Vote Caging: The message I sent to my Congressman

[Spiffarino]

Monica Goodling's admission that she knew about Tim Griffin's vote caging efforts led to what I can only describe as surprise - on the part of Monica Goodling - that nobody on the committee followed up with a question. Such an admission that she was aware of possible illegality on the part of a now-sitting US Attorney should have sent the committee into spasms. Instead, they sat there like she'd just described how to start a lawnmower.

It's a sad fact, but too many Congresspeople have no idea what "caging" means in the context of an election, so I believe it's time we remind our elected representatives of just how important an issue this is.

Here's a simple link to all of our Representatives. I hope you'll use it well: http://www.house.gov/writerep/


Here's the message I sent:

Dear (Rep) Heath (Shuler),

Greetings. I hope you can answer a question for me.

Monica Goodling mentioned during her testimony Thursday that Tim Griffin, the recently-appointed US Atty. for Arkansas, was involved in "vote caging." Are you aware that this activity is illegal and, if so, are you prepared to assist your colleagues in getting to the truth of this matter?

The practice of caging is used to suppress the votes of likely Democrats. It is illegal under the Voting Rights Act and Tim Griffin or anybody else who assisted in this endeavor must be held accountable.

Will you please help?

Thanks so much!

Since it's email, I wanted it short and to the point. When I call his office on Tuesday I'll add more detail. Congressmen and women are not aware of every little nuance and we shouldn't expect them to be. It's our duty to inform them of what WE think is important. To me, this trumps most everything because, like untraceable electronic voting, it strikes at the heart of democracy.

[PATRICK]

1. Is it possible

that any victims of caging are actually know and that of those some are veterans or that some have subsequently become casualties? One shouldn't have to spell out what the significance of all this to a politician and an American but one thing they CAN'T ignore is a named veteran cheated of his vote so he could be sent out and killed.

[rhett o rick]

2. I sent similar messages. nm

[KoKo]

3. Thanks....this is an action we must take. Your message is a good one

to use and it will just take a little time. :thumbsup:

[unlawflcombatnt]

4. Vote Caging: Description

I didn't know what "vote caging" was when I heard Goodling mention it. Today I found a fairly good description of it at Mark Parent's blog (GP=Greg Palast):

http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/05/future-of-america-has-been-stolen.html

"Caging works like this. Hundreds of thousands of Black and Hispanic voters were sent letters — do not forward. Letters returned as undeliverable (”caged”) were used as evidence the voter didn’t live at their registered address. The GOP goons challenged these voters’ right to cast ballots — and their votes were lost.

But whose letters were caged? Here’s where the game turns to deep evil. They targeted Black students on vacation, homeless men — and you’ll love this — Black soldiers sent overseas. They weren’t living at their home voting address because they were shivering under a Humvee in Falluja.

JD: As you put it in regard to election rigging, 2000 was about “purge lists,” 2004 was about “caging,” and 2008 will be about “verification.” Can you briefly explain the difference between these?

GP: Sure. In 2000, I cracked the computer disks (CD-ROMs then) from Katherine Harris’ office showing 56,000 names of voters “purged” from voter rolls as felons who aren’t allowed to vote. In fact, every one — every one — was an innocent voter, though most were guilty of VWB — Voting While Black. That was the 2000 “purge.”

In 2004, it was nearly identical. Except, instead of calling voters “felons,” they called them “suspect” voters, fraudulently using a false voting address. The effect was the same: the voter would lose their registration; or their vote on election day when they showed to vote; or, in the case of soldiers, their absentee ballot would be challenged and tossed.

JD: You claim the reason for Democrat inaction in election scandals is because of racism, that the white caucus is bigger than the black caucus. But don’t Democrats gain by making sure black people are enfranchised?

GP: Which Democrats? The huge purge and block of voters in Georgia reptiles like Zell Miller in control of the Georgia Democratic Party. There’s an awful lot of Democrats who would not win primaries if dark-skinned citizens could just vote any time they pleased...."

[Fredda Weinberg]

5. GP didn't crack the Florida files ... I did

And who said caging was illegal? We may not like it, but I haven't seen a legal opinion supporting that assertion.

[Spiffarino]

6. If it's not illegal

Then we sure as fuck had better start doing it ourselves.