2012 New Mexico Senate: Heinrich vs. Wilson

2012 New Mexico Senate: Heinrich vs. Wilson

Republican Voter Suppression Campaign Rolls Back Early Voting by Dan Froomkin

But early voting was apparently too much of a success for some people. In Ohio and four other states — Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia — Republican-led legislatures have dramatically reduced early voting in 2012 as part of what can only be explained as a concerted effort to suppress the votes of Democratic-leaning voters. Other parts of that effort include voter ID bils, intimidation of voter registration groups and the purges of voter rolls.

In Ohio and Florida, two of the most critical swing states in this year’s presidential election, the GOP early voting rollback specifically included a ban on voting on the Sunday before Election Day. …

After the GOP won control of many statehouses in 2010, rolling back early voting became a top legislative priority. That meant reducing the period for early in-person voting in Florida from 14 to 8 days, and in Ohio, from 35 to 11. And no voting on Sunday before the election. …

Research by an Ohio voter advocacy group found that blacks made up more than half the early in-person voters in 2008, compared with about a quarter of people who vote on Election Day or by mail.

Research by political scientists at Dartmouth College and the University of Florida concluded that "Democratic, African American, Hispanic, younger, and first-time voters were disproportionately likely to vote early in 2008 and in particular on weekends, including the final Sunday of early voting." …

In Ohio’s heavily Democratic cities — Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Toledo — early voting will be limited to working hours on weekdays in 2012. But, as the Cincinnati Enquirer reported recently, attempts to add extended hours at the local election boards have been blocked by Republicans in urban counties, "even as extended hours will be available in some smaller counties with a strong Republican slant."

The reason, as Ari Berman explained in the Nation, is that county boards of election in Ohio have two members from each party. Ties are broken by the secretary of state.

In solidly Republican counties, GOP election commissioners have approved expanded early voting hours — because why not? But in Democratic counties, they’ve balked. And Husted, the man who said he supports the law because it will bring uniformity to the state, has backed them up.

Republican Voter Suppression Campaign Rolls Back Early Voting

Romney touches ‘birther’ issue he avoided before  | ajc.com

"No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised," Romney said.

The crowd of more than 7,000 responded with hearty laughter.

Romney touches ‘birther’ issue he avoided before  | ajc.com

Hee-haw!

Mitt Romney uses secretive data-mining – POLITICO.com

Mitt Romney uses secretive data-mining
By: Associated Press
August 24, 2012 03:35 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) – Building upon its fundraising prowess, Mitt Romney’s campaign began a secretive data-mining project this summer to trove through Americans’ personal information – including their purchasing history and church attendance – to identify new and likely wealthy donors, The Associated Press has learned. …

For Romney’s data-mining project, which began as early as June, the Republican candidate quietly turned to a little-known but successful analytics firm that previously performed marketing work for a colleague tied to Bain & Co., the management-consulting firm that Romney once led. …

High-dollar donors have been essential to Romney’s election effort, unlike Obama, who relies on more contributors giving smaller amounts.

Romney and the GOP have out-fundraised Obama’s re-election effort for the past three months.

The fate of the presidency may depend on who raises more money in the campaign, whose cost for the first time is approaching $2 billion. …

Mitt Romney uses secretive data-mining – POLITICO.com Print View

Heinrich leads Wilson in new poll | Albuquerque News – KOAT Home

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of New Mexico likely voters shows Heinrich with 48 percent of the vote to Wilson’s 41 percent.

Heinrich leads Wilson in new poll | Albuquerque News – KOAT Home

mjh: It’s a very small sample (500). Heinrich’s lead exceeds the margin of error, but not the total of undecideds plus those for another candidate (who?).

Does Missouri want this buffoon in the Senate?

Washington Post

Todd Akin, expert on who hates God

By Colbert I. King,  Published: AUGUST 22, 11:54 AM ET

Opined Akin: “I think NBC has a long record of being very liberal, and at the heart of liberalism, really, is a hatred of God and a belief that government should replace God. So, they’ve had a long history of not being at all favorable toward many of the things that have been such a blessing to our country.

Washington Post

OK, Akin has me here: if there were a god, I’d hate him. But not all liberals think alike. To my huge surprise, I know many otherwise intelligent and decent people who believe in god and/or attend a church. I try not to hold that against them.

Teddy Roosevelt: ‘In God We Trust’ on Money is ‘Sacrilege’

When the phrase “In God We Trust” was going to be placed on the $20 gold coin in 1907, President Teddy Roosevelt was against it (PDF):

“My own feeling in the matter is due to my very firm conviction that to put such a motto on coins, or to use it in any kindred manner, not only does no good but does positive harm, and is in effect irreverence, which comes dangerously close to sacrilege…”

That, from a president who was a Christian, a Sunday school teacher, and a Republican… those days are long gone.

Teddy Roosevelt: ‘In God We Trust’ on Money is ‘Sacrilege’