Does Howard Dean Know About All The Robo-Calls Being Made???

[ChiciB1]

From what I posted earlier and a few other people it seems to MOST that this is a minuscule issue. But NOT to me!! I have no idea WHO to call about this.

You see, I live in Florida.... I have been making calls.... I've gotten an email telling me about what they are doing here in Sarasota and apparently to Jim Davis too! I saw others posting that it is happening is other states. Is it me or is this just NOTHING???

The U.S. Attorney General is "out of the question" to report to. The FL Atty Gen., is in lock-step with Jebby DOING this he's running for Governor here! His name is Charlie Crist and he is PART of it! AND MY representative is Cruella Harris!

So who do I call??? Ghost Busters?? I did make that joke at another thread, but doesn't this make anyone else a bit upset???

I WON'T do any more phone banking myself because it's a very nasty experience! I'm tired of getting the phone slammed down. THIS IS what THEY want! Everyone says call, GOTV... well screw it... we are being had by this THING!

[originalpckelly]

1. You know I called the DNC once, I got as far as his receptionist...

I might be in for another try. :shrug:

[ChiciB1]

3. Well I Wonder If It Matters To ANYONE Then!

I'm really really pissed about this! WHY should I help, when I can't get help from others???

[NashVegas]

2. Are You Kidding

Dean was the #1 victim of robo-calls in the 2004 primaries.

[ChiciB1]

4. So??? This Is 2006! I Just found Out TODAY That It's Happenimg

in many other states!!!

[madfloridian]

12. Well, stop blaming Dean for everything. Spread the blame around.

to everyone committee...call the DSCC, call the DCCC. Call the Florida party.

Dean was the victim of the nastiest calls you ever heard in Iowa...saying he and his wife had performed abortions and that she was a Jew, which she is of course but so what.

He could stop those calls. No one could.

[AspenRose]

34. I don't think the OP was 'blaming' Dean for anything

The OP was asking if the DNC knew what was going on and if they're doing anything to stop it. They never accused Dean of not doing anything.

That doesn't sound like blame to me. "This Robo-calling is all Dean's fault!" or "Dean isn't doing anything to stop the robo-calling" is more like blame.

[blue sky at night]

5. guess I am a real dumbass....

because you guys are so freaking vague about what the heck you are talking about...Could you not talk in "code" for just one sentence so we know what is going on?

[ChiciB1]

6. I Posted My Email Ealier Today...

Here it is again... this is a Robo-Call example!



To our supporters in the 13th District:

Voters all across the 13th District have reported receiving nasty and misleading automated phone calls, sometimes as many as 10 a night.

These calls are not coming from Christine Jennings!

Many of these "robo-calls" impersonate Christine’s voice and create the impression that she is the person speaking. The calls are so long (they sometimes last several minutes) that few people listen to them all the way to the end, where they would hear that the calls are paid for by Vern Buchanan for Congress or the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

The purpose of these calls is to anger voters and suppress voter turn-out. And if we don’t respond with a fury, it’s going to work. The voters of Florida’s 13th District are outraged. The Bradenton Herald published an article about the calls, which you can read by clicking here.

Vern Buchanan and the NRCC are so desperate that this despicable campaign tactic is all they have left. We absolutely must fight back and we can’t do it without your help.

This is what we need you to do:

1. If you receive any of these robo-calls, please do your best to record them and notify us immediately. Call Kathy Vermazen at 941-366-8121 or email her at [e-mail]. Note the time of the call(s), caller ID, message, and disclaimer identifying who paid for the call. By collecting and logging this information, we can put an end to this despicable tactic.
2. Forward this email. Make sure your friends and colleagues know the truth. Every voter needs to know that Christine is not responsible for these calls!
3. Make an online donation right now. We need to run ads to make sure every voter knows that Vern Buchanan is trying to cheat his way to victory. There is precious little time left and we can’t fight back without receiving an online donation from you RIGHT NOW. Please click here and give whatever you can.


Thank you!




Paid for by Christine Jennings for Congress.

[blue sky at night]

10. thanks!

I have been out raking leaves since 2:00! Appreciate it.

[seabeyond]

32. a.m.? you were raking leaves at 2a.m.? couldnt sleep? or what

lol lol lol. hm, wink

[seabeyond]

33. wrong place

[Stephanie]

22. This is happening in NY too.

The John Hall campaign said people are getting a robocall implying that it is from Hall when it is not, and the purpose seems just to annoy and alientate people. If you hang up it keeps ringing back. One guy said he got ten calls. He was furious. This is a classic Rovian dirty trick.

[ChiciB1]

7. I Give Up.... n/t

[Pirate Smile]

11. Please post any personal information you have over on Daily Kos AND

e-mail it to Josh at Talking Points Memo.

[EFerrari]

14. I'm sorry I don't know your area very well. Is there a prog talk host

or a paper that isn't the Herald - an Indy paper - that you could call? It's late Sunday night but I guess that's what I would try to do. The party would just do the same thing - try to contact media.

[Pirate Smile]

8. This is big. Talking Points Memo is all over it and it is now all over

the front page at Daily Kos.

I think this is extremely important.

[ChiciB1]

24. I Am Very Happy To Hear About This... Time For MSM! n/t

[madfloridian]

9. No, the DNC doesn't know anything, they don't do anything at all.

And Dean just sits on his ass all the time, and he never does anything either.

Call Karen Thurman at the state party, call Bill Nelson. Call Luis Navarro at the state party. They control things here.

I think the link for the party in Florida is fdp.org, and there should be phone numbers there.

[ChiciB1]

18. Excuse Me... Bill Nelson Was Shaking Hands With Jennings Today

in Bradenton! And for what it's worth, I don't THINK he does all that much!! He does not run all that much either from what I've seen. He has a chance to prove me wrong... we'll see.

Please do not attack me as one who disrespects Howard Dean, I AM one of his biggest supporters and always have been. And why would anyone presume that I have much confidence in contacting authorities in the state of Florida?? I've lived here for many many years and feel I have lost ANY voice here. I've written Bill Nelson on NUMEROUS occasions and NEVER received an answer!

Only LATELY has he seen fit to reply and that would be WHY??? He still wants my vote, which he DID get, but I wish for better.

I don't understand why others don't understand why I feel the way I do. I have tried to contact the state government on other issues at other times and have gotten very very little in return.

I'll leave it to Christine Jennings now, she does know what is going on and if THEY don't want to pursue it... then once again Democratic leaders have let me down. I just came back in here to see what was going on and I must say I am surprised that any further replies were posted to this thread.

I thank you for the advice and I will just leave by saying I'll take Howard Dean over Rahm Emmanuel ANY DAY!!! This was not about Howard Dean... I was just wondering IF he was aware because I felt HE might be ONE person who WOULD do something!

[madfloridian]

19. Actually I think we are fussing about the same things in Florida.

And especially Bill Nelson.

Peace. I know you weren't attacking anyone, just upset. I have call intercept, and it takes care of most of the nuisance call...not all but most.

[ChiciB1]

21. Frankly I Don't Answer My Phone Unless My Caller ID Indicates

that it's a known number to me. The calls come in as "unknown!" I can ignore them. I WAS trying to help out by MAKING calls and it was a bit sordid because of the under-handed tactics by the Repukes!

So much so, that I didn't sign up to do any more! I'll stand on the corner and wave signs instead, but it's almost over now. I don't know where you live, but I can't wait to be rid of Cruella! And of course Jebby even though I know if Crist wins, Jebby will be close by.

Thank you for your reply, and as a fellow Floridian we have certainly been "upset" for a while now! I understand the feeling.

[madfloridian]

26. Look at this Kos post....the state party stopped it in NH

Here is the post. Looks like the AG made them stop. Check the update.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/5/23240/2465

I think the state party needs to know. Here is their contact info.

Address:
214 South Bronough Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Email:
[e-mail]

Hubby has been sick at times, and it is hard when the phone keeps ringing. So neither of us take part in phone banks, we do our part other ways.

[ChiciB1]

31. I Called Them Several Times... Had To Leave A Message Each

time. So, maybe they will call back, but they SHOULD know how I feel by now. I asked them if they have looked into this or not. Since Crist is the AG, it's hardly possible to have anything done right now!

Doing this so late in the game is most certainly a ploy they thought about beforehand! I almost ALWAYS stay away from using the "hate" word, actually can't recall using it but one other time during this election cycle... but right now

I HATE what is happening to us, and I HATE them for doing it!!

Forgive me, but I had to say it!

[Catchawave]

13. I refuse to do phone banking and door knocking.....

I think it's a HUGE turn off for voters. You see, I'm in a "mixed marriage"....I'm a raging liberal and my husband's a warhawk conservative. Goodness knows how we've lasted 37 years !

When the dust settles, I'm going to suggest to the Internet Powers running '08 Candidate Websites, put a freaking line/box on the online donation form "DO NOT CALL"....on my phone, at my door...and perhaps I'll send them more money, if they don't run a NEGATIVE AD. Geesh.

Also, I'm going to ask DU Admin to give us a better selection of John Edwards avatars...the one they have now looks like Lindsay Graham, I hate it, no offense to Graham :hi:

[Crunchy Frog]

17. I can make you a custom avatar if you'd like.

Post a pic that you like, and I'll make one from it. :)

[MH1]

15. Try 1-866-Our-Vote

Goes to an organization whose website is http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/004625.html

A friend suggested to report problems like the robo-calling to that number.

[Emit]

16. I think you're supposed to call the Federal Election Commission

http://www.fec.gov/

Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20463 [phone] In Washington [phone]

[LSK]

20. call the GOP and complain: 202.863.8500

http://www.gop.com/ContactUs/

[ChiciB1]

23. I Already Went Directly To Our Local GOP Headquarters & Gave

them quite a tongue lashing! That was before I saw that it was happening in other states.

But I do think I will get a group together and we will "contact" them and give them some "direct" advice! I'm just sorry I found out so late.

[Garbo 2004]

27. Well contacting the GOP won't do any good. Contact the state Dem party and

see if they can take legal action. Only something like a court injunction can stop it if they can find grounds, not chewing out the local GOP HQ which likely isn't in contol of the calls.

From NYT article:

"Using a telemarketing tactic that is best known for steering consumers to buy products, the organizers of the political telephone calls say they have reached hundreds of thousands of homes in five states over the last several weeks in a push to win votes for Republicans. Democrats say the calls present a distorted picture.

The Ohio-based conservatives behind the new campaign, which include current and former Procter & Gamble managers, say the automated system can reach vast numbers of people at a fraction of the cost of traditional volunteer phone banks and is the most ambitious political use of the telemarketing technology ever undertaken.

But critics say the automated calls are a twist on push polls — a campaign tactic that is often criticized as deceptive because it involves calling potential voters under the guise of measuring public opinion, while the real intent is to change opinions with questions that push people in one direction or the other.

The calls have set off a furor in the closing days of a campaign in which control of Congress hinges on a handful of races..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/06/us/politics/06push.html?ei=5094&en=286769ab0fcdbc7a&hp=&ex=1162875600&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1162792030-UlxKuLohTUzvD5AE+ozaog

[ChiciB1]

30. Thank You For The NYT Article & I'm Glad To See It's Getting

attention... albeit terribly LATE! Not much can be done about it here in this area, it's my understanding that the local paper has been contacted and the local news talked about it too. The only problem with the local news is that it DIDN'T mention that the calls were generated by Repukes.

The paper did, but whatever... I campaigned for ALL local candidates and Jim Davis and they are aware of it so I will leave it up to them now. This IS Florida and we will see what we will see!

I'm trying very hard to stay away from ALL news and to some extent DU. It's harder to stay away from DU and the other blogs, but having "lived" through so much crap by Repukes since 2006 I simply CAN'T wait til this election is over. I have my wishes as to who I prefer, but to HOPE for anything is beyond me now. I have fought and fought against these despicable people for so long and it seems they just come up with some NEW scheme each time out! I got voters to vote, I made calls, walked in parades and waved signs, I know I contributed more than many other Americans so my conscience is clear.

If the American people can't see through this and if they want to stay STUCK On Stupid I don't know how much more I can do! I've worked and worked to get the REALITY of what has been going on for longer than I like to admit, that sometimes I think I'M THE STUPID one!! I do think Democrats will win the house, but it remains to be seen HOW they will govern. The Idiot will still be there for 2 more years and for what it's worth... two more days is TOO long for me! When a sitting Vice-President states on National TV that he will not show up if issued a subpoena what will be done?? That is a question not being covered right now and I wonder what Democrats will do about it. Given that far too many Democrats have fawned all over Joe. Lie I wonder if THEIR fear will hold them back from doing anything. And yes, there are some Democrats who will fight the good fight, but will it be enough???

Sorry, I'm in an EXTREMELY BAD MOOD today and I actually wish I didn't live in this country right now. Next week might find me happier, but there is so much damage that MUST be repaired and I'm worn out because of the fighting that goes on all the time!

I'm now going to go give my chocolate lab a much needed BATH!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

25. IMO Democrats' calling scripts should be changed to ask about robotic

calls voters may have received and point out that Democrats do not make robotic calls on Election Eve.

Also IMO robotic calling would make more sense as a Republican tactic to depress Independent turnout, rather than Democrats' turnout, though even Democrats too may get annoyed if they receive enough calls. Democrats IMO still would tend to turn out to vote even though annoyed at apparently overzealous party efforts. So it makes a lot of sense IMO for us to keep on calling Registered Democrats.

IMO, Rove's secret to success has been a three-pronged polarization strategy all along:

1. Energize the funde/Republican base with red meat like anti-gay marriage referenda.

2. Depress the Independent vote by any means whatever, no matter how low and despicable.

3. Place bureaucratic barriers like "Voter ID" in the path of elderly and inner-city nondrivers and other disproportionately Democratic demographics.

[progressivebydesign]

28. I got a live call today that was a fake...

Someone supposedly calling from the Democratic National Headquarters. She left a message on the machine that was rude, fairly unitelligable, and basiclaly irritating. It was obvious that it was a fake.. she didn't know what she was supposed to say, it was awful.

[DeepModem Mom]

29. I'm very upset by it. I, too, think Dean should address it --

except the reality is, they've sneaked this on us, and we now have only one day left, and many have already voted early. God, they are nefarious. Ideally, we would have researched the legality in each state, and gone to court, and/or publicized these "dirty trick" tactics through the press. Maybe the NY Times article in tomorrow's edition will at least inform our leaders of what is happening:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2598865

[seabeyond]

35. the UPSIDE getting these calls. i am getting NO calls. WHY?

cause i live in all repug all the time texas and there are no need for the calls. at least this means you guys have a somewhat competitive state of blue, instead of all red

higher in all things, wink