Republican Vote Suppression Fraud Fails in Montana

[Theophylact]

GOP executive director resigns

By CHARLES S. JOHNSON of the Missoulian State Bureau

HELENA - In an unusual move three weeks before the election and after a failed attempt to challenge voter registrations in some Democratic strongholds, the Montana Republican Party said Tuesday night it was changing executive directors.

Former state Rep. Larry Grinde of Lewistown was named the party's executive director after Jake Eaton resigned “to pursue other interests,” the news release said.

“Larry brings a wealth of experience and knowledge on the job,” state Republican Chairman Erik Iverson said in the news release. “He will be a tremendous asset to our candidates as we ramp up our get-out-the-vote operation for the final stretch of the campaign.

Grinde served 14 years in the Montana House, including eight as majority leader, and is the past chairman of the Republican Legislative Candidate Committee.

He helped run Mike Taylor's unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign in 2002 and Pat Davison's unsuccessful primary race for governor in 2004. Two years later, Grinde supervised the Montana Republican Party's get-out-the-the-vote operation.

Iverson was unavailable for comment on the change. GOP spokesman Bridger Pierce said the party would have nothing to add beyond what was in the press release.

Last week, rumors were running rampant in political circles that Eaton would be pushed out because of the much-criticized effort to challenge voter registrations in seven heavily Democratic counties.

Reached by telephone Tuesday night, Eaton said, “It's all going to be all right. I'm going to work for an outfit, DNS Equity Consulting, a consulting and private equity firm in Madison, Wis. It's just one of those deals. The opportunity came up and I took it.”

Asked if he was forced out as executive director because of the vote challenges, Eaton said, “No, I'm not going to talk about any of that stuff on the record.”

Asked if he had intended to resign his GOP director's post three weeks before the election, he said “it was just an opportunity to come along.”

The Montana Democratic Party jumped on the announcement to criticize Republicans for the voter challenges.

“After the efforts of the Republican Party to suppress the rights of 6,000 Montana voters, I think it was clear that a change in management was needed,” state Democratic Party spokesman Kevin O'Brien said.

“However, this should not lead anyone to believe that Mr. Eaton was acting independent of his party's leadership. And it doesn't change the fact that the Montana Republican Party owes voters an explanation for why they attempted to undermine the democratic process and cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in the process.”

He was referring to the Montana Republican Party's challenge of the registrations of 6,000 voters in Missoula, Lewis and Clark, Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Hill, Glacier and Roosevelt counties.

Republicans raised concerns with registered voters who live at addresses that differ from the addresses listed on their voter registration information. The party asked that county election officials have voters to prove their current addresses.

Montana Democrats, charging it was an attempt to suppress voter turnout, went to federal court to block the effort.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula didn't rule in the case, but issued a strongly worded order blasting the Republicans.

“The timing of these challenges is so transparent that it defies common sense to believe the purpose is anything but political chicanery,” Molloy wrote.

On Friday, Democrats dropped the lawsuit after Secretary of State Brad Johnson, a Republican, filed court documents saying similar voter challenges should be rejected in the future. The Republicans had withdrawn their challenges earlier last week.

Acorn, shmacorn. That's how the real pros do it.

[The Real Bingo]

How would it be suppression if the registrations are, in fact, illegal? That's like calling border guards and fences "undocumented worker suppression" as if it's a bad thing.

[pickel]

Originally Posted by The Real Bingo

How would it be suppression if the registrations are, in fact, illegal? That's like calling border guards and fences "undocumented worker suppression" as if it's a bad thing.

Illegal...... I didn't see that in the article Did you read the same thing I did ?????

[The Real Bingo]

Originally Posted by pickel

Illegal...... I didn't see that in the article Did you read the same thing I did ?????

Well, it may vary in different states, but I'm pretty sure - generally speaking - that addresses on voter registrations need to match where the voter is actually residing (unless, of course, these are absentee ballots, which cause another problem entirely).

This is another Democrat whiny-cry baby exaggeration, using hyperbole to make it sound like a Republican inquiry into registration validity is some kind of sinister plot to block people from voting.

If you make $60,000 in a year and only report $30,000, don't you think the IRS ought to make an inquiry? Same thing here.

[Gomer]

I dunno why we bother with all this registration business anyway. In Iraq, you vote, have some purple ink put on your finger and you're done.

If we got rid of voter registration requirements entirely, think of all the money that would save. It would solve the nation's budget problem, my friend, Joe the Plumber.

[Gomer]

Originally Posted by The Real Bingo

This is another Democrat whiny-cry baby exaggeration, using hyperbole to make it sound like a Republican inquiry into registration validity is some kind of sinister plot to block people from voting.

Contrast that to all the squealing of voter fraud and ACORN. How does that go?

ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy

There's your whiny-cry baby exaggeration using hyperbole.

Gimme a break.

[pickel]

Originally Posted by The Real Bingo

Well, it may vary in different states, but I'm pretty sure - generally speaking - that addresses on voter registrations need to match where the voter is actually residing (unless, of course, these are absentee ballots, which cause another problem entirely).

This is another Democrat whiny-cry baby exaggeration, using hyperbole to make it sound like a Republican inquiry into registration validity is some kind of sinister plot to block people from voting.

If you make $60,000 in a year and only report $30,000, don't you think the IRS ought to make an inquiry? Same thing here.

"If you make $60,000 in a year and only report $30,000"

Sounds great to me !!!! Hope he gets away with it.

What about the CEO that makes $20,000,000 and gets a rebate of $5,000,000 ???????


There are probably more illegal Canadians in Montana that Mexicans

[The Real Bingo]

Originally Posted by Gomer

Contrast that to all the squealing of voter fraud and ACORN. How does that go?

When people register a bunch of different times, I think it's a fair complaint.

Pursuing legal action against these crooks, though, is "voter suppression". What a load of horse shit.

[Gomer]

Originally Posted by The Real Bingo

When people register a bunch of different times, I think it's a fair complaint.

Pursuing legal action against these crooks, though, is "voter suppression". What a load of horse shit.

You think that the actions of a single idiot, who decided to register to vote 73 times of his own free will. Voter registration forms which are required by law to be turned in by those who collect them is:
"one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy"
?????????

That that is a fair complaint?

From the very article you linked to (as usual you don't appear to actually read them):

Election board officials said they had 48 registration cards from Freddie Johnson, who testified that he had signed 73, though he only intended to vote once.

"They get paid off signatures," said Johnson, explaining that he was just trying to help the ACORN employees keep their jobs

The organization's spokespersons have said that employees padding registrations have been fired. Tuesday morning Kevin Whalen, national spokesperson for ACORN, said at a press conference in Washington that the group is required to turn in all registration cards to local boards of elections, even ones they consider problematic. But he explained that they put a note on top of cards they believe may be fraudulent.

That's "one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy"????

I know you used the words exaggeration and hyperbole in another of your posts, but it is clear you have no idea of their meanings.

[Beemer]

If you have to leave your registered address because of mortgage foreclosure, move to a new address you're still allegeable to vote at the precinct the foreclosed address is set up for whether they moved out of town or not.

I read that a couple weeks ago somewhere when they were talking about voter suppression by the Rep's in Michigan. Someone else can fill in the details.