush's strong opposition to gay marriage has proven popular with some older blacks, and his tax cuts resonated with the wealthy.

What aids Kerry in his quest for black votes is not just the fact that he's not Bush - and that's a powerful motivator - but a series of unique national and local efforts.

The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation's Unity '04 Program, a coalition of dozens of leading civil rights organizations, says it has registered more than 1 million African Americans. Sunday will be Protect Our Vote and Our Voice day, when black ministers are being asked to talk about the significance of voting - and knowing one's voting rights.

What is really likely to matter most, though, is the kind of effort going on in African American communities like the North Side.

Wednesday a dozen of those who have signed on to a sturdy coalition of paid and volunteer canvassers piled into a white Ford van to head for Brewer's Hill on the North Side.

The van headed for Buffum Street, and when the crew saw Sonja Carroll raking leaves outside her little red brick townhouse, it was time to mobilize.

Carroll, standing in a pile of crunchy yellow leaves, told them not to worry, she was going to vote for Kerry. She lost her job as a pharmacy technician, was out of work for two years, and now was a customer service representative.

"Everything went downhill since Bush came into office," she said.

The pleasant neighborhood with 50-year-old bungalows, some with silver aluminum siding, some with yellow, seemed to have nothing but Kerry backers. Canvassers used the personal touch - at Susan Smith's house, Willie McGhee noted he had played against her son in basketball when they went to rival high schools.

Some folks would not be moved. Store owner Liduina Estrenera declared herself "very confused." Sensing she did not want to be pushed hard, canvasser Hazel Jones just left a flier - full of pictures of black children and grandparents urging a vote for Kerry. And canvasser Will Taylor offered a ride to the polls - a necessity in an election this close.

That's why, 10 minutes after the others had left Young's Grocery, Lena Taylor was still there jawing with Izie Johnson.

All of a sudden, she came racing out of the place, her voice rising joyfully. "The Supreme Court! He bought the argument about the Supreme Court!" she said with a big broad smile. "He's going to vote!"

http://www.ctnow.com/news/politics/hc-wisconsin1028.artoct28,0,178514.story?coll=hc-headlines-politics

When is a Republican Candidate going over to the hardware store, equipping his boys with ax-handles, and taking this to the streets?

Of course this is fraud. The DEMOSOBs merely waited until they knew how many they needed. BTW, save one whack up the side of the head for those dratted Libertarians.