RNC attempts to scare donations out of the elderly - REALLY!

[Coexist]

What do you do when your only successful tool in your rise to power has been fear - and your $$ count is embarrassingly low? Try a new twist on the old ploy - frighten citizens into thinking they were supposed to be paying DUES to a political party. TPM Muckraker has the chuckle-inducing story:

What 83 year-old William Sidwell of Queen City, Missouri found in his mailbox last week scared him. It was a letter from the Republican National Committee, but it seemed to bear grave news: "Our records show that you registered as a member of our Party in Schuyler County, MO," the letter said. "But a recent audit of your Party affiliation turned up some irregularities."

Audit? Irregularities? Was he in trouble? Were they threatening him? Sidwell went immediately to his ask his son, Dennis, a licensed public accountant, for advice. You can see the letter, and the accompanying "Voter Registration Verification and Audit Form," right here. Particularly puzzling to the both of them, Dennis told me, is that his father is a life-long Democrat.

Here it is - in all it's glory:

[Richard Steele]

1. Two words: "Mail fraud". nm

[Longhorn]

2. I was expecting to find out that this appeared in The Onion or something!

This is unbelievable!

[Coexist]

3. I like the "not even a partial payment" bit.

its a scream!

[Longhorn]

4. Apparently, their records aren't very accurate

if they didn't even know he's a registered Democrat! :rofl:

[Alexander]

5. How is this legal, at all?

Oh right. Only Republicans and DINOS get away with constantly breaking the rules.

[Frustratedlady]

6. When my parents were alive, they were bombarded weekly by letters

from Reagan asking for donations with incredible scare tactics of what was going to happen to our country if they didn't provide money for the fight. I don't know how many envelopes with checks I threw away. Fortunately, they forgot to mail them.

They know how to get to the elderly. Lots of practice.

[Mnpaul]

7. It looks like another caging attempt to me

Give us money or you don't get to vote

[IndyOp]

8. Or if you don't reply to this letter you don't vote - we mailed something

to you and you didn't reply, so you must not live at the address where you are registered and we can challenge your vote at the precinct on election day.

[knitter4democracy]

9. I'd call them up and give them hell.

I did that to a couple of campaigns last election--called them up, told them in no uncertain terms that we're a Dem household, and told them to take us off their freakin' lists. They did.

[BeHereNow]

10. See that phone number at the bottom of the letter? You know what to DU- give them HELL!

202 863-8747.
Just DU it.
BHN

[Olney Blue]

11. Trolling for dollars. One big con after another.

[dflprincess]

12. Send this to Olbermann

I sense a "Worst Person in the World" award in the RNC's immediate future.

And the Postal Inspector should be called.

[Mabus]

13. Dole did the same thing for the NRSC

Dole's NRSC letter warned the recipient "DO NOT DESTROY YOUR SURVEY. . . . (it is an) OFFICIAL REPUBLICAN DOCUMENT...WHICH MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR upon completion of this project."

NRSC Fundraising Scheme Has Potential to Intimidate Elderly
Submitted by Betsy Muse on Tue, 03/07/2006 - 7:57am.

***

Earlier today I went out to my mailbox to get our mail. I saw a very official looking envelope that had printed "Return Enclosed" at the bottom as if it were a tax return. While it was addressed to my husband, we commonly open each other's mail if it has to do with taxes. It wasn't until I pulled out the contents of the envelope that I realized it was a fundraiser. My blood started to boil.

Elizabeth Dole sent out an NRSC fundraiser intentionally disguised as a "Return" and sent to "U.S. Individual Resident". Upon a quick second look I did see that the return address had the American Eagle and Elizabeth Dole's name at the top of the envelope. Someone else might honestly think that this was an official notification from the government. Especially, an elderly person or a new registrant who hasn't been politically active in the past.

***

Enclosed in the envelope was a four page letter and a three page survey. The survey was designed to look like a tax form. The very first sentence of the letter is,

Your immediate attention is required on a confidential and time-sensitive matter.

***

This isn't even the worst part. While there is a postage paid return envelope included in with the survey there are only three options given for returning the survey. All three ask for money. Yes, that's right. There are no options given to return the survey without enclosing money for the NRSC.

http://bluenc.com/node/1454

Here is the first page of the letter that Libby Dole sent out: