Home of the Militant Middle, Another Opinion ("A/O") is an Independent oriented "OpEd" blog for those looking for unbiased facts free of partisan drama and who are willing to question the Status Quo.
Showing posts with label political donations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label political donations. Show all posts
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Exposing More Political Dirty Tricks in Kentucky and Elsewhere
Apparently many of you have expressed interest in some of the more seemly ordinary everyday type of corruption which goes on at the campaign level. While I'm not sure why, perhaps because it's proximity and happens all around you, or if it's because of just how brazen it often it. Nevertheless, I will oblige your curiosity with some other examples that I'm aware of.
We've thus far discussed simple things like stealing yard signs, either outright or having the opposing camps (perhaps their supporters) place "bounties" on the signs. We've also talked about phony baloney newspaper and other types of endorsements, the use of "ringers" to draw votes away from the other side. We've also briefly ventured the area of vote buying, be it with cold cash or by willing voters a chicken dinner (which is oh so Kentucky). Of course, as in the old days, vote buying also consists of giving the voting accomplice liquor in exchange for their vote (or more accurately, votes) or hard cash.
As everyone knows, certain establishments are closed while the voting polls are open; establishments like liquor stores, bars, strip clubs, and so forth. One technique that used to be popular, and I'm sure remains so, is to go down to the local skid row and find a few willing volunteers who are willing to go vote in exchange for a pint of liquor (or these days, perhaps some other substance if it can be easily obtained). This technique works well where voter ID isn't used since the party hack has easy access to voter rolls and can tell by looking at the voter frequency just how often someone votes (often call "fidelity voting").
Since people's gender and age are also given, it's a simple matter of matching up your volunteer with, say three or four profiles, and take them around to the appropriate polling place. All the individual really needs to do is remember the name and address. After accomplishing their mission, it's just a matter of dropping them off and paying up. Sounds simple doesn't it? The volunteer isn't going to say anything. They got their booze. They're happy, and besides, vote buying is illegal. Vote buying is considered to be technically a "bribe", and can carry a fine of $10,000 and/or up to five years in jail. Obviously the reward doesn't justify the risk, but some will still try it.
One of the biggest curtailments to vote buying these days is voter ID. While some groups poo-poo the notion of showing a photo ID, claiming it causes some "undo" hardship on the voter, especially if they're a minority, the fact is that it doesn't. Nearly everyone has some form of photo ID these days, and if they don't (such people with no driver's license), a photo ID can still be easily obtained . In Kentucky, all you need is a social security card, a copy of your birth certificate, and a piece of postmarked mail with your address on it along with $12.00. The cards can be obtained at any of the County Clerks' Offices. Doesn't sound real difficult does it?
A similar, and perhaps more common form of voter fraud is as easy as taking a walk to the local cemetery. Seriously. While long considered to be something of a urban legend, the dead often find themselves remaining on voter rolls long after their death, while someone else shows up to vote in their name. Again, this is most common in places where a voter ID isn't required and where voter registries aren't regularly purged so that someone recently deceased, even five or eight years ago, remains on the voter registry. One of the most infamous cases of the dead voting is Lyndon Johnson's first senate race in 1948 in which approximately 202 dead Mexican-Americans voted at the last minute in Jim Wells County Texas. Oh, and they voted in alphabetical order! As an aside, it does seems that the dead tend to prefer Democrat candidates. Don't know why.
Another neat feature about requiring voter ID is that it cuts down on non-citizens from illegally voting, which is becoming a serious problem in a number of states which have large numbers of illegal immigrants. However, despite federal laws to the contrary, only 24 states are actually compliant with voting laws. Nevertheless, another disturbing trend is that some states and cities have started to allow illegal immigrants to vote in certain elections as part of their so-called "sanctuary" status. Personally, I think any state or locale which allows allow illegals to vote or for that matter, claims a "sanctuary" status and all that entails should forfeit any federal monies it receives.
Another "dirty trick" which is gaining in popularity is the good ole computer virus. Today every candidate has a web page. It's a common as having a palm card to pass out. However, websites can be easily disrupted several ways. First is the computer virus. One candidate I know had a very successful web page which was generating a lot of hits. So, a computer virus was sent to their website, hidden in a email as they usually are. Fortunately, this individual was able to detect it before opening and allowing the web page, which can cost several hundred dollars to create, to be destroyed. The candidate filed a complaint with the local party chairperson, but since this was a primary, the chairperson refused to get involved (except for the pleas not to release the incident to the local media in exchange for a promise to "investigate", which of course never happened). Apparently anything goes in primaries as Bernie Sanders recently discovered.
A similar trick is to try and overload the website with fake messages. Since every candidate wants to answer their email, a new trick is to get 10 or 15 individuals to send worthless emails demanding that the candidate personally respond. These individuals use different email addresses to make it look like there's more people than there really is. By keeping the candidate busy answering emails, it keeps them off the campaign trail. It can also create a situation where something the candidate writes can be used out of context, which often happens with speeches as we've all seen from TV commercials. Along the same lines, is trying to overload a candidates phone system in the same way.
However, if the opponent gets out on the campaign trail and starts out walking and knocking you, there is another common little trick which gets used a lot called "Pigeon-holding" (not "pigeonholing"). As a rule, a candidate has about 10 seconds from the time a prospective voter answers the door to make their pitch. After that, the average person tunes the candidate off and shuts the door. However, with pigeon-holding, the prospective voter is usually a friend or supporter of the opponent. Instead of letting the candidate make their 10 second spiel, they will keep asking questions. Of course, after usually getting a lot of doors slammed in their face, the candidate is delighted to have someone's full attention, except that it's a ruse.
Candidates deal in volume work. The more doors they knock on, the better the chances of getting votes. However, when they're pigeon-holed, they are kept in one spot for as long as possible, thus cutting down on the voters they meet. That usually helps their opponents who get the opportunity to knock on more door while their opponent is tied up. A variation on this trick is to also request signs, which candidates love to do since it shows support...and then "lose" the sign. They then contact the candidate or their headquarters and request another sign or two which of course also gets "misplaced", "stolen", or "destroyed" (usually they go out with the trash or are hidden behind the house or in the garage).
This will go on until the candidate or their staff gets wise to the ploy, but meanwhile they've cost the candidate money (remember, signs cost money) and time in delivering the signs (if you factor in the cost of assembling the signs---usually delivered in lots of 500 to 2000---as well as the costs of gas, the average yard sign cost about $5.00 each, and upward to $20 for the larger signs). As I previously mentioned, a certain candidate I know discovered that their signs---regular yard signs and the larger 3x5 signs were being stolen on a regular basis. They later learned that a public employee associated with the school system was paying students to steal the signs; $1.00 for the small signs and $5.00 for the bigger ones, plus $1.00 for each of the metal posts used to hold the 3x5 signs. That just breaks all sort of laws doesn't it? Then too, what moralistic lesson does that teach the students? By the way, most of the students involved were supposedly in Junior High School.
I have no doubt that these sorts of juvenile games are commonplace in just about every state, county, and burgh in the US. However do they really work? Actually, no. It's true that signs are a visible symbol of support and seeing a lot of signs for one particular candidate can be impressive, the fact is that signs don't vote nor do they necessarily persuade others to vote for that person. If someone has agreed to support you, stealing or defacing a yard sign won't change their mind. It will, however, tick them off and they will tell their neighbors and friends. Perhaps the most overlooked component to any campaign is word of mouth. People naturally tend to believe and trust what family and friends...and neighbors say about candidates, especially when one is believed to be trying to cheat or be underhanded. However, what yard signs do is reinforce name recognition which is important since that's all lesser informed many people seem to remember about the candidates.
Lastly (for this issue) is the ever popular rumor mill. Everyone who went through grade school knows the damage rumors can cause to someone's reputation. In fact, rumors tend to continue through school and sometimes even into one's place of employment (where it's given a thin veneer of respectability by being called the "gossip mill" or "grapevine"). Regardless, it largely the same. In politics, especially during elections it still happens except that it's often more subtle but every bit as vicious. Political rumors can be started in a infinite variety of ways, from "insider" leaks to the news media to little innuendos while talking to voters at the door or in a group. Sometimes they're in the form of a mailer or a radio or television spot (or even on the Internet).
Rumors are often hard to respond to since by the time you hear about them, they've been out there awhile. Therefore, some candidates strike first by putting out disclaimers up front and apologizing on behalf of their opponent for the lies that will likely be spread about them. Another example is a candidate who knew that their opponent had been lying about their record, took the unusual step of doing a side by side comparison of backgrounds---education, political or community, military and professional experience, and using both their opponent's own literature and public records. It caused quite a loud outcry from the opponent's camps. Not because it was untrue, but because the comparison made their candidate look bad!
However, while that's a positive example of dealing with rumors, most aren't so positive. Many rumors, founded or not, were floated around in Kentucky regarding an individual's alleged sexual orientation, despite being married with children (it was a "cover" so the rumor went). In fact, this happened to a few candidates who subsequently either lost or decided not to run. In New York this is what happened in a race between Ed Koch and Mario Cuomo in 1977 ("Cuomo not the homo"). Koch won by the way. Women often face far worse. From everything about their sexual orientation to being poor mothers or wives, to making sexual deals for campaign endorsements or contributions. However, it's been my experience that women can be far tougher than men when it comes to these sort of things. Perhaps it's because women have had a far more difficult time in the workplace than men and have had to endure more and work harder for the same respect (and money) given to men.
One way to help stave off some of these rumors is to be pro-active. By that I mean requesting a police background check and even requesting the FBI do the same thing. This provides added, and impartial, information to refute most claims. An employer reference, as well as references from respected community leaders (especially those who don't have anything to gain or lose with your election) are great. Another suggestion is having a generic rebuttal letter, radio, or television spot ready to go in an instant. Also, have a generic press release ready to go as well. That allows the candidate to get out in front of the issue before it gets out of hand, and buys time to prepare a more specific response.
Well, there you go. A few more examples of the corruption of the political system at its most basic level---the campaign. However, unfortunately corruption in politics has literally become institutionalized at the highest levels. When corporations are freely able to spend what they want to get the legislation they desire or to hire lobbyists to help write specific legislation, then you know it's gone too far. When there was more turn over in the old Soviet Politburo during the height of the USSR than in the present day US Congress, you know it has gone too far. When Congress has become a millionaires club and the average citizen is unable to afford to run for office, then you know it's gone too far. When the revolving door between government and the corporate world spins at such as dizzying speed that you can't tell the two apart, then you know it has gone too far. It's up to us to stop it.
Vote Buying Law and Legal Definition
Noncitizens, Voting Violations, and Elections
The DNC In Federal Court Admits It Rigged Its Primary For Hillary
Saturday, October 06, 2018
When Kentucky Bluegrass Smells like Stinkweed: More Kentucky Corruption
Over the past several weeks now, I've been sharing with you the results of my research into the politics of money; who's giving it and who's getting it. We've looked at the key industries which donate the most, and the largest individual donors (and no, the Koch Brothers and George Soros aren't even in the top ten. by the standards of the really big donors, they're paupers). In our Capitalistic world, everything has a price, not the least of which are politicians especially since the gross error of a out of touch (and perhaps naive) Supreme Court which upheld Citizens United (Citizens United vs. FEC in 2010).
As I'm sure you know, this "supreme" mistake declared money to be equal to "free speech" and turned corporations into "pseudo-people" ("Frankensteins" as I call them) with the same rights as us mere flesh and blood mortals, except more so. While you and I are capped as to what we can give, corporations aren't. They're free to give what they want, when they want, and to whom they want; essentially taking ordinary citizens out of the picture. Adding in all that lobbyist do on behalf of their corporate masters and the revolving door between Wall Street, E Street (where most lobbying firms are located in Washington DC), and Capital Hill, it's no wonder that we're an Oligarchy; a plutocracy. It seems that politicians only have time for us every two, four, or six years, when they don their "common folk" apparel, adopt their well practiced populist patter and force themselves to mingle with the ordinary citizens out here in "Flyover Country".
My last article discussed Kentucky being named one of the most politically corrupt in the nation and some of the common dirty tricks used by candidates running for office, especially those used in my home state of Kentucky. I thought it would be interesting to discuss a few more of those tricks. But first, since we've previously discusses the major donors at the federal level and the role of military contractors and their beneficiaries, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the key lobbyists in Kentucky. So, let's take a look shall we?
There are approximately 20 "high dollar" lobbyists in Frankfort, Kentucky's state capital, who represent around 720 corporations and associations. First on the list is John McCarthy, the former top generalissimo of the Kentucky Republican Party and regular sight at the Jefferson County Republican Party meetings (McCarthy was the former Kentucky GOP Chairman). McCarthy's clients include Altria (Phillip Morris USA), the University of Louisville and Bardenwerper Talbott and Roberts, LLC, a law firm which represents land real estate developers. McCarthy earns $315,003 for his efforts. In second place is the former State Auditor and Secretary of State, Bob Babbage. Babbage, a Democrat, represents clients like Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, Aetna, Cash Express, and Novo Nordisk Inc, which is a Danish pharmaceutical company.
In third place is Patrick Jennings. His clients include UPS, Swedish Match AB (a manufacturer of tobacco snuff, cigars, smokeless tobacco, lighters, matches, etc), and Consumer Healthcare Products Association (does anyone else note the irony here?). He earns $281,626. Forth place belongs to Ronny Pryor. Pryor's top three clients are Molina Health Care, LifePoint Hospitals, and the Hospital Corporation of America. Next, at number five, is Karen Thomas-Lentz. She represents clients like EPIC Pharmacies, Swisher International (a manufacture of cigars and other tobacco products), and the Kentucky Liquor Retailers Coalition, for which she makes $209,073. Coming in at number six is Sean Cutter. Sean's clients include the Jefferson County Public Schools, the Kentucky Distillers Association, and EQT Corporation, which is in the oil and gas exploration and pipeline transportation business. For his services, Sean earns $201,380.
In the seventh spot is John Cooper, whose main clients are Toyota, the Kentucky Bankers Association, and the Kentucky Medical Association. For his efforts, Mr. Cooper is paid around $193,405. In eighth place we have Leigh Thacker. Ms. Thacker represents the Kentucky Press Association, the Cigar Association of America, and the Outdoor Advertising Association, for which is earns $182,667. Our ninth place goes to Kevin Payton. His top three clients are Fidelity Investments, the Outdoor Advertising Association as well, and FanDuel, Inc., which is a daily fantasy sports provider and sports bookmaker service based in New York City. Kevin's brings home $172,200.
Completing our top ten is Chris Nolan, whose three clients are the Kentucky Distillers Association, Maximus, and RAI Services. Chris earns $170,847. In case you're wondering, Maximus is a information technology services company which provides business process services for government healthcare and human service agencies. It's focus is on administering government based programs such as Medicaid, child support enforcement, welfare-to-work programs, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicare. RAI Services is Reynolds American Incorporated, whose chief business is tobacco products.
Some other notable mentions include Rachel Bayens, whose clients include Louisville Regional Airport Authority, CVS Health, and Anthem, Inc. She makes $122,654, which is nothing to sneeze at! Greg Brotzge who represents Sullivan University, the Kentucky Paint Council, and the Kentucky Bluegrass Cannabis LLC. His income is $114,734. Jason Underwood's clients include Legalize Kentucky Now, Delaware North Companies which is a global food and hospitality company. It's also involved with gaming, sporting and entertainment businesses, and Sazerac Company, an alcoholic beverage company.
While only the top three clients are listed here, state lobbyists typically handle 25 or more clients. Meanwhile, lobbyists in Washington may handle fewer clients, their dollar volume is much much higher, as are their incomes. It's not uncommon for lobbyists in Washington to earn well into the seven figure salaries with some seriously great perks, which is why most politicians and senior staffers on Capitol Hill set their sights on E Street almost from day one (or sooner) of their careers.
Nevertheless, lobbyists spent a record setting $8.4 million dollars in Frankfort to insure they got the proper amount of "free speech" spread around to Kentucky politicians. That's three years in row where lobbyists have set a new spending record. Who "spoke" the loudest to legislators? That would be Altria (Phillip Morris USA), the tobacco company. They spent a record $332,000, outspending everyone else to make sure they were heard loud and clear.
That message included easing restrictions on tobacco advertising and stopping any tax increases on tobacco products. Another big spender was LG$E and KU Energy, which lobbied hard to reduce what they have to pay for excess energy created by consumers who generate their own electricity from solar panels and windmills. Apparently their $116,858 wasn't enough and House Bill 227 failed.
Sadly, while businesses and professional associations are well cared for in places like Frankfort and Washington, ordinary citizens lack any full, or ever part-time lobbyists to protect our interests. Even if there were, it's highly doubtful they could come anywhere near to matching the money that would be needed to offset what businesses are prepared to spend; even unions are grossly outspent. Meanwhile, even politicians with the best of intentions (I've known a very few and I'm sure you have too) have to raise money to get and stay elected. Today's campaigns have all but squeezed out anyone who isn't a millionaire, or at least well-off, and that's just local and state elections.
Federal elected offices are completely out of reach of most everyone (and really, even appointed offices which are often given based on the one's ability to raise and donate money). So, when we look at the quality of people in office, just remember that these are far from the best and brightest America has to offer. These are those who were willing to sell themselves for corporate money...and the corporate chains which go along with it. It is not a place for those who think and act for themselves.
As you'll recall from my last article, we discussed some of numerous "dirty tricks" campaigns engage in. There are literally hundreds of little "gotchas" campaigns play on each other. Most are usually harmless and designed to liven up the otherwise monotonous days and evenings that campaigning can become, though a few can be pretty annoying. However, there are numerous other, not so humorous, things which unscrupulous candidates, their managers, advisors, and/or volunteers do which are unethical in the least or totally illegal at the worse.
Surprisingly, one of the more common, and certainly unethical things is hiring or otherwise bribing someone to run in your race as a "ringer". Usually, but not always, this happens in a Primary. The reason is actually quite simple. First off, primaries tend to have a low turnout, therefore it's important to make sure to get your supporters out and keep your opponents at home. The next best thing is to split the vote. That's were getting a "ringer" or two to run in order to divide the vote for your opponent. More specifically, it's useful to divide an anti-incumbent vote. How many times have you seen a unpopular incumbent "somehow" win? Well, it's usually because they get people to run in the race and focus their efforts against the incumbent's strongest opponent. It's also a great way to get the weakest candidate the advantage. We'll look at both situations.
As an example, I know of an instance where a well known and pretty strong candidate ran for an open seat (meaning there was no incumbent). That individual was known for being honest and seriously interested in helping the people in the district as well not one known to do as they're told. However, a "good ole boy" clique didn't want that. They needed someone they could "own". So while they found someone to run, they knew that individual couldn't win. So, they got two others to run and concentrate their efforts against the better candidate, which, in effect, meant the better candidate was running against three individuals rather than just one, and just before the election, both of the "ringers" dropped out and encouraged everyone to support the weaker candidate. Unfortunately, this technique often proves to be successful.
A similar example is when a unpopular incumbent faces a strong challenger. When attempts to buy them out of running fails (like offering to help get them a board or commission position, promise to get snow removed from their neighbor's streets, fix their sidewalks, drainage, or pave their street), the incumbent will often employ a ringer or two. From there, it's pretty much the same as above. Often times, a ringer won't show up at a debate out of fear of getting caught. However, they sometimes do, and when they do, they're fairly easy to spot since they don't go seriously after the incumbent (they may make a few little jabs at them, but nothing too serious).
In another instance I know about, a candidate appeared at one of those so-called newspaper "endorsements". Of course, I'm one of those who believe the media should simply report the news, not try to manipulate or push their agenda like they do with their "endorsements", but nevertheless, this candidate appeared along with his opponent and another individual who turned out to be the ringer (and an obvious one at that. He played in the same local band as the opponent's brother!). So, after introductions, the questioning by the panel started. It didn't take long for the opponent to show their complete absence of any knowledge of issues. While the better candidate knew their stuff, the opponent didn't have a clue. Most telling, however, was that the ringer had no responses at all! When asked for their opinion on an issue, they would shrug their shoulders and say something like "I don't know" or point to one of the other candidates and say "I agree with him".
Never once did the newspaper interviewers, whose jobs are to ask tough questions and investigate, ever question the cavalier attitude of this mystery candidate. They never bothered to check this individual out (which even a casual inquiry would have revealed they identity). So, at the end of the interview, the opponent and ringer walked out together...laughing no less! When the "endorsements" came out a few days later, there was no or little mention of the ringer, and while generally good comments were made about the better candidate, it was the opponent who got the endorsement! Of course, what helped was that the opponent candidate's actual answers were changed.
Remarks they made in the interview were deleted or altered, and in a few cases, misapplied from the better candidate. How can that be? Simple, someone didn't want the better candidate to win, and that meant no "endorsement" Of course, eventually everything comes out with the wash as the expression goes. It was discovered that one of the interviewers (allegedly) got a complimentary membership of some sort...after the election. While there's really nothing "illegal" about any of this, it's quite obviously unethical, which should tell you all you want to know about the opponent and those backing them.
Since then, and as a result of other stories, I've encouraged candidates to avoid newspaper endorsements. Yes, some may be honest, but you never know. Secondly, those doing the interview rarely if ever reveal their names to the public and never do they reveal their political registration which the public deserves to know; they need to know the political slant of those making the endorsements in order to know how seriously the "endorsements" should be taken. Lastly, I've campaigned to not only have this information made public, but also to record and release the interview itself unedited, either in video form on the newspaper's website, or simply print a complete transcript of the interview. Until newspaper's become as transparent as they tell everyone else to be, candidates should avoid the interview.
Again, there is nothing unusual here. It's not uncommon in today's world of politics, but that doesn't make it Ok. Most endorsement processes don't permit other individuals such as campaign managers or advisors to be in the room, and most definitely no recording devises. The claim is that they would try to "coach" their candidate with the answers or intimidate their opponent by recording devises (or more likely, embarrass their own candidate who may come off looking or sounding like a dork). Personally, I think it's more a matter of catching the interviewers in the act of playing politics in what's supposed to be an unbiased and honest process.
There you have it friends. This is how the game is all too often played, and I haven't even scratched the surface yet. I go back time and time again to stress that we need to undo decisions like Citizens United; we need to implement serious campaign finance reform; we need term limits and an end to gerrymandering. We need a level playing field when it comes to allowing third party and Independents the opportunity to run for office, or even a seat on the Board of Elections (in case you forgot or didn't know, Independents are the nation's largest political bloc with 44% of all registered voters, and growing. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans are stuck in the 20% range and shrinking overall). Unless we do, Kentucky and America will remain an increasingly corrupt duopoly amid a ruling Oligarchy of plutocrats. In short, we will continue to lose our Republic and the freedoms which go with it.
Kentucky's GOP former chair is now top paid lobbyist in Frankfort
These 20 lobbyists were among the highest paid people at the state capital in 2017
Lobbyist spending tops $8.4 million in Kentucky legislature
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