Where DOES the NRSC Get Their Lists?

I am sure that you all remember this gem from a couple of weeks ago. The RNC made a piece of mail look like a census form and invited my Democratic husband to be in charge of Republican voters in the 8th congressional district. Quite an offer that has created quite a stir.

Seems they have yet to purge their lists. Today, they called wanting $60 from us. Read below to see why I think we all ought to give the $60 to Georgia's WIN List in honor of Sen. Cornyn.

Today, as I sit home in bed recuperating, the home phone rang-always a bad sign. NOBOBY calls the home phone. A male voice on the other end of the line said, 'Hi, may I speak to Mr. or Mrs. Morton? Against my better judgement, I said, "This is Amy." He said, "Hi, I'm calling today on behalf of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. As you know, thanks to your support, (What?) we had great victories this week in New Jersey and Virginia. Especially great in that really "democrat" state of New Jersey." (I'm not kidding, he said it just like that. He seemed afraid, like he might go to hell just for uttering the name of the state.) "Sen. Cornyn was wondering if you could contribute $60 today to help us make sure our conservative voices are heard in D.C."

I took a breath. Hang up, or play? I thought, since I'm home sitting in bed, and he called me, I might as well slay the evildoers. "Sen. Cornyn wants me to give him $60? Why?" He replied, "So we can fight the liberal agenda and keep "Obama" and "Ms. Pelosi" from nationalizing health care." "So, what are you going to do with this money?" He didn't seem to expect questions. "We're going to make sure your conservative voice is heard. (What?) And, you may be interested, we also will fight for the right to life." (That's the pitch to ME?) It was a throw away, an add on, and I'm sure he tossed it in because the whole health care scare thing didn't have me spouting credit card digits and, mostly, because I am a woman. "So, you want me to give you money so you can fight against health care reform and try to push a pro-life agenda?" "Yes, and so our conservative voice can be heard." This call is now officially funny, and I am now done playing.

"Where do you get your lists?", I asked. "Because you, well, actually your husband has supported us in the past." "No, actually, let me tell you who you are talking to and why this call is a colossal waste of your time. My my husband is the 8th congressional district chair for the Democratic, or in your vernacular, "Democrat", Party of Georgia. And, I chair the the state level equivalent of EMILY's List in Georgia, so no, we won't give you money to fight health care reform or push an anti-woman agenda." "Oh," he said, realizing that he had stepped into pile of poo and wasted precious call time. "And, by the way, her name is Speaker Pelosi. But, here's what I want to know. I want to know who sold you a list with my husband's name on it because ten seconds in the voter file or in a contribution database would tell you that neither of us have ever voted in a Republican primary or given to a Republican candidate or committee. So, tell me, from what list did you get his name?" Stunned silence. "It's the list they give us of contributors. You know, you can go to the website and get contact information." "That's not going to tell me who sold you a list, is it? And, here's the deal. We both own businesses, and we are suspicious that perhaps an organization (fill in your guess here) that is supposed to be nonpartisan has provided you with our names. We can't figure out any other way you would have this information."

He didn't know, of course. The poor guy was just some paid phone banker, but I still want to know: is my husband having a secret relationship with the Republican Party, (that would officially be considered an affair according to our marriage contract) or did an organization like say, the Georgia Chamber hand over their list to the RNC? I'd think surely not except for the nasty very-Republican-like fear-evoking anti-health reform mailer produced by a self-described Republican firm that he also got directly from the Georgia Chamber a few weeks ago. I'm sure they wouldn't turn over their list to a partisan organization, but the timing of all this is certainly interesting.

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More Mail from the RNC

Not having had time to purge their database after creating a mini-firestorm with their mailing masquerading as an official census form , my husband got yet another RNC mailer, this one in an envelope marked "Official Business," "To Be Opened By Addressee Only, Under Penalty of Law," and "2009 Future of America Health Care Survey." I did laugh because on postage paid return envelope, they wrote "By using your own first class stamp to return this envelope, you will be helping us save much needed funds."

From the inside, here's my favorite "survey" (read: push poll) question:

8. Rationing of health care in countries with socialized medicine has led to patients dying because they were forced to wait too long to receive treatment. Are you concerned that this would be inevitable in the U.S. under the Democrats' plan?

Fear and deception seem to be the only weapons left in the Republican arsenal. Where were all these RNC surveys about health care when Bush was in office? Why now, do they suddenly give a damn?

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How Can the RNC Get By With This?

I laughed earlier this week at the prospect of the RNC putting my husband in charge of Republican voters in Georgia's 8th Congressional District, but this post on Think Progress points out the problems with that mailer appearing to be a census form. It is very, very deceptive in that way, and here, I am also posting the envelope which looks remarkably like ones the IRS sends out, even in the subtle markings. This does look like a deliberate effort to confuse voters, so now I wonder whether he was targeted because he is a Democrat rather than in spite of that fact.

Here it is again, envelope and contents:

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What? Dem Invited to "Lead Republicans in Georgia"

My husband, who is the 8th Congressional District Chair for the Democratic Party of Georgia, has been getting some interesting mail. This mailer from the RNC came just yesterday and is made to look like an official census document. Pretty deceptive, if you ask me. But, the funny part of this is the pitch-the Republican Party would like Daryl to "lead Republicans in the 8th Congressional District." What a hoot! I wonder where the RNC is getting their lists these days, but do appreciate them wasting their donor's money this way. Here's the mailer:

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If You Ever Wondered Whether John Edwards Could Make a Comeback...Phff!

If Newt Gingrich rises from his considerable baggage to become Chair of the RNC, then don't worry about John Edward's future - he could be Pope.

John Oxendine, who desperately wants to become Gov. John Oxendine, is touting Newt Gingrich as the obvious choice to lead the RNC out of the wilderness. He even has a website devoted to the effort to "Draft Newt." I guess that makes Oxendine one of those pragmatic republicans who adopts a "take it or leave it-leave it particularly if it doesn't work" attitude toward "family values" or any values, for that matter. Now, I realize that there's a whole generation of voters who were just starting school when a shamed and largely reviled Gingrich resigned from Congress in 1998, so let me remind you to whom it is, exactly, that Oxendine is hitching his wagon.

First, I wouldn't offer Gingrich up as the poster child for family values, what with his history of three marriages, one of which ended as his then-wife was struggling with cancer. He remarried less than six months after that divorce was final. Perhaps not relevant to the job of GOP Chair, except that the GOP claims trademark rights to "family values." If he is the head, the public face of the GOP, then his own family values do become relevant.

Now, Gingrich is a smart guy (see: Contract With America) but he is seriously ethically challenged and does not have a history of working and playing well with others. While he was Speaker of the House, 84 ethics charges were filed against him, and a whopper of a fine,$300,000. was assessed. He became such a pariah that, in 1998, when it became clear that his caucus was rebelling, he was not only forced to abandon his run for Speaker; he resigned from congress all together. He couldn't even hold his own caucus together.

Wait, what am I thinking? With a track record like that, I think I might jump on this bandwagon with Ox.

Here's Oxendines' whole email:

Atlanta, Georgia - Georgia Commissioner of Insurance and Republican candidate for Georgia Governor in 2010 John Oxendine has launched a nationwide draft movement to support the election of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich as the next chairman of the Republican National Committee.

WWW.DraftNewtRNC.com will direct Republicans who wish to send a message of support for Newt as our next national
chairman to a petition they can sign. The petition will be public and shared with Newt and the voting members of the Republican National Committee.

"This is a critical time in the history of the Republican Party," declared John Oxendine.

"We need a leader at the RNC who has the experience to manage a national movement, communicate an articulate, practical,
and effective conservative philosophy of government, and who is battle tested and able to stand as the loyal opposition to the party opposite. Newt Gingrich is the best qualified Republican to lead our Party at this time."

"It is important our Party realize we lost in 2008 not because we are conservative, but because we failed to be true to and successfully communicate a credible conservative message in 2008. Newt has the vision to lead our party. We need to
return to the principles of the Contract with America, straight talk and conservative principles. Newt Gingrich also has the ability to stand toe to toe with President Obama and offer the nation a counter vision for government - that is what this is all about - the ability to communicate sound conservative philosophy to America to stop the Obama liberal express in Washington. Newt is the best person for that job."

"This is not about 2008, it is a positive effort about where our great Party goes from here - how we prepare for 2010 and
2012. I have every confidence Speaker Gingrich can best organize, best communicate, and best manage our Party at the national level and I hope he will run and win."

"It is my hope that the Republican grassroots leadership-the activists-the real leaders of our Party, will stand up to the
inside the beltway Republican Washington DC cocktail crowd and say we want our Party back and we want Newt to manage it. Sign the petition and send a message to our Party and America that the Republican Party is conservative and far from
defeated or demoralized."

John Oxendine
Oxendine Working for Georgia

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