Republicans don’t like voters to be the ones deciding the outcome of elections.

(HT Carl Whitmarsh listserv)

Harris County 2010 - A Project of the Texas Democratic Party

Friday’s ruling by the all-Republican Supreme Court of Texas means the Green Party candidates who gained ballot access through a Republican scheme involving Rick Perry’s former chief of staff and illegal corporate money will get to be on the ballot, at least for now. Outrageous as it may be, this kind of blatant election manipulation has become all too familiar for those of us in Harris County.

Whether it’s the use of resignations and appointments to maintain Republican control of the Voter Registration office or the illegal enterprise between Ed Johnson and state representative Dwayne Bohac that had a Republican consultant working inside that same Voter Registration office, this scandal is just the latest in a long series of Republican schemes designed to keep the outcome of elections from being determined by voters.

The timeline below contains a short history of recent GOP schemes to manipulate elections in Harris County:

2/1/2007 - 3 months after being reelected, Republican County Judge Robert Eckels tells Houston Chronicle he may resign early to explore opportunities in private sector

3/6/2007 - Ed Emmett is appointed to replace Eckels. Radio host Dan Patrick says, "…voters did not intend for someone to run for office and step down two months later for their own personal gain."

10/20/2008 - 13,000 voter registration applications remain unprocessed by Republican Voter Registration Office on first day of Early Voting period

11/11/2008 - Texas Democratic Party sues Voter Registrars Office for failing to properly process provisional ballots and illegally rejecting voter registration applications

12/5/2008 - 1 month after being reelected Voter Registrar Paul Bettencourt resigns to "pursue a private business venture."

12/19/2008 - Leo Vasquez is appointed as new Voter Registrar. Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill says Vasquez' “…experience on Republican voter registration drives makes him an ideal candidate”

3/11/2009 - Voter Registration Office Employee Ed Johnson lies about role of Voter Registration Office regarding provisional ballots during testimony before Texas Senate Committee of the Whole

4/6/2009 - Voter Registration Office employee George Hammerlien lies to House Elections Committee about laws pertaining to processing of voter registration applications

4/13/2009 - Voter Registration Office employee George Hammerlien "acknowledged today that his statement was wrong."

6/10/2009 - Voter Registration Office employee Ed Johnson is revealed to be Republican consultant in business with State Representative Dwayne Bohac selling voter data

10/23/2009 - Voter Registrar office settles lawsuit with Texas Democratic Party, agrees to follow law and pays TDP legal fees

10/29/2009 - Houston Chronicle publishes editorial regarding settlement: "...the specified changes in the tax-office procedures for handling registration applications make it clear that the original complaints were anything but frivolous." "It's unfortunate that it took a lawsuit to secure a common-sense ban on voter registration officials moonlighting as consultants to political campaigns."

3/2/2010 - Ed Emmett’s favored candidates for Voter Registrar and County Clerk lose GOP Primary races

5/23/2010 - Despite having asked all county agencies to cut budgets, Emmett introduces idea of creating an entirely new level of bureaucracy, an office of Elections Administrator, which would take election administration duties away from Voter Registrar and County Clerk

5/27/2010 - Houston Chronicle publishes Editorial: "We wonder whether Emmett and Kaufman would be pushing for re-aligning election duties if their favorites were still in line to exercise those responsibilities."

6/10/2010 - Texas Democratic Party goes to court to keep illegal corporate money from being directed by Republican operatives to give Green Party candidates ballot access

6/25/2010 - Court proceedings reveal Rick Perry's longtime friend and former chief of staff Mike Toomey was responsible for an effort to get Green Party candidates on ballot

7/2/2010 - The all-Republican Supreme Court of Texas rules that Green Party candidates who were placed on ballot using illegal corporate money shall not be removed at this time

7/14/2010 - HCRP to hold a $250 per person “Private Election Briefing” featuring special guest County Judge Ed Emmett

The lesson here is obvious - Republicans don’t like voters to be the ones deciding the outcome of elections. And they clearly have no intention of changing their ways. The only way to stop them from continuing to manipulate elections is to beat them in November. You can click below to sign up to volunteer for or contribute to the candidates whose victories will ensure a return to transparent and fair elections.

Gordon Quan for County Judge
Ann Harris Bennett for County Clerk
Diane Trautman for Tax Assessor-Collector / Voter Registrar

Anthony Gutierrez
Director
Harris County 2010::A Project of the Texas Democratic Party

The Rs are especially desperate to cull the vote in Harris where they know the tide is turning blue. They need to choke ff legitimate voters or they will lose the county.

Another quick note - the Harris county Rs favorite candidate for TAC, Leo Vasquez, is the one that lost in the primary. He lost pretty much because he's got a Hispanic/Latino surname. The GOP rabid base hates Latinos, so even qualified ones get their asses handed to them in the primary. This will now be known as being "Carrillo-ed", ala Victor Carillo.

GOP incumbent Victor Carrillo blames loss on "Hispanic surname"

:kick:

It's practically the only way they ever win.

:thumbsup:

:kick: :woohoo: