Tom Daschle the CROOK sues on election eve!!!!!!

[dr. freeze]

Daschle sues Thune in federal court
By MIKE MADDEN - Argus Leader Washington Bureau
Copyright 2004 Argus Leader

published: 11/1/2004

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle sued his opponent, John Thune, and the GOP in federal court tonight, accusing Republicans of intimidating Native American voters in Tuesday's election.

In a complaint filed late this afternoon and obtained by the Argus Leader, Daschle asked U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Piersol to keep 200 Republican monitors out of polling places across South Dakota tomorrow.

"The Daschle-Thune election should be a fair one," the lawsuit reads. "The conduct of Republican Thune supporters will make it an unfair one, unless restrained by this court."

Daschle is depending on heavy turnout from Native American voters, who overwhelmingly support him over Thune, to win what is expected to be an extremely close election.

Thune aides said the lawsuit is an outrage.

"Unbelievably, they are trying to exclude Republican poll watchers from watching the process," said Dick Wadhams, Thune's campaign manager. "He thinks he's going to lose this seat."

Daschle charges that GOP poll watchers have been crowding voters in Lake Andes and making notes as they voted, writing down license plate numbers of Native American voters and loudly discussing other Native Americans who have been prosecuted for voter fraud.

South Dakota Republican Party executive director Jason Glodt said he did not believe GOP operatives were doing any such thing.

A hearing before Piersol, who Daschle chose for the federal bench, is scheduled for 8 p.m. tonight.

Reporter Mike Madden covers Congress for the Argus Leader. Reach him at mmadden@gannett.com.

 

[Master Capper]

Freeze are you also calling the Republicans that filed a suit two hours ago in Florida crooks also?

 

[dr. freeze]

voter fraud has been going on for years on the Rez....now they are finally enforcing some laws and Daschle sues because he is losing......

some people dont realize that America is bigger than themselves

 

[danmurphy jr]

fed judge has already ruled on it, they can not challenge anything

 

[bjfinste]

I'll preface this by saying that I think John Thune is nothing but scum and can't see how anyone with an IQ above 14 would consider voting for him. However, this does appear to be a somewhat desperate act by Daschle.

Here's the AP version for those interested:

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle took his Republican opponent, John Thune, the South Dakota Republican Party and 200 GOP lawyers to court Monday over allegations of intimidation of American Indian voters.

According to the complaint, Daschle asked U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol for a temporary restraining order to prevent Republicans from doing anything that would "harass, intimidate or discourage voters or having that effect."

During a hearing Monday night, David Jordan of Charlottesville, Va., a volunteer Daschle poll watcher, testified about activity that he considered to be intimidating to people who had not yet voted early.

"On an Indian reservation, word travels fast," he said.

Jordan said he spent Monday at Lake Andes and saw GOP lawyers follow Indian voters out of the polls and write down their license plate numbers.

"They did it pretty much every time" an Indian voted, Jordan said.

He introduced several photographs that he said showed the activity.

Dick Gregorson, a lawyer for the state Republican Party, tried to keep them out of evidence but the judge allowed them.

"I think they're worthless," Gregorson said.

Jordan said at one point, a lawyer said something loudly that could be considered intimidating and another attorney rolled his eyes when voters signed an affidavit if they didn't have identification.

"Then he wrote something down," Jordan said. "I think that would be intimidating."

On cross-examination, Jordan said none of the lawyers kept anyone from voting, spoke to any voters or wore clothing with Thune's name on it.

After Jordan testified, one of the Thune lawyers took the stand and told the court he was not intimidating voters but was just there as an observer.

During a break in the hearing, Daschle spokesman Dan Pfeiffer and Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams got into a back-and-forth exchange with reporter.

Pfeiffer said Thune's campaign lied in saying Daschle was trying to keep Republican observers from watching the polls.

"It seeks to stop this behavior," Pfeiffer said of the testimony. "All we're trying to do is to let people vote."

Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams shot back that the intent was to keep GOP watchers away and lay the groundwork for a judicial challenge of the election results.

"Who goes into court the night before an election if they're not afraid they're going to lose," he said.

Wadhams said Piersol was at one time Daschle's lawyer, the judge was recommended to the bench by Daschle and Piersol's wife supports Daschle's campaign.

"This is a joke," Wadhams said.

Pfeiffer challenged the Republicans to ask the judge to recuse himself if they're serious about the allegations that he couldn't be fair.

A crowd made up mostly of Thune supporters gathered outside the federal courthouse with signs such as "Don't Steal Tom," "Shame on Tom" and "Time for Change."

 

[Clem D]

Tom Delay is the biggest crook in Congress. If daschle loses he will be in President Kerry's cabinet.

 

[dr. freeze]

John Thune is a personal friend of mine....nice compliment bjfinste....you're an asshole

 

[Master Capper]

Come on now we all know the biggest crook in the country is Dick Cheney!

 

[Turfgrass]

Democrats are ready to fight today ... ready to fight for --- for, not against voter fraud. The Democratic Party position on who should vote today is very simple. If you show up at a voting site today you should be allowed to vote, and your vote should count. Period. No questions asked. It doesn't matter whether you've voted elsewhere already. It doesn't matter if you plan to go to another dozen precincts before the day is out and vote again. It doesn't matter whether you're registered or not. If doesn't matter if you are or are not the person you told the poll worker you are. None of that matters. All that does matter is that you are there and you want to vote. Democrats will tell you that any .. .and that means any attempt to make sure the voter is actually registered to vote in that precinct and is actually who they say they are will be called "voter intimidation."

To give you an idea of how Democrats view voting, just remember that it is Democrats who are pushing the idea that non-citizens should be allowed to vote in local elections, and that includes aliens who are here illegally.

We all know that Ohio is a crucial state today. In Ohio 35,000 letters sent to newly-registered voters were returned as undeliverable. The addresses didn't exist, the voter didn't exist, or the newly-registered voter was long dead. This has been going on across the country.

Almost every single story we've heard about fraud in registering new voters has been about Democratic efforts.

 

[bjfinste]

John Thune is a personal friend of mine....nice compliment bjfinste....you're an asshole

I'm an asshole because I said I thought a politician was scum? Wouldn't that make just about the entire American population assholes, as pretty much everyone has at least ONE politician they completely abhor?

Jeez... it's not like I decided to take a shot at your buddy because he's your buddy, I took a shot at a politician that I can't stand. You know, like you do with Kerry and Clinton on a regular basis?