Karl Rove Says Florida Will Be 'ground Zero' in 2004 Election

[Judi Lynn]

Karl Rove Says Florida Will Be 'ground Zero' in 2004 Election
The Associated Press
Published: Aug 13, 2003

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) - Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, says Florida will play a crucial role in the president's re-election strategy next year.
Rove, in an interview with editors and reporters of The News Herald of Panama City, said the campaign strategy in Florida would be a combination of "brotherly love" - a reference to the president's younger brother, Gov. Jeb Bush - and an effort to "register, identify and turn out our vote."

"This clearly is going to be ground zero," Rove said in the interview, published in Wednesday's editions. Rove has been vacationing in northwest Florida, where he has been making trips for the past 16 years.

Florida, now with 27 electoral votes, decided the 2000 presidential election and is expected to be a battleground state next year.

Rove said the strategy would not likely change if Florida Sen. Bob Graham was on the Democratic ticket - as the presidential or vice presidential nominee. (snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGANFGV0BJD.html

[DagmarK]

1. I just LOVE the way they exploit 9/11

You can't say GROUND ZERO in this country any longer without it referring to that horrible tragedy in NYC on 9/11.

And now it's a friggin campaign strategy slogan.

They have no conscience!

[rocktivity]

20. You're as right as the Fox News Channel, Dagmark

Rove's remark is in despicable taste. A media furor is in order, and a public apology should be issued.

rocknation

[dArKeR]

30. Comparison to death should be resignation!

Further I think an educated society should be using war, death, killing... words in a civil society when talking about politics, education...

What kind of idiot war mongers have we become? 'The War on Education'. No Media Whores and politicians, we're 'Implementing a plan to better our educational system.'

I just can't believe the 'war' feces I hear Roberson, Falwell, Junior vommit up when speaking about our children or our society. The children grow up thinking every challenge in life is a WAR !

[SoCalDem]

2. So.. Dubya's gonna bomb Florida???

They better watch that lingo around HIM.. NOt the sharpest knife in the drawer :eyes:

[onehandle]

3. That's what I thought. Is that a threat?

If Florida doesn't vote Bush (this time).........

"I wanna nuke Florida"

[dbt]

4. 'Florida will play a crucial role' in the bu$h strategy in '04???

How would this be any different from the '00 strategy?

:evilgrin:
dbt

[aquart]

28. As in "we think we can steal it again, no problem."

[booksenkatz]

5. No, Fla. did NOT decide the 2000 election

because the Supreme Court halted the statewide handcounting of votes. And at the time it stopped, the gap between Gore and Bush had dramatically closed and was getting smaller every hour. Hence, the Supreme Court decided the 2000 presidential election. I just love this revisionist history.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Damn. There goes my vote.

I live in a Republican county. They'll figure out a way to cancel it out. It's not like it hasn't been done before.

[izzie]

7. I am not so sure. We Am move on.

Rowe is not God even if he now thinks he and Bush are God.

[Braden]

8. shameless

I am surprised he didnt say that the Democrats were going to Collapse under the Tower that is *

[hippiechick]

9. ... and NOBODY notes the conflict of interest ?

...having the sitting pResident's brother as Governor of said state ?

Jeb oughta recuse himself for a year or two ... just to avoid any hints of - ahem - impropriety ... :eyes:



:hippie:

[soup]

10. Florida

In 1868 Florida passed a Constitutional amendment aimed at keeping the recently freed slaves from voting. This amendment not only made it impossible for felons to vote but felons who had served their time and left the constraints of parole or other supervision were deprived of other civil rights. They could not receive certain licenses that would have given them the opportunities to work in their chosen field of endeavor. In the 2000 election it has been reported that over 400,000 people lost their right to vote. Florida even swept the roles of other states that restored the rights of ex-felons and barred them from voting. Other abuses were reported such as barring citizens with similar names of ex-felons.
http://aclufl-lee.org/


Restoring Your Right to Vote - Florida

In Florida, the Board of Executive Clemency, which consists of the Governor and his Cabinet, has the power to grant pardons and restore civil rights. Applications are processed by the Office of Executive Clemency.

In order to apply for clemency, you must complete an application and submit it to the Office of Executive Clemency.

In order to be eligible to have your civil rights restored, you must have completed all sentences imposed and all conditions of supervision must have expired or been completed, including parole, probation, community control and conditional release. If you were convicted in federal court or in another state, you must also be a legal resident of the State of Florida at the time the application is filed, considered, and acted upon.
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/restorevote/Florida2.htm

Florida's Executive Clemency Board link:
http://www.state.fl.us/fpc/exclem.html

New Rules for Executive Clemency - as of 06/20/03 pdf format - Adobe required, but definitely worth a read.
http://www.state.fl.us/fpc/Execlem/RULES%20OF%20EXECUTIVE%20CLEMENCY%20REVISED%206-20-03.pdf

Voting Rights in Florida 2002:
Briefing Summary

August 2002

Restoration of Former Felon Voting Rights

The Commission recommended that the state of Florida institute automatic restoration of the civil rights of former felons, including voting rights, upon satisfaction of their sentences and probation. The Commission also recommended sufficient funding to promulgate administrative rules in support of this mandate and an executive order to expedite the clemency process and facilitate the swift restoration of civil rights to those who are so entitled.

Although community-based organizations continue to advocate for the restoration of voting rights for former felons, Florida’s reforms do not include this recommendation and thousands of citizens remain disenfranchised. While the Governor’s Select Task Force recommended that the issue of restoration of voting rights for former felons be studied, there are no ongoing efforts by the Florida legislature to study this important issue.

During the briefing on June 20, 2002, many panelists spoke of the need to restore former felons’ voting rights. Howard Simon of the ACLU, for example, focused his opening statement on this issue and stated that he considered it “the overriding civil rights problem in the state of Florida.”<17> A report issued in June 2001 by the Florida Parole Commission and the Executive Clemency Board noted that there are 418,000 Floridians who have permanently lost the right to vote.<18> Florida is only one of eight states in the nation that permanently disenfranchises former felons.<19>

Mr. Simon noted that at the close of the last decade in Florida there were 139,000 former felons and that 107,000 of them were black men.<20> He added that the 107,000 constituted 9 percent of Florida’s voting-age African American population and 15 percent of Florida’s voting-age African American male population.<21> Senator Meek maintained that the vast majority of these convicted felons are first-time offenders who pled guilty and were sentenced to probation and never incarcerated.<22> Despite the relatively minor nature of most offenders’ crimes, Senator Meek noted that Florida has the largest backlog in the nation of individuals who have filled out the necessary paperwork to have their rights restored. Approximately 50,000 individuals in Florida have been on the waiting list for restoration of rights for two to three years.<23>
http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/sum0802.htm

Note: I only pulled this section, but the entire page is worth a read. Addresses absentee military votes, and many other issues confronting Florida's voters.

Greg Palast is (in my opinion) the definitive authority on voter purging:
http://www.gregpalast.com/

Here's a link to a fairly good summary put out by UF political scientist:
Florida's pre-election voter-roll purging: Threats to voting rights
Deb Cupples
September/October 2001
http://www.afn.org/~iguana/archives/2001_09/20010909.html


Ground Zero? Ground Zero? We've got the backlog of former felons without the right to vote, we've got the process to restore those rights taking up to one year, and still have a huge number of cases backlogged, (not sure of the actual number right now, but it's big), we've got another out-of-state company - ACCENTURE - handling the purge due to an argument between then sec of state (now congresswoman), Katherine Harris and the county supervisors of elections on the cost, we have new districting which just 'slightly' favors Republicans, we have a Republican controlled House and Senate, we'll have no primaries, we've got new voting machines with no paper trail - have I forgotten anything? how about baby brother jeb steering this sinking ship?
More like grounded before take-off. Oh boy, get me started....:grr:

Related questions-
The clemency board meets in March, June, September and December of each year.
Question - on a full calendar schedule? one day in each of those months? Does anyone know?

Hasn't jeb requested an extension on the HAVA? Seem to remember sonething about that.

[LynneSin]

11. Can we retire the "Ground Zero" term?

I mean, when I think of "Ground Zero" I think of:

• Hundred of Thousands of dead from Atomic and Hydrogen bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  
• Thousands dead from a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center
  
• The Epicenter of an Earthquake
  

Nothing personal, but this is insultive that Rove would use Ground Zero for something like an election.

[kysrsoze]

12. No, we can't - he's telling the truth

If left unchecked, it will be the catalyst which allows even more unnecessary death and destruction, and possibly the ruin of our country. Ironically, the term fits well. Plus I think the utter absurdity and obscenity of using that term should be displayed everywhere for everyone to see.

[rexcat]

13. Considering that Jeb Bush won the last Governor’s race

by a large margin, which means Democrats didn't vote or they voted for Jeb, I think Florida is a lost cause. The Democrats folded in the last governor's election in Florida. What makes you think they won't do the same in the 04 election.

Being a former Floridian I have given up on the State.

[SharonAnn]

21. Can we really be sure of that? New Voting Machines were there.

Can we be sure that the vote wasn't rigged?

Probably no way to prove anything, but I'm just not so sure these days.

[AndyTiedye]

23. WE CAN'T WIN IF THEY DON'T COUNT OUR VOTES

[radwriter0555]

14. THAT MEANS WE SHOULD look somewhere ELSE for the thuggery

to take place.

Karl's one flaw is that he doesn't realize that ALL of us aren't stupid.

[enki23]

15. they're gonna nuke florida?

is that a sure thing, or is it only going to happen if the vote doesn't go in their favor?

[Guaranteed]

33. It means that's where they're planning the next terrorist attack....

...to scare the hell out of everyone and force them to vote for Bush.

[Best_man23]

16. As a Florida DUer

I plan to do everything in my power to try and put the Sunshine State into the Democratic column for November 2004.

[fishnfla]

17. Karl, buddy, you've got a bigger problem than Florida

When those parents of our soldiers come to Crawford TX on August 23rd (Military Families Speak Out!) and your candidate refuses to meet with them, ( thats another problem, huh, buddy, how ya gonna defuse this group?)that will be one of the events historians point to when they explain the largest landslide in presidential election history. "Bring them on" and "Mission Accomplished" will also be blamed.Adios Karlos.

[donsu]

18. Rove has put his gaze on Florida

why does he want everyone looking at Fl. ?

why does he want media hoopla on Ca. ?

what is Karl up to?

[bagnana]

19. You are right: Florida may be lost at the outset.

Unless the items you raise are publicly addressed and reform demanded by an outraged citizenry, the state will be lost. With Jeb Bush at the helm, it seems a fair election is out of the question. How is it possible that the felon voter rolls have not been corrected? I read somewhere that they had an outrageous (90%?) error rate, but despite this, Florida was not going to change its felony voter purge for 2004. Despicable.

[reprobate]

22. Maybe. But at the same time.........

There is an anger growing among the people of florida. More and more we see in the newspaper (orlando sentinel, the conservatives choice) both letters to the editor and editorials beating up on Jethro.

I think the polls can say whatever they want, they don't reflect the feeling of most people.

edited for spelling.

[AndyTiedye]

24. even the poll that counts

> the polls can say whatever they want, they don't reflect the feeling of most people.

Neither do the elections

[bluedog]

25. just a scare tactic

Fl is ready for these people...there will be monitors at booths as I hear it.....rove is just saying Fl, but it'll be another STate that they will target!!!!!Mark my words!!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

26. So they have already fixed the voting machines I see!!!

:puke:



:kick:

[QuietStorm]

27. Florida Ground Zero?

What a surprise! Between Dade, Venice, hmmm won't it be interesting to revisit? Have any Executive Orders come in from Jeb yet?

[goobergunch]

29. I have FL at TOSS-UP/possible LEANS GOP...

although the Repukes are initially favored, I don't think it's a shoe-in by any means...especially because the Cubans are ticked at *.

[dolstein]

31. If that's true, we're in deep trouble

Because only Graham and Lieberman have a realistic shot of carrying Florida, and right now neither looks to be a good bet for the nomination.

[goobergunch]

32. I disagree

I think that any candidate has a decent chance at Florida, although those two probably have the best shot.

[kentuck]

34. Democrats should not focus on any one state...

That is what Karl Rove wants... Democrats should go to Texas and every state that Bush won last time and make them work for it...

[Catt03]

35. I think Florida is lost

hate to sound negative but Florida has added many new voters since 2000 and that is not good. Dade and Broward and Palm Beach, where I live, are more Republican than ever. Palm Beach didn't even have a turndown in the economy......where the national average for unemployment is 5 or 6, Palm Beach is 1.3. Not a good sign for change....