Howard Dean today gives appropriate credit to the blogs. The liberal blogosphere spotted problems like robo-calls right away and immediately brought them to widespread attention, where the Democratic Party could deploy lawyers and then get "cease-and-desist" orders issued right away. The last-minute dirty tricks didn't work because the blogs are faster than the dirty tricksters are.
I simply can't think of enough foul, damning, dirty language to describe Laura Ingraham's comments yesterday. Having heard that the 1-800-DEM-VOTE voter help line was getting jammed due to all the dirty tricks Republicans were playing, Ms Ingraham encouraged her listeners to call the number and jam up the lines still further!!! To give you some idea of how bright Ingraham's listenners were:
CALLER: Well, you get the number, they ask you to put in your zip code; they ask you, of course, English or Spanish.
INGRAHAM: Blood type?
CALLER: And, you know, they say that they'll trace back to your phone. They give you options as to do you want to find your polling place, did you have trouble voting?
INGRAHAM: Do you know what zip code you live in?
CALLER: Oh yeah, I did. I'm pretty sharp. [emphases added]
When a help line covers the entre country, it's hardly a surprise to hear that they have an automated line to help direct the calls to the right department. Why this obvious measure brought forth the snide comment "blood type?" is not at all clear. And it's a matter of pride for someone to know their own zip code?
Update (11/19): Woo Hoo!!! Senator Pat Leahy grills an apparently clueless elections official about Ingraham's attempted interference with the midterms! Good for Leahy!!
DailyKos points that South Dakota is not exactly Massachusetts when it comes to reproductive choice. They're among the most conservative states in the nation. When even South Dakota decides 55-45 to not pass a draconian ban on all abortions (The only exception allowed was to save the life of the mother.) we can safely conclude that the really hard-core anti-abortionists are out-of-touch extremists.
MyDD points out that all of the candidates supported by the left blogosphere either won or made very strong showings. None of them were known before the blogs decided "Hey, let's support this candidate!" None of them were produced by Democratic Party machinery.
DailyKos posts picture of Majority Senate Leader Harry Reid amd House Majority Leader (Soon to be Speaker of the House) Nancy Pelosi!!
2 comments:
I've been flogging the Ingraham gaffe since election day. I don't think it should be dropped. I wrote to the FCC requesting an investigation. Also wrote to Talk Radio Network, Ingraham's syndicator, and to WNTP, Ingraham Philly affiliate.
Here's my latest missive to WNTP's VP/GM Russ Witnah (russ@wntp.com):
"Last week, I e-mailed you to complain that TNR host Laura Ingraham had incited listeners on election day to call and jam a
Democratic voter-suppression hotline. I have yet to receive a response.
Ingraham used the public airwaves, and your air, to sabotage a legitimate effort to ensure that citizens freely exercise
their constitutional right to vote. Misuse of public airwaves is not a partisan issue; it is a serious matter warranting an
FCC investigation, and I have written to the FCC to request one.
Ingraham’s irresponsible action also warrants an unambiguous response from TRN and affiliates like WNTP. I suggest that you
respond by publicly renouncing her behavior and by discontinuing her program.
I look forward to your response."
I urge others to keep the pressure on Ingraham and the right-wing noise machine. Here's a YouTube version of Ingraham's enormity and for a handy cut-and-paste FCC complaint letter.
I endorse this poster 100%!!! Ingraham's actions were absolutely, flagrantly, openly designed to frustrate legitimate Democratic voters from getting their votes counted. The Democratic Party was trying to advance a thoroughly legitimate purpose and she deliberatley and consciously set out to sabotage them.
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