Posted on 10/20/2010 12:44:17 AM PDT by American Dream 246
Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher reports voter intimidation in Harris County, Texas (Houston) by volunteer poll watchers trained by King Street Patriots, a local non-partisan group who started the True The Vote campaign. Tommy leads with this inflammatory paragraph saying:
In a story that’s sure to draw comparisons to the New Black Panther Party member who brandished a nightstick at a Philadelphia polling place in 2008, a Tea Party group called the King Street Patriots has been accused of “1960s style” voter intimidation in primarily minority precincts on the first day of early voting in Texas. The group is being sued by the Texas Democratic Party, following the filing of 14 voter intimidation complaints with the county clerk, and another two dozen with the Texas Democratic Party chairman.
Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of King’s Street Patriots strongly denies the allegations and noted that it was absurd that “little old ladies” would be intimidating anyone. She says that one 65 year old woman poll watcher came back from poll watching, after being kicked out for simply being present–itself a violation of the law–in tears.
Engelbrecht also notes that King’s Street Patriots learned they were being sued by the Texas Democratic Party at 11 a.m. yesterday morning when not one poll watcher had yet been removed and not one complaint sent to the county about any untoward actions.
In one instance, three poll watchers were yelled at by a Democrat Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee who said,”Why are you here? We have never had poll watchers here. Ya’ll need to get on out of here.”
Lee then demanded that the polling place judge give him information about the three poll watchers and the presiding judge complied–giving him their private information. The three poll watchers now fear for their safety and wonder what will be done with their personal information which included their phone numbers and home addresses.
Tommy Christopher, who, it should be noted is a White House correspondent and not a Texas native nor a Texas reporter, makes an outrageous linkage to the Philadelphia Black Panther case. In that case, Black Panther members were armed and preventing people from voting.
The alleged cases here in Houston are unsupported accusations with no documentation and no video or audio proof. Meanwhile, the poll watchers themselves report being yelled at and harassed, told to leave, and intimidated.
Catherine Engelbrecht expressed frustration about the situation–about being sued, about the constant barrage of negative national media and the misunderstanding around the purpose of True The Vote.
“We want everyone to have a free and fair election,” Englebrecht said. “That’s all we want. We are 100% innocent.”
Houston blogger Kevin Whited notes that it looks like the “Colorado Model” is being brought to Harris County, Texas. He goes on to explain:
Of course, Matt Angle features in The Blueprint, a fine piece of political journalism that describes how a handful of committed millionaire progressives managed to flip formerly reliably Republican Colorado to the Dems over a few election cycles, through strategic funding of down-ballot political races, creation of a loose network of “independent” news organizations and “ethics” groups to pound targeted opponents, and liberal use (no pun intended) of the legal system to tie up ostensibly conservative organizations. Angle all but promised to bring the Colorado Model to Texas, in the form of his Lone Star Project (and associated groups).
And if you begin to connect the dots locally — as Cory Crow also does — you can see elements of the Colorado Model at work, right here in Harris County. Now, There’s nothing illegal or unethical per se about the model. In many ways, The Blueprint is a great political novel that just happens to be true. However, given the state political media’s occasional interest in the influence of big money in politics (when it happens to be a donor like, say, Bob Perry), it would be nice to see that same interest extend to progressive big money and the machinations of nominally “independent” front groups.
Another local Houston blogger, Cory Crow does connect the dots:
It’s interesting to note that, on the same day the HCDP added KSP to their lawsuit the George Soros/Matt Angle backed Texans for Public Justice filed an ethics complaint against KSP based almost entirely on reporting found in another Colorado Model media outlet, The American Independent, which was then dutifully carried by another Colorado Model “news” outlet The Texas Tribune which conveniently forgot to disclose TPJ’s funding ties to Texas Democratic king-maker Matt Angle.*
So we have several (allegedly) Democratic partisan groups suing and filing ethics complaints against an (allegedly) Republican partisan group for (allegedly) performing the exact same actions they’re (allegedly) involved in.
Now, to connect the dots even further. Earlier today, I noted that The Texas Tribune just partnered with the New York Times who has just opened a Texas division. From Poynter Online there’s this:
In addition to Texas Tribune’s public policy reporting, the Times plans to publish some cultural and lifestyles coverage in the new regional pages. Evan Smith, who was a longtime editor of Texas Monthly before becoming editor of Texas Tribune, will commission and edit the additional content separately from his duties at the Tribune.
The Democrats seem to want to make Texas a battleground state–by any means necessary. The only sticking point has been a small grassroots organization simply wanting to make sure Harris County elections are free and fair.
No doubt, this is not the last we’ve heard on this story.
Yeah, I’m wondering where all those mythical bad-ass Texans are with the “this is Texas” talk. Texas is being Alinskied right in front of them. Just like California, 15-20 years ago. California was Reagan Country.
Someone needs to file for an Emergency injunction with a friendly Texas judge. TODAY...
I doubt it. The people who riot are the losers who are being paid to riot - and in this country, they're the Democrat party.
Our rebellion will come in the form of tax rebellion or just shutting down commerce and Going Galt.
Have any of you attended the Boot Camp training provided by True The Vote?
I went and was very impressed.
They pointed out several new scams used to vote multiple times. None of the vote fraud scams work if there is a Republican Alternate Judge or Poll Watcher STANDING THERE OBSERVING AND COMPLAINING.
The crooked dim Election Judges and Clerks KNOW that most of the the things they are doing to cheat are FELONIES. The fear the DA and jail.
Please join those of us in the trenches. Volunteer, get the training, and prevent the VOTE FRAUD!
Texas is being Alinskied right in front of them. Just like California, 15-20 years ago. California was Reagan Country.
So when are the charges going to be filed against El Franco?
You can vote on Sunday?
Anytime the Democrats LOSE they claim “stolen election”.
Whenever they win, they claim “mandate”!
El Franco Lee VIOLATED THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE!
Politicians can ONLY go into the polling place to VOTE. He is not allowed to SPEAK to a Poll Watcher, much less harass or intimidate them.
Harassing or attempting to intimidate a Poll Watcher is a crime.
Where the hell is the DA? They should have had an investigator down there ASAP.
bttt
Between now and election, we have to have info like this at our fingertips. We have to know what to look for and what to do....inside, outside and around the polling places.
I hope the mods will evaluate all articles reporting on such incidents as to how they may be pertinent to election day....and allow them to be highlighted on breaking news if significant.
It's cookie-crunching time, folks.
Leni
Anytime the Democrats LOSE they claim “stolen election”.
Whenever they win, they claim “mandate”!
Posted before I saw your post.
If the DA won’t prosecute, we gotta get louder.
80% of the people at True the Vote training were men.
The toughest guys are going to the toughest parts of time. I spoke to an elderlly jarhead that they WILL NOT intimidate. Affable fellow, but huge.
BTW, don’t diss Texas women. I met a lot of them that El Franco Lee could not intimidate.
Those little old ladies should have called the cops and asked them to arrest him.
I know several that would be Mr. Lee's undoing.
Without exception, all from Texas.
Interesting note, have you ever noted the location of posters that consistently badmouth Texas? It is an interesting pattern. Not without exceptions, but a definite trend.
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Yes, no blue laws in Nevada. Early voting opened last Saturday.
Nah, it's usually "voters too dumb".
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