Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Ex-Aide Accused of Vote-Diversion Scheme

[Ian David]

Source: Politics Daily

Texas Democrats say GOP Gov. Rick Perry's former chief of staff paid for an unsuccessful effort to get the Green Party on the ballot in Texas in a scheme to divert votes from Democratic challenger Bill White.

Green Party member Garrett Mize testified at a hearing this week that Perry's ex-staffer, Mike Toomey, paid him about $12,000 to persuade his party to use out-of-state contributions to help the petition drive, The Houston Chronicle reported.

Toomey, a lobbyist, is a close friend of Perry's and led the governor's staff from 2002 to 2004. He could not be reached for comment. On Friday a judge ruled the money used to collect signatures was "an unauthorized, illegal contribution" and granted the state Democratic Party a temporary restraining order to block Green Party candidates from being certified for the November ballot. The Green Party will appeal next week.

"Mike Toomey's involvement in this deal is a watershed today," Chad Dunn, a lawyer for the Texas Democratic Party, told the Chronicle. "Rick Perry needs to answer questions about what he knew and when he knew it."

The Perry campaign denied it was involved in the petition drive. "Our campaign had nothing to do with the Green Party," spokesman Mark Miner told the newspaper.



Read more: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/25/texas-gov-rick-perrys-ex-aide-accused-of-vote-diversion-scheme/

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See also:

Testimony: Former Perry aide paid to support Green Party candidacy
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/272050/testimony--former-perry-aide-paid-to-support-green-party-candidacy

Judge blocks Green Party candidates from Texas ballot
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-greenparty_25tex.ART.State.Edition1.296ca89.html

Former Perry aide paid for aborted Green Party petition effort
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2010/06/24/former_perry_aide_paid_for_abo.html?cxntfid=blogs_postcards

Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/CourtneyinTexas/status/17049478566

[defendandprotect]

1. We need IRV voting . . . amazing what other nations can do that we just don't seem to be able to do!

From universal health care to IRV voting!!

This is ONLY a threat because we don't have IRV voting --

And it's a threat not only to Democrats but to the validity of our elections --

to democracy, itself!


Remember when homosexuals could be blackmailed and therefore they couldn't work in government?

Same thing --

[Jackpine Radical]

10. I like the principles behind IRV, but it has some serious bugs in it

that can generate quite perverse results.

[defendandprotect]

13. .. and have other nations dealt with these "bugs" . . . or living with them...?

It's a rather simple process -- you get a first second choice --

I presume you're in favor of that?

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Start here:

http://www.instantrunoffvoting.us/

Instant Runoff Voting does not work as advertised, and has unintended consequences . IRV does not save money, does not reduce negative campaigning, does not simplify elections, does not increase turnout and does not provide a majority outcome in most elections. In fact, IRV usually provides a plurality result. There are other ways to improve elections or help third parties without the drawbacks of IRV. Read more in this report .

What are the problems with Instant Runoff Voting? IRV is not "as easy as 1-2-3" and hurts third parties by entrenching the two-party political system wherever it has been tried. See how Instant runoff voting has impacted San Francisco, the largest jurisdiction in the US to use it. Implementation of IRV corresponded with a drastic drop in voter turnout in San Francisco's mayoral contests; IRV consistantly suffers from majority failure and several states' fiscal analysis show that IRV creates new and high costs in elections.

IRV violates core principles of election integrity, whether using optical scan voting systems or Direct Record/Touchscreen machines. IRV increases reliance on more complex technology, making audits and recounts more prohibitive, further eroding election transparency. Because IRV is not additive, no matter what voting system is used, the ballots, (electronic or optical scan) have to be hauled away from where they are cast to a central location to be counted. This increases the chance of fraud or lost votes. The tallying software utilizes a complex algorithm that makes the process even more opaque.

[defendandprotect]

16. So -- all of Europe is giving it up, huh?

[Betty Karlson]

18. Most of Europe has proportional representation.

Which would serve the US in oh so many ways if only the powers that be could be persuaded to introduce it.

[defendandprotect]

19. Good = how does that work?

is there a handier name for it??

[babylonsister]

2. As Marvin Zindler would say, 'slime in the puke bucket'!

Nah, he never really said that.

[SILVER__FOX52]

3. You can bet Perry

knew all about it.

[Gman]

4. Look out! Lips are moving at the Perry campaign. That can mean one thing

they're lying.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. The GOP has been behind the Green Party since 2000. All that has changed is

this time someone talked.

E-Vote fraud works because you can shift any number of Dem votes to the Greens. That means the margin of error in polls no longer applies. And Texas has some of the most blatant e vote fraud around. 20k lost votes in one primary, and the local paper the Fort Worth Star Telegram helped in the cover up after the fact.

Forget Chinatown. This is Texas. Can't believe I had a thread tombstoned here for showing how corrupt the government is in this state. Maybe DU was afraid of offending the white racists that vote for Perry?

[Francisco]

6. I'm from Texas..

and us Dems are very optimistic that we can get Bill White in office. Polls are looking good, its time to turn Texas blue!

[Hulk]

7. Texas....sucede already!

I live down here in central Mexico, and today I saw a bumper sticker on one of the vans that said: Texas: Sucede

God, how I wish!!! We can pull all the military bases out of TX, reduce our military a little perhaps; let them become their own nation with one of the lowest education ratings and health care ratings in the country...and we will no longer have to listen to these dumb asses who think Texas is something special because it's F*CKING BIG. It is...it's also f*cking ugly. I've driven through it too often..and it is one flat, ugly state.

Want a trip....drive through Pecos, Texas. I bet you will swear you have never seen a more desolate, run down, depressed piece of earth in your entire life. Texas sucks!!! Take it with you ...and just GO!!!!

[Flying Dream Blues]

8. Likewise, I'm sure. And perhaps you meant "secede"?

I guess my Texas education was a little better than yours, but I really appreciate your kind words.

[Rozlee]

11. In a poll, 78 % of Texans said they didn't want to secede.

Granted, that means 22% are too stupid to live. And I hate these sumbitches here with their creationist, slavery-was-a-lifestyle-choice textbooks. But, I was born and raised in a huge Hispanic family of rabid liberals, and during the 08 election, Texas wobbled on purple. Hey, we're not all knuckle-dragging, beetle-browed, mouth-breathers down here. And I've got a beautiful ten acre spread in the Texas Hill Country, it's not all f*cking ugly. Those of us that aren't on the dark side are trying. I married an Anglo and live in a community where 95% of the population is rabidly Republican and we were the only ones with Obama 08 bumper stickers. Hell, yeah, it's creepy down here. But, it was a funny thing to watch: When the Tea Party came to town, 200 hundred people, mostly elderly whites (of course) were in the park. Seven years before that, when there was a demonstration against the Iraq War, there were 300 people--mostly young. These old crazies are dying out. I see them all the time. If old age doesn't kill them, being overweight by 300 lbs. will. But, a whole lot of us liberal Texans aren't going anywhere. We're going to outlive those numbnuts. Deal with it.

[UTUSN]

9. K&R #23 or whatever, let's go for FIVE THOUSAND KICKS!1 n/t

[TxVietVet]

12. AS a native Texan, I've watched it trashed

by the conservanazi bible-thumping idiots.
I've been in the Midwest for the last 20 years. conservanazi propaganda blairs it's hate on AM radio 24/7. Wingnuts are a gullible lot. When Perry first proclaim his secession bu$hit, the conservanazi toadies were jumping with joy around here. When one approached me about it, saying he'd go down to help defend the border and help Texas. I told him to bring lots of money 'cause Texas is going to be dirt poor. Move all the US military bases out of Texas and watch it dry up. The oil/chemical industry in Texas pays the bare minimum in taxes. Poor folks pay a high tax rate on a shotgun shack that Exxon pays on it plants.

I'm headed back there to retire. If goodhair Perry can't fix the $11B budget shortfall, he's going to f*ck the working folks and the poor. It will be interesting to see. It will be the downfall of the conservanazis. I can't believe that POS has been in office as long as he has.

[tammywammy]

17. Correction it's an $18B budget shortfall we're facing.

BTW, White's running a tight race with Perry. There's a good chance White will win.

[Tempest]

14. What did you know and when did you know it, Mr. Governor?

I wonder what the next polls are going to look like.