Calling America - Robo Calling in Kansas 02

[Jon8503]

We've received a call or two complaining about so-called robocalls -- that is, computerized phone calls urging a voter to support or oppose a candidate.

Allegedly, someone is making repeated calls in Kansas 02, urging a vote for Nancy Boyda -- so many calls that the voter may get irritated and vote for someone else, a so-called false flag robocall.

We've received no evidence Jim Ryun is directly involved, if a major robocall operation is indeed underway.

A liberal website says the practice is widespread, and cites Republican Party spending in Kansas 02 with a political media company involved in phone banking.

Caveat ballotor: take all late phone calls with a grain of salt.

Posted by Dave Helling

http://www.kcbuzzblog.typepad.com/

[chat_noir]

1. Robo calling confirmed by TMP

NRCC Robo Calls Hitting 20 Districts

In each case, the calls begin with "Hi, I'm calling with information about ," and then continues to provide negative information about the candidate. Counter to FCC rules, which require that the caller identify themselves early on in the call, the calls only reveal that they are paid for by the NRCC at the end of the call. You can listen to one of these calls (from New York's 19th district) here. There are more than a few reports of voters getting frustrated by repeated calls they believe to be from the Dem candidate.

The firm conducting the calls is Conquest Communications, and reviewing the NRCC's independent expenditures filed with the FEC over the past week shows Conquest active in 20 different House races. The full list of expenditures, which includes the incredibly cheap price tags for these calls which reach hundreds of thousands of voters, is below the fold.

Opposes Candidate: NANCY BOYDA FOR CONGRESS
Office Sought: House of Representatives, Kansas District 02
Payee: CONQUEST COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
Date Expended = 11/03/2006 Amount Expended = $4093.74
Purpose: Phone Banks

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001940.php