From CNN – Republican Tells of How He Rigged an Election

I am posting this to again show folks that we need to persevere on November 4th.  Obviously if you can vote early do so.  If you are like me and have to wait till election day, just be ready for any and everything.  This is only ONE of the things that is shown publicly have happened.  Be ready to “stay the course” and finish the job of electing Senator Obama.

And somebody tell these fake ass republicans to back up off of ACORN in the meantime!

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) Allen Raymond is living proof that political dirty tricksters do exist.

The former Republican political operative went to federal prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of phone harassment. He jammed the phone lines of New Hampshire’s Democratic Party on Election Day six years ago.

“The concept was to disrupt lines of communication. That’s a fancy way of saying, ‘make it so the phones didn’t work,’ ” Raymond told CNN recently. “No calls going out. No calls going in.”

We’re not going to give away exactly how Raymond did it. According to federal prosecutors, two top Republican Party officials tapped Raymond’s Virginia-based telemarketing firm for the operation. Raymond then contracted out the job to a private phone bank in Idaho.

Former New Hampshire Democratic Party chairwoman Kathy Sullivan remembers the ensuing flood of hang-up calls that created havoc in her office.

“At first, people had various impressions about what was going on,” Sullivan recalled. “For example, at the Manchester field office, the young man who opened the office thought, ‘The phones are all ringing off the hook. Nobody’s here. I’ve broken the phone system. What did I do wrong?’ And he was on the verge of tears.”

The operation also jammed the lines inside a firefighter’s union hall in Manchester, New Hampshire, where Jeff Duval and other local firefighters were lining up car rides to help senior citizens get to the polls.

“It almost felt to me like an electionmight have been stolen,” Duval said. “I know for a fact that we received calls a few days later from people saying ‘we tried to call you.’ And I say ‘did you get out and vote?’ And they said ‘no.’ ” iReport.com: Are you voting early? Share your story

Looking back, Raymond said he thinks the scheme was ingenious in an “evil genius sort of way.”

In his book, “How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative,” Raymond details how he got caught. An hour and a half into the jamming operation he received an e-mail from a Republican official, frantically telling him to shut down the calls. The e-mail read: “Chairman wishes not to proceed with this project … insists it violates federal law.”

Federal agents eventually paid a visit to Raymond’s office.

Raymond decided to come clean about his role in the operation and cooperate with investigators.

“I felt like I had an obligation and not obligation to my country or obligation to the people in New Hampshire, nothing like that,” Raymond said. “I had a responsibility to my family.”

One of Raymond’s alleged co-conspirators, James Tobin, was a top official with the National Republican Senatorial Committee that year. He went on to serve as George W. Bush’s Northeastern regional re-election chairman in 2004. Tobin was initially convicted. But he succeeded in having that decision overturned by an appellate court. Just last week, Tobin was again indicted in the case on two counts of making false statements to a federal agent. His lawyer had no comment.

Another co-conspirator and former chairman of New Hampshire’s Republican Party, Charles McGee, pleaded guilty to phone harassment in the case and served seven months in prison.

Democrats insist the phone jamming operation in New Hampshire had national implications. The balance of power in the U.S. Senate was on the line that year and the Senate race between Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican John Sununu was decided by just 19,000. Sununu won.

Some state Democrats remain convinced the phone jamming operation resulted in some votes lost.

“I think they were willing to do whatever it took to win, even if that meant breaking the law,” Sullivan said.

“Even if that meant suppressing the votes. So if that means they were trying to steal the election, yes, then they were trying to steal the election.”

Conservative author and Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund points out there are dirty tricksters in both parties.

“No party has a monopoly on virtue,” said Fund.

Fund has also written a book about the problem, “Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens our Democracy.” His book focuses on the allegations facing more liberal groups like ACORN.

Officials at the polls are unprepared for what could be a record turnout on Election Day, according to Fund.

“We need a lot more poll workers this time to handle the enormous crush of new voters,” said Fund. “We need more poll watchers and monitors, on both sides, to make sure each side is watching the other.”

Allen Raymond learned that winning elections at all costs can come at a heavy price.

“I’m a felon,” Raymond said. “I think about it everyday. Everyday, everything that I do every day, I try to do in such a way that makes up for that mistake.”

Raymond doesn’t plan to stop talking about his trip to the political dark side. He told CNN a major Hollywood studio plans to begin production on a film version of his cautionary tale.

Beloved Childhood Memories~or Tupperware Cereal Bowls and Superfriends!

My BIGWeeL

Watching TV shows with my sister and parents in the living room.  There was only one television in the house.   It was the first house I remember us living in.  1462 Gaty Ave.  East St. Louis Il.  We gathered to watch all the shows with black people on them like The Flip Wilson Show, Sanford & Son, and Good Times.  We didn’t sleep on Carol Burnett though!

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Riding rough and jumping over sh*# on my huffy dirt bike!

That red living room in the house we lived at in South Bend, Indiana.  It had red carpet and red furniture like the couch and chairs.  This was the “nice” furniture with the plastic on it so we couldn’t sit on it.  We couldn’t even go in that living room except to clean it – or on Christmas morning since that is where the presents were.  If important company came over, the living room was all access then.

When my moms and aunts got together on a Saturday night – I would be running around with my cousins, and they would be listening to Al Green – talking, laughing, drinking, and saying “Awwww that is my SONG” while reminiscing about the funny things they did when they were much younger.  When I listen to certain music now – it take me right back there.

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Catch a girl/kiss a girl! ~ Freeze Tag ~ Red Light/Green Light~ Simon Says ~ Hop Scotch ~ Jacks

Sneaking into the Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Dolemite albums when my parents weren’t home.

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The TV set we had to use pliers to turn the channel with.

The original Starsky & Hutch and Baretta, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat – SOAP!

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Saturday morning cartoons with a big ole tupperware bowl of cereal like Count Chocula or Coco Puffs!  Don’t sleep on that Cap’n Crunch with them damn Crunchberries!

superfriends.jpg Count Chocula box, 1996. 

Going to baseball games with my father… to see the Cardinals back in the day when they had Lou Brock, Reggie Smith, Bake McBride, Kenny Reitz, Keith Hernandez, Ted Simmons, Garry Templeton, etc.   He loved the Dodgers the most so we always went to see them.  I think a lot of black men loved the Dodgers from when they were in Brooklyn and had players like Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella.  Anyway, we sat in the bleachers $2.50 per seat sold 90 min before each game) and sat next to all the old men who would talk much noise.  This is where I got my affinity for older people. We ate peanuts and listened to KMOX as Jack Buck and Bob Costas did the radio play by play.  Those were some awesome times!

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 I fogot all about them other cartoons.. Loony Toons, Fat Albert, Land of The Lost, Tom N’ Jerry, Snagglepuss, (“I hate thosem mieces to pieces… Exit – Stage left!”) Pixie and Dixie… need I go on??   I’m not going to even talk about Underdog, Commander McBragg, and them Go Go Gophers.  But my favorite/most endearing cartoon is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”   Me and Chuck understand one another!  And I still cry when they fix Charlie’s sick ass tree up and make the best of it.  Yea I watched a lot of television.  But I also learned a lot of valuable lessons from some of those shows too.

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Economics 2008

Mike Smith Cartoon

Lets hope after this whole “Joe the non licensened ain’t about to buy no damn company plummer crap” don’t get Americans twisted.  If Joe’s broke ass did buy a company making 250 Large I’m thinking with a decent accountant, hell the local H&R Block guywould show him that by the time he paid employees and deducted expenditures he would still come out ahead on Obama’s tax plan.  Dumbass Joe!  His fifteen minutes of fame is only revealing that he is as incompetent to run a plumbing business as McCain/Palin are at being president.  It amazes me that after 8 years of the C student how America has turned its back on excellence.  The Harvard grad all of a sudden can’t relate to Joe Sixpack’s ass?  And what is with this relating to a hockey mom and all that stuff good for anyway?  Sure you want a person who can be in touch with most the differing status of Americans, but if all they can do is relate then I can be president or VP.   I need someone smarter than me who can help fix the problems of the nation.  Relating won’t do it.  But think about it… some Americans are so diluted that they would rather have mediocre leadership that they can relate to all the while wondering why their jobs are going oversees.

Again… those who are on the McCain/Palin bandwagon who happen to be poor or middle class especially… shake yourselves!

Hillary Out of Line?

Keith Olberman sure does think so and he made some strong points in saying why.  Senator Clinton’s supporters often tout her brilliant mind and fighting spirit while her detractors have called her polarizing.  Even still some observers believe she is desperate.  I happen to believe she posesses all of these characteristics.  Polarization and desperation may be overshadowing her other qualities.   If she used her words to plant the seeds that many like Olberman believe, this would only prove my personal belief that she would do anythig – and i do mean ANYTHING to be president – which is percisely why she should not be president.

UFO’s – Myth or Reality

Growing up I was always facintated with astronomy.  I loved reading and learning anything having to do with outer space.  I even watched Star Trek faithfully and the less imaginative Battlestar Galactica.  Of course Star Wars was stirred my imagination as well. 

I found it quite interesting that the Catholic Church by way of The Vatican recently announced that it was acceptable to believe in “extraterrestrial brothers. ”  I feel so relieved now.  If it wasn’t for that announcement I would have had to remain an non-believer!

Seriously though; personally I believe it would be shortsighted and quite arrogant to believe that as much as know about the vastness of the universe – that we are the only forms of life or intelligence.  But truth be told, just like issues of race we are not ready to seriously tackle the possibilities of life outside of Earth’s atmosphere.  Imagine questions about ET sightings being asked at a presidential debate.  Or how about this.. if your Catholic or Christian and believe in the existance of life beyone the Earth’s atmosphere and that they too are God’s creatures – well did Jesus die for their sins too?  With that said unless we have a serious encounter that is too much to avoid, we are prone to avoid these questions as a nation for fear of among other things, the facts possibly throwing a monkey wrench in our theological dogma.

 

First Memories

Well, since I have been reminicing about childhood things lately.  I figured I would start from the beginning.  I think about my life sometimes and how I think about the early things that have shaped my references and points of origins.  The images that come to mind are the first that I remember that are still with me today – but in no particular order.

1) First address – 1462 Gaty, East St. Louis

2) First Church – Mt. Siani Baptist Church – Rev. White (A dark black man with a bald head that sweated when he preached.

3) Wrestling at the Chase – with Dick the Bruiser, Nature Boy Rick Flair, Andre’ The Giant

4) Fisher Price Toys – Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down

5) First Easter Suit – a white suit with a red shirt and white tie – and a brim my dad called, “His Godfather hat.”

6) Cardinal games – with my father sitting in the bleachers with the old men who talked much smack!

7) First Heartbreak – Some girl I liked in the first grade named Lisa.  But she liked Jerome Malone.  One day I saw them walking home from school with his arm around her.  Sigh!  Jerome was a pretty cool guy.  Still is the last time I saw him in the mid 90s.

8) Wanting to run away from home – cause I didn’t want to eat brussel sprouts.  My mom told me that I had to eat them before I could leave the table.  I sat there horrified, and told my dad that I would run away if I had to eat them.  He said, “Well just let me know when you are ready to run away.” When I said I was ready, he tore my ass up!

9) First favorite song – Soul Man, by Sam & Dave.  My mom and grandfather say I would go nuts when that song came on and would sing, “I’m a soul man!” everytime the chorus came on.

10) First favorite teacher – Mrs. Jefferson 2nd Grade at Lilly Freeman Elementary School in East. St. Louis

11) My first memory period was sitting in my mothers lap with a bottle in my mouth as she watched the soap opera, “Search for Tomorrow”  Believe it or not I was wearing diapers and I was probably 2.  We were in my mom’s room.  I will never forget that.

And finally my first lesson in subliminal race awareness – one Christmas Eve my dad asked me if I would mind if I had a “Black Santa Clause.”  I said, “Heck no!  I wanted the “real one” because he had all the “good stuff!”  My dad kinda laughed but I can tell he was taken aback.  I was only 5, so where did I learn to hate myself so early on?  Hmmmm.

 

 

Whats My Line?

I admit it, I am a movie buff.  I love good movies of all kinds.  I have a love and appreciation for all of the different kind of artist who can take me into their worlds and allow me to see what they see, as well as get my own interpretation.  I’ll never forget the first time I saw “The Color Purple” when I was 17 and not only almost walking out of the movie within the first 20 minutes because the contents were so dark and hurtful, but it took Lethal Weapon 2 before I could like Danny Glover in any shape or form.  My grandmother STILL hates him. 

Anyway when I see a great movie, some of them have lines that to me define the film.  And those lines I always remember most.  When it happens, normally I exclaim on the spot, “Now that’s the line of the movie!”  Some movies have more than one line, but most I find one or two at the most that says, “Its a wrap!”  I’ll name a few for instance:

“Frankly Scarlet I don’t give a damn.” – Gone With The Wind

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Jaws (The first time Roy Scheider’s character got a look at the great white shark they were to fight with.) Or “Smile you son of a bitch!” … right before he blows up the oxygen tank in it’s mouth.  Take your pick!

“There is no winning, only degrees of losing.”The War of the Roses (Danny Devito’s character when trying to tell Michael Douglas’ character how trying to win an argument with a pissed off woman was going to go.

“Ahhh vanity!  My favorite sin!” The Devil’s Advocate (Al Pacino as the devil himself, posing as an attorney.  This summed up the constant battle that Kienu Reeve’s character faced when trying to balance his ambition at work against the fact that his wife was losing her mind and the life of his family would be the price for the success he desired.

“Hey Sal.  How come you don’t got no brothas on the wall?”Do The Right Thing (Giancarlo Espisoto as Buggin Out who’s battles with Sal told of the polarizing issues of race within a Bedford Styssevant community in Brooklyn New York.) Or, “D mothafucka D!” – Radio Raheem trying to buy batteries from the Koreans.

“Am I here to fucking amuse you?”  – Goodfellas (Joe Pesci – need I say more?)

“Shut yo five dollar ass up before I make change!”  New Jack City (Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown talking to Christopher William’s character during the roundtable discussion.)  Martin’s parity of it was hillarious with the fake dog.)

Oh here is a favorite!  “The call me Mr. Tibbs!”  In The Heat of The Night (Sidney Potier)

Ok last one.. Most people will think of, “You can’t handle the truth!” when they think of A Few Good Men.  But my favorite line is Jack Nicholson’s first as Col. Nathan Jessup which sets the tone for the remaining dialogue he would have as the drama develops.  “Who the fuck is PFC William T Santiago?”  You knew it was ON when he said those words!

What movie lines can you think of that bring you right to the time you last saw your classic?

BBG C-Notes

C-Span and Book TV did a wonderful interview with Author and Activist Alice Walker.  It was filmed from her home in Berkely, California and covered topics such as the books she has written, love, politics, Earth as divinity etc.  The interview was extensive one lasting almost three hours which included telephone questions and comments.  I have never read any of her books (though the movie The Color Purple is one of my favorites.)  I did find her to be an extrordinary thinker and posess a beautiful spirit.  I definitely plan to read her work!

http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/cspan.csp?command=dprogram&record=560312243

On the book tip – Over the weekend I started reading a new book.  Well not new but new for me.  Its called “Parting The Waters”, America In The King Years 1954-63.  This is the first editition of a trio of work done to chronicle the life and times as they related to America and MLK during a span of 14 years.  The first book won The Pulitizer Prize and though it’s close to a thousand pages the information is the best work of a biography that I can ever recall seeing.   Certainly this is the most extensive work done to chronicle the life of Dr. King.  So far in just a few pages I learned the connection of Spellman and Moorhouse Colleges with the philanthropic efforts of John D. Rockefeller.  How MLK’s dad who was an adult with a 5th grade education when he met the future Mrs. King who was a student at Spellman – and because he had to be an educated man to even think of approaching her, (literally) he put himself through school to get his high school equivalency.  Furthermore, upon trying to attend college he miserably failed the college entry exam, but stormed into the president’s office and talked himself into getting admitted anyway.  He did all of this because he was interested in marrying the woman who would give birth to Dr. King.  The whole set up seems quite divine to me in the way it was “orchestrated.”  There is great detail to all the ins and outs, and it reads part like a commentary, part documentary and part scholarly dissertation.  I plan to purchase all three books as they provide a history and detail that I could not imagine let alone have seen before.  I have close to 100 films and documentaries regarding African-American history, but nothing has given me what I have seen so far in the pages of Mr. Branch’s work.  I would recommend these books to anyone who has an interest in the life of Dr. King and America from a perspective not seen or heard often enough.

Quick Bits

Wasn’t it sad to see that poor horse Eight Belles fall to the ground after breaking both legs and have to be euthanized on the spot? 

Tomorrow is the North Carolina and Indiana primaries.  I hope they put us closer to some finality in terms of the Democratic ticket for president. 

Mothers day is Sunday!  Don’t forget to honor the moms in your life.

One of my favorite scriptures: Proverbs 21:2 “All the ways of a man seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

Ten Things I Know For Sure (Part 1)

1. As a nation we are still far away from having an honest discussion regarding race.

2. As parents, we are stewards of our children, not owners.

3. I love my momma!

4. Knowledge is power, but love is the most powerful force in the universe.

5. God is sovereign – not dogmatic.

6. Senator Barack Obama got pissed and threw Rev. Jeremiah Wright under the bus!

7. Children are our most precious resource.

8. Truth is ever-unfolding, and we can only know and understand in part.

9. There is nothing like the love between a man and a woman.

10. Americans by in large are gullible, simple-minded, and easily seduced and deceived.