Low Blows and Slick Tricks from the GOP Slime Machine

Just when you thought that the GOP couldn't dig any lower in the slime pit, here's the latest examples. For the first example, the Washington Post, in their campaign diary, The Trail, reports that when Obama's Grandmother was dying, Obama made a trip to Hawaii (on October 24th) to visit her. According to the article, the California GOP filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission about the Obama Campaign using campaign funds to make the trip. Here is the complaint:

"Obama for America violated federal law by converting its campaign funds to Senator Obama's personal use," the release stated. "Senator Obama recently traveled to Hawaii to visit his sick grandmother. This was the right thing for any grandson to do -- at his own expense -- but it was not travel that his campaign may fund."

According to the article,

At issue was whether the trip should have been paid for with campaign funds, based on the law that forbids candidates from using such funds to pay for personal travel. The Obama campaign said the trip had been vetted with lawyers beforehand and was allowable. The Republicans argued that, because Obama did not campaign during the quick journey to Hawaii, it should not have been a campaign expense.

The Republicans released the statement about 1:30 pm on Monday. Obama's Grandmother died the same day. Talk about bad timing...releasing a statement condemning someone visiting his dying Grandmother on the day that she dies. That's low. Ok, maybe there might be an issue about what funds were used. If so, Obama can pay them back. The real issue here is a heartless, desperate GOP that continues to find new ways to stoop lower and lower into the muck. If the shoe had been on the other foot, I'm sure the GOP would have said it was ok, and would have thrown a fit if anyone says anything. As far as not campaigning while he was there, well, if he had, they would have twisted that, too.

Here's another one. Here in Indiana, two Republican poll workers were removed for challenging voters improperly. According to another article in The Trail, the workers challenged "voters on the basis of their party affiliation". Read on:

Voters in the battleground state can be challenged on the validity of their address, age or if they lack an ID, but not based on their party affiliation. The two poll workers -- a Republican vote challenger and a clerk -- forced at least three voters to file provisional ballots, said Angie Nussmeyer, spokeswoman for the Marion County Election Board.

The county's bipartisan elections board voted unanimously to remove the two. The Marion County Republican Party reacted with a statement this afternoon saying it was unaware of the improper challenges and had not instructed party workers to do so. "We wish to see all qualified voters vote and find it reprehensible to ever deter a proper voter from voting," read the statement.

Um, yeah, sure they didn't know...yeah, right. Just another GOP tactic to keep people from voting, and keep themselves in power. At least they were stopped before they did much damage.

There have been countless reports across the country about tactics such as these and worse in the last few days. Maybe by people hearing about it, people will be prepared if they are challenged.

If you still are able to vote, and are challenged, call your local election board, call the media, whatever it takes. If you are told that you can't vote because of parking tickets or voting for Democrats is tomorrow, don't believe it because it is a lie. You can't be stopped from voting or arrested for parking tickets, and the only day for elections is today. You have a right to vote. Don't let them stop you.