No to Weaponization of the Constitution! Appeal is on in San Diego!

[emlev]

Election Nullification Officially Rejected!
Appeal to be Filed By Plaintiffs in CA-50 Election Contest!
Plaintiffs Seek to Prevent National Use of the Constitution as a Weapon!

Guest blogged by Emily Levy

The BRAD BLOG has learned that the plaintiffs in CA-50 election contest will be appealing the dismissal of the case in the 4th District. Briefs are now being prepared and funds being collected for what may be a rather expensive appeal. Notice of appeal may be filed as soon as today.

Donations to the appeal can be made via Velvet Revolution.

The appeal is a rejection of Judge Yuri Hofmann’s August 29 ruling which echoed GOP claims that the U.S. House of Representatives, not the state courts or voters, have the power to determine the outcome of elections of members of Congress. In California’s 50th Congressional district in San Diego County, Republican candidate Brian Bilbray was announced to be the winner of the June 6 special election, flown to Washington and sworn in before all the votes were counted or the election certified.

— Click here for REST OF STORY!… —

(edited to make VR link live)

[kaygore]

1. How can we donate?

[emlev]

2. I made the link to VR for donations live. Thanks for the heads up. EOM

[kaygore]

5. Thank you

[emlev]

7. And thank you, too. EOM

[slackmaster]

3. I donated my share to the Busby campaign

She is still running for the seat, you know.

http://www.busbyforcongress.com/

If you want to chuck your hard-earned cash down the crapper by sending it to Brad Friedman, knock yourself out. He probably has a steep mortgage payment.

[Land Shark]

6. On what basis do you suggest that the money goes to Brad Friedman?

for his personal mortgage payment? This is misleading and untrue.

[slackmaster]

8. I don't know where the money goes or what his mortgage payment is

Or even if he has one.

Can anyone say where the money goes? :shrug:

Looking at the "Velvet Revolution" Web site, I can't figure out exactly who they are, the nature of the organization, or how to locate that information. Their statements about who they are are mighty vague. We do know that Brad Freidman was one of the founders of VR, but that's about the extent of what they make readily available.

They're not listed as a donor on Open Secrets. The whois information for the domain velvetrevolution.us doesn't have any human names, just a P.O. box in Washington, DC. It's basically "We're progressive. Trust us." That's a little odd for a group complaining about lack of transparency in elections.

Folks, with all due respect to Land Shark these people are appealing to fear.

Read this from BradBlog:

"With 435 House races taking place in November, appeal of the San Diego ruling may be the only opportunity to stop the Republican-controlled House–and perhaps the Senate as well–from wielding Article I Section 5 over the heads of the American people and swearing in Republicans regardless of election results."

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3417#more-3417

Come on people, this is pure tinfoil hat stuff.

Don't waste your money. The Busby campaign needs it a lot more than Brad or Land Shark or wherever it would go.

ETA on the Busby campaign site's Contact Us page at http://www.busbyforcongress.com/contact-us.php you get a real phone number and a physical address, readily traceable through public records as to its ownership. It's a storefront in Cardiff by the Sea. You can walk right in and talk to a real person.

[OnTheOtherHand]

9. I gotta tell you

the thing about Friedman's mortgage payment put my hackles up, and I am not a Brad fan. You didn't have to go there. (Of course, the people who smeared you as a Diebold agent the other day didn't have to go there, either. Hmm.)

I agree that VR's web presence is a bit fuzzy. Personally, I'm not too concerned about it; I think that money donated for the appeal will probably go to the appeal.

The BradBlog quotation seems to make no legal sense. Even if the San Diego ruling were reversed on appeal, how exactly would that stop the Republican-controlled House if it actually wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis by swearing in all Republicans? (Never mind whether it is "tinfoil hat" to suppose that it would.)

I'll send some money to Busby in your honor. I don't like the appeal either, although I hope it won't actually do any harm.

[slackmaster]

10. I hate people when they're not polite

Not only was I accused of being a Diebold agent, BradBlog himself made a strong suggestion that I don't respect the law and stated outright that I had posted propaganda. That's complete bullshit, quite unworthy of a civil discussion. All I was doing was politely expressing a contrary opinion. When someone treats me like that, I feel I have license to fight back with all available resources. Most home ownership information (tax assessor, county recorder, etc.) is available to the public. I consider it to be fair game.

I'll send some money to Busby in your honor.

On behalf of the Democratic candidate for the California 50th Congressional district, I thank you!

:toast:

[OnTheOtherHand]

12. I understand

Honestly, at first I forgot that in fact Brad himself was one of the people who crapped on your head. I should have taken the time to find that and quote it, so people could read your comment in context.

Here on DU I get to think a lot about the best way to respond to bullying tactics. It's hard to know. I try to consider all the people involved, including the lurkers (who presumably bear most of the effect of most posts).

Incidentally, home ownership info may be available to the public, but the rules say you can't post it here, so that's that.

OK, off to Busby's website....

[WHAT]

19. Land Shark, would you please give more information...

on the donations and where the money goes.

Every since the Andy thing I've been very cynical about requests for donations. I do think this would be a worthy fight to support.

Maybe you could write something in election reform, or someone else could.

Thanks...(for everything)

[elehhhhna]

21. "The Andy thing" ??? !

Dont' go there. Don't even try. I am series.

[slackmaster]

22. I think WHAT is just looking for the truth

Isn't that what velvetrevolution.us is supposed to be all about?

Transparency, accuracy, auditability, accountability, honesty, full disclosure, and all that?

I second the request for Land Shark (or BradBlog if he doesn't have me on Ignore) to produce some real information.

[elehhhhna]

23. Lets' leave the Andy thing out of it tho', kay. I just deleted his phone

# from my cell last month for gods sake. Broke my heart to do it. I owe him.


On topic: Donations for a freakiing appeal? Who's writing it and what are they charging us? David Bois would probably do it pro bono and GET IT RIGHT (doesn't hurt to ask). BREAKING: More $ doesn't mean better lawyering!!1!!1!!111

I say this as an ex-consultant to several top 50 firms, including some of the asshats (google up Fred Bartlit) who represented Bush--pro bono--in successfully stopping the Fla. recounts in 2000. -- Another heartbreaker. Until 2000, I'd had a deep & I thought abiding respect for Fred.

edit. I googled Fred and found this...and it turns out I know 2 of them and have met the skeez who tops this list. Dag, I used to get around.


Text: Bush Legal Team Makes Remarks
Tuesday, November 28, 2000
FORMER SECRETARY JAMES A. BAKER III BUSH CAMPAIGN ADVISER
BARRY RICHARD, BUSH CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY
IRVIN TERRELL, BUSH CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY
FRED BARTLIT, BUSH CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY
PHIL BECK, BUSH CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY
DARYL BRISTOW, BUSH CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showflorida2000.php?fileid=teambush11-28

[slackmaster]

26. Fascinating

This thread is exhibiting a ballistic trajectory reminiscent of an unfettered lithoid object in the positive gravitational field of a Class M planet.

[WA98070]

4. "States Rights"...... Unless it works against these Fascists

It's amazing how often these "activist judges" act against "States Rights" and for the Bushco Fascists.

[annabanana]

11. k&r & DONATE

This is important. Hastert has decided on the outcome of an election without proof.

[kpete]

24. I for one WANT to see this fight

If they get away with this - we lose our vote - "we the people" will have no say - possibly forever...

[Bill Bored]

13. Slackmaster may have a point this time

Nothing against Brad but with limited funds, do we support the candidate or support the contest?

And if we are really SERIOUS about running clean elections in Kol-i-for-nee-uh, why don't we see to it that their election laws are enforced? Prosecutors work for the taxpayers; no donations required. Just raise some holy heck and get them to investigate!

See this post and then go donate to whatever you want:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=448460&mesg_id=448535

[slackmaster]

14. Criminal prosecution makes a lot more sense to me

Thanks for the link, Bill Bored.

[nicknameless]

15. Thanks for posting this

Off to Greatest

[bleever]

16. There is a matter of law to be settled here. It's important, and

it's important that it be settled rightly.

K&R.

[struggle4progress]

18. If the appeal is badly argued, it does more damage than good.

[OnTheOtherHand]

20. presumably it could do damage even if it is well argued

The contestants have every right to appeal the ruling in San Diego, and I don't believe in endless bickering over tactics. But if folks are going to solicit funds for one cause rather than another, then we need to be able to talk about the merits.

[FogerRox]

25. I am a Bleever... Kickin

[AnotherMother4Peace]

17. Thank you & the CA-50 team for all the hard work - K-R-Donated n/t