How to Rig an Election: Convicted (Ex-GOP Consultant) Phone-Jammer Tells All

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Disgraced Ex-GOP Consultant Allen Raymond Reveals His Dirty Tricks as Party's 'Fall Guy'

What does it take to win the New Hampshire primary — dirty tricks or retail politics?

Stick to good old-fashioned politicking, says disgraced former GOP consultant Allen Raymond. "Retail politics and authenticity," he tells ABCNEWS.com. "Up in New Hampshire, they have great expectations of what you need to do as a candidate and you have to do it."

Raymond should know. After all, he's the one who ran an illegal scheme to make hundreds of calls to jam the phone lines of the state's Democrats on Election Day in 2002. The former consultant, who served three months in jail last year, tells his story and reveals secrets of the trade in his new book, "How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative."

Raymond blames the Republican Party for making him the fall guy and claims that his scheme was approved by a top state GOP official and the Republican National Committee's northeast regional director.

Raymond says that the RNC's former New England chairman, James Tobin, called him Oct. 18, 2002, asking, "If I had a couple of phone numbers that I wanted to shut down on Election Day, could you do that?"



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4088097&page=1

[superconnected]

1. Lie, cheat and steal, Republican morals in action.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

2. Thats the way they run their corporations.

[skooooo]

4. I never thought of it that way.

But you're absolutely right.

[redqueen]

21. If you haven't seen The Corporation, do yourself a favor

and check it out.

:hi:

[fascisthunter]

11. Exactly... It's Part of the Corporate Culture

[jaybeat]

14. Bingo!

I've never thought of it that way before, but you are absolutely right.

In business, there is no "right" or "wrong." There is only one value--how do I maximize profits and value for shareholders?

Of course, breaking the law AND GETTING CAUGHT can tank a companies stock price pretty fast, but "ethics"--"doing the right thing"?

IT DOES NOT EXIST.

THE CORPORATION IS A VALUES-LESS A-MORAL ENTITY.

It's only value is to enhance its own value--literally.

So, there you have it.

To the Republican view of the world, we are all in it for ourselves. To get ahead, ourselves, without worrying about "the other guy." Like cutting someone off in traffic. Sure, you don't like it when it happens to you, but hey, it's not happening to you, so it's the other guy's problem.

The Democratic view is, we're all in this together. Our values are demonstrated by how we treat the weakest and most disadvantaged among us.

Everyone, please notice that John Edwards is the only "top 3" candidate who is calling out the fact that the interests of the American people are not the same as the interests of corporations. Yes, Dems in general are better than Repukes in general, but more and more the corrupting power of corporate dollars and corporate lobbyists (writing legislation, regulating the industries they used to work for, etc.) is turning the government of the United States into a government of, for and by the corporations, not the people. That that difference MAKES a difference in the values (or lack thereof) that our government is guided by.

[junebug51]

17. Bingo back at you

Yes, you are correct those who invest in a corporations stock actually wants to see it succeed. That is the whole point in buying stock. Imagine that! Also these big bad corporations employee thousands of people worldwide. If these corporations were not successful all these employees would be out on the street and then we would hear you complaining about the high unemployment rate.

What would be the incentive for a company to grow and hire people if all their assets were distributed to the people? What incentive would the people who work for the corporations have to go to work when they know they wouldn't have to work and still get money?

Tell me, what is the brand of computer you are using to type on this forum? What brand of refrigerator do you have in your home? What brand of TV? What type of Internet connection do you have? Most everything you have in your home was created by a corporation; so if you don't want to support them and think they are big bad monsters, then you must give away everything in your house.

As noble as it would be for everyone to be on the same level, it is not practical. Do you think somone who never finished school should get paid the same amount as someone who took the time and went to college for four year, six year, or even eight years?

Don't be fooled by Edwards, he talks out of both sides of his mouth.
He preaches one thing, but practices another. Just like Hillary.

[Festivito]

19. Oh dear junebug51. So new here.

Yes, you are correct those who invest in a corporations stock actually wants to see it succeed. That is the whole point in buying stock. Imagine that!
You use succeed to bypass that we want corporations to make money, but not by killing us, enslaving us, nor taking our properties or rights. Money is great. But, money is not better than our life, liberty or property.

Also these big bad corporations employee thousands of people worldwide. If these corporations were not successful all these employees would be out on the street and then we would hear you complaining about the high unemployment rate.
We love that people assemble to create something to make us happier, healthier, and safer. If we run out of ideas or problems to face(e.g. no hunger, no ills, no unhappiness), why not just enjoy life then? We only complain about unemployment when we and others are unhappy about it. If we do need help to solve happiness, healthiness and safety then let us continue the corps that bring that and get rid of the ones that do not.

What would be the incentive for a company to grow and hire people if all their assets were distributed to the people?
Easy. The corp would want to get those people to want to trade the money back in for something new the corp makes.

What incentive would the people who work for the corporations have to go to work when they know they wouldn't have to work and still get money?
ONE: (I think you mean: they wouldn't have to work TO still get money." They'd still have to get money.) TWO: Are you confusing us with the left wing of the Communist party? That's not us. They are a small, albeit loud on occasion, insignificantly powered group. THREE: If people choose not to work because the have enough to be happy, and they are not in anyone else's way, why would you be unhappy with that? The rich don't have to work, and many don't, but the rich ARE in the way of other people who are not happy -- and yet you would seem to be the type not unhappy about that.

Tell me, what is the brand of computer you are using to type on this forum? What brand of refrigerator do you have in your home? What brand of TV? What type of Internet connection do you have? Most everything you have in your home was created by a corporation; so if you don't want to support them and think they are big bad monsters, then you must give away everything in your house.
Wait a second. If I had a non brand-name computer, TV, ... what's the problem? Many people put together their own computer, I have one. Few put together their own fridge, TV, ... but, some do. There's lots of competition there.

The difference between Ds and Rs is more of competition versus monopolies. Rs support Microsoft being a monopoly by reducing its fines, Ds prosecuted and convicted it.

As noble as it would be for everyone to be on the same level, it is not practical. Do you think someone who never finished school should get paid the same amount as someone who took the time and went to college for four year, six year, or even eight years?
Of course not. But, how much more is a question worth asking. As someone reaches that top and has no competition, they want too much. It's time to stick together and say: no.

Don't be fooled by Edwards, he talks out of both sides of his mouth.
He preaches one thing, but practices another.
You need to give an example. If you're saying he's rich and concerns himself with poor people... what's wrong with that. He was not always rich. He remembers. He wants to help. Good for him.

Just like Hillary.
Again, example needed.

Also, you need better knowledge of where you are. If you have information, present it. If you have opinions, back them. Especially when on a site that doesn't spend its day in an echo chamber with you.

You've confused us with both communists and with right wingers. Maybe that should tell you something. It does to us.

[Doctor_J]

23. Enjoy your brief stay here, june

corporatists, aka fascists, are not welcomed nor tolerated here.

[superconnected]

27. Every single piece of stock sold has one person betting it will

go up(betting long) matched with someone betting it will go down(betting short).

Between them is the exchange of funds, making it a zero sum game. The market matches up the bets so don't think for a minute that there is one piece of stock out there that doesn't have an equal bet where they win if it goes down.

Many times the CEO and highest executives are betting the stock will go down.

Many corporations screw their share holders this way.

Don't ever trust the people who run a corporation to see the corporation makes money for the stock holders. That's lip service. If they actually cared their golden parachutes wouldn't be highway robbery (sometimes in the tens of millions), and usually when they have preform so poorly before leaving the company. Hence, the individuals running the place are typically only out for themselves.

[fascisthunter]

18. I Know Someone who Worked for the AG in MA

trust me when I say this. Corporations figure how much the penalties are for breaking the law and compare that to their possible profit. If the profit exceeds the penalty and the PR is in place for damage control, they will break a law or two for that profit. THAT's Deregulation for ya without REAL accountability.

[junebug51]

15. Run their corporations

And you know this how? Do you work for a corporation that does this? If you have some facts, please enlighten us all? I already know about Enron, so you can leave them out of the conversation because it was a person, not the corporation that brought them down.

[junebug51]

16. Democrats do it too

Don't just limit Republicans in your statement. There are plenty Democrats who fit the bill also.

[redqueen]

20. You have got to be kidding me.

Even the most impartial observer by now has to have figured out that where all parties have some measure of corruption, the Grand Oil Party in this country has it down to a science. It is THE ONLY THING they are good at - being corrupt.

[fascisthunter]

24. Hit a Nerve... didn't it!

your equivocating exposes your shame. I as a constant critic of the democratic party know for a FACT the republicans are much much worse when it comes to this issue.

[superconnected]

28. If you look up his other posts, he's not likely going to be on du long

They're all pro corporations and thinly veiled pro republican

[skooooo]

3. Is this going to be a big story?

Does it have legs?

[flashl]

12. Its big ...

2002 New Hampshire Senate election phone jamming scandal

The 2002 New Hampshire Senate election phone jamming scandal involves the use of a telemarketing firm hired by that state's Republican Party (NHGOP) for election tampering.

During that state's 2002 election for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Robert C. Smith, the NHGOP hired GOP Marketplace, based in Northern Virginia, to jam another phone bank being used by the state Democratic Party and the firefighters' union for efforts to turn out voters on behalf of then-governor Jeanne Shaheen on Election Day. John E. Sununu, the Republican candidate, won a narrow victory. In addition to criminal prosecutions, disclosures in the case have come from a civil suit filed by the state's Democratic Party against the state's Republican Party (now settled).

Four men have been convicted of, or pled guilty to, federal crimes and sentenced to prison for their involvement as of 2008. One conviction has been reversed by an appeals court, a decision which can itself be appealed by prosecutors.

The scandal breaks

Police in Concord, the state capital, were notified by Democratic workers on the day of the election that they were receiving repeated telephone calls, terminating after five seconds, which were interfering with their efforts to reach voters and offer rides to the polls. For at least an hour and a half at midday they were unable to make any outgoing calls. Verizon was later able to stop most of these calls, but whoever had made them had violated state laws against telephone harassment.

State authorities found the calls came from out of state, and so brought in their federal counterparts. They were eventually traced to Mylo Enterprises, a Pocatello, Idaho-based company that ran phone banks.

The Manchester Union Leader reported on it February 8, 2003. The story forced the resignation of state GOP executive director Charles McGee shortly afterward, when he admitted lying to the paper. Later, prosecutors said that he had come up with the idea of disrupting Democratic communications after seeing a flyer put out by the Shaheen campaign with the numbers. Drawing on his military background, he decided to disrupt "enemy communications" and called several telemarketing firms he knew to have Republican sympathies. However, none of them wanted anything to do with the idea.

However, James Tobin, then Northeast field director for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSC), put McGee in touch with GOP Marketplace, a Northern Virginia firm run by Allen Raymond, which had been hired by the New Hampshire party for similar voter-turnout efforts. McGee had lied in claiming to be unaware of this.

Read Entire PhoneGate Scandal

[LeftishBrit]

5. Scary...

Disgusting subversion of democracy.

Interesting to note that when thieves fall out, their loyalty to each other goes out of the window! I bet that if Bush and Cheney et al were ever indicted, they'd be rushing to rat on each other.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

6. ALL REPUBLICANS TOUCH THEY CORRUPT..... GIVE THEM PRISON TIME

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[struggle4progress]

7. Den de doity bastids toined on me, ya onnah! Me, what helped dem pull all dose capers!

[upi402]

8. Republicans don't even have honor among thieves

Thanks for this post.
I thought this phone jamming story would fade away with all the rest. Like sipping from a firehose. But maybe now it will get notice from alternative media.

[Historic NY]

9. This batch of Rethugs is worst that Nixons dirty tricksters.

[defendandprotect]

13. Also, what Nixon did was way more than something that should be called "dirty tricks" ---

[fascisthunter]

10. "who served three months in jail last year"... Is That Just Part of His Sentence?

How much time did he get for committing a Federal Crime?

[Doctor_J]

22. If this is true and verified, shouldn't Sununu be booted from the Senate TODAY

and a special election held in a few weeks to elect a Senator from NH legally?

[paparush]

25. Three months Jail Time for helping these criminals commit four more years of crimes..

How many people have been killed?
How many lives torn apart?
How many children orphaned because of men like this?

3 months?

This guy should be thrown in the dungeon and left to rot.

[Supersedeas]

26. this should be one of the top stories...given the timing...but we'll get pundit opinions of

meaningless poll numbers instead