Greg Palast-BOMBSHELL-Bush's New US Attorney Is A CRIMINAL (Behind Scheme To Wipe Out Votes)

[kpete]

Bush’s New US Attorney a Criminal?
Published March 7th, 2007 in Articles
BBC Television had exposed 2004 voter attack scheme
by appointee Griffin, a Rove aide.
Black soldiers and the homeless targeted.
by Greg Palast

March 7, 2007.

There’s only one thing worse than sacking an honest prosecutor. That’s replacing an honest prosecutor with a criminal.

But the Committee missed a big one: Timothy Griffin, Karl Rove’s assistant, the President’s pick as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Griffin, according to BBC Television, was the hidden hand behind a scheme to wipe out the voting rights of 70,000 citizens prior to the 2004 election.

...............

Timothy Griffin, Karl Rove’s assistant, the President’s pick as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Griffin, according to BBC Television, was the hidden hand behind a scheme to wipe out the voting rights of 70,000 citizens prior to the 2004 election.

Key voters on Griffin’s hit list: Black soldiers and homeless men and women. Nice guy, eh? Naughty or nice, however, is not the issue. Targeting voters where race is a factor is a felony crime under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.


.........................

Much Much more at:
http://www.gregpalast.com/bushs-new-us-attorney-a-criminal/

[gratuitous]

1. A felony under the Voting Rights Act

Well, I'm sure that Alberto Gonzales will get right on this case.

Thanks again, Sen. Specter, for your self-writing legislation that made all this possible.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

29. Specter was an ASS in the hearings ---

I saw some of his "questioning" of the US Attorneys yesterday, and he made me sick. In fact, all of the Pukes I heard were disgusting in their attacks.

[dkofos]

2. I'm not suprised. Most Repubes are criminals.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. So, is someone gonna prosecute this?

Maybe at least a Congressional investigation?

[EFerrari]

6. Maybe we should ask Mr. Conyers? n/t

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. Naivete is so cute

:hi:

[Jackpine Radical]

10. In which case Palast's bombshell has no fuze.

[EFerrari]

14. It's not new information or, not that I can see anyway.

We knew shortly after the election what these @ssholes did to black voters, to students, to military voters.

But, it's good to see that Greg has a new chapter out.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. The Griffin-as-US Atty/Criminal part is sorta new.

It could become an interesting story if anyone wants to make something of it. Somebody whose initials are Henry Waxman, for example.

[EFerrari]

28. That's true. Poor Waxman must be pretty much inundated

with BushCo crime to deal with. :evilgrin:

[naboo]

4. Let's see how they cover this up

If it "disappears" we will know just how corrupt the corporate media is.

[mikelewis]

30. This won't even "appear" in the mainstream media in the first place...

...They cover it up by ignoring it even exists and then if it should pop up on radar... they'll run it along the bottom of the screen while a talking head discusses the latest American distraction. This story is going no where... truth is way too controversial and it damn sure doesn't sell commercials.


on edit...
welcome to DU... which was actually the original reason for my reply

[EFerrari]

5. This is what happens when you let anti social behavior skate.

You wind up with criminals in charge.

[Kurovski]

37. It's true. And it'll happen every time.

With that in mind...impeach, indict, imprison.

[solara]

8. Well, now Europe knows...I hope America hears about it before 2008

Sorry, but I dont have a lot of faith in the MSM.. especially when it concerns more "bad" news for the Dick and his Shrub.

Do you think this story will have "legs"?

[Bonobo]

9. This may be the scandal that buries Bush. K&R,

You fuck with around at this deep of a level and you will arouse the ire of not just those on our side, but true patriots and freedom lovers on the other side as well.

This may be the one to do him in. The timing is certainly right coming on the heels/simulateous with Libbygate.

Let's hope so.

K&R

[FatDave]

34. "true patriots and freedom lovers on the other side"

Have you seen any of those lately?

[SpiralHawk]

11. Key target: black soldiers. Republicons after honorable vets again.

Why do the republicons HATE the men and women who have actually served America with honor?

Is it because so many republicons are cowardly chickenhawks who quiver in shame that it will be widely known that they have never served America for even one day?

[babylonsister]

12. Per this, his nomination was pulled:

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/02/griffin-voter-suppr... /

Did White House Pull Nomination To Avoid Questions Over 2004 Minority Voter Suppression? «

Tim Griffin — a “37-year-old protege” of Karl Rove and the former research director of the Republican National Committee — has become the poster boy for the Bush administration’s politicization of the office of U.S. attorney.

On Feb. 15, Griffin suddenly announced that he had “made the decision not to let my name go forward to the Senate” for approval. Instead, he will serve indefinitely as an “interim” prosecutor. By avoiding Senate approval, Griffin will also avoid having to answer questions under oath about his role in a plan to supress Florida votes — primarily those of African-American servicemembers — in the 2004 election. From the LA Times, 10/28/04:

The Bush campaign is planning an election day effort to disrupt ballot casting by African Americans by challenging voters whose names are on a “caging list,” according to a British news report.

Citing an internal GOP e-mail with the subject line “caging,” the BBC reported Tuesday that Florida Republicans had a list of 1,886 names and addresses of voters in largely black and traditionally Democratic areas of Jacksonville. …

But African American leaders Wednesday called the list another “shameful” Republican effort to keep blacks from voting.

Yesterday, the public radio station KUAR in Arkansas aired an interview with Griffin, in which he denied involvement in this scheme. He called the report “patently false.”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GRIFFIN (go to link)

Congressional sources tell ThinkProgress that the White House has decided not to proceed with the Griffin nomination because it would bring up questions about the 2000 caging scheme. If Griffin wasn’t involved, he should say that under oath. Congress and the public deserve the opportunity to question a U.S. attorney about his possible role in suppressing minority voters.

Transcript:

RON BREEDING, KUAR HOST: Well, Mr. Griffin, if I may interrupt. One of the specific things that has been talked about — I know you worked on campaigns, but it’s been alleged you were involved in voter suppression efforts and that sort of thing. Can you speak to the types of work you did on campaigns?

TIM GRIFFIN, U.S. ATTORNEY: Sure. I was — First of all, the allegations of voter suppression, or whatever you were referring to, I’m intimately familiar with those allegations. That is a web article on the Internet. It is patently false. I have told Sen. Pryor it was patently false. I have explained that in detail.

[EFerrari]

13. "That was a web article on the Internet." Iirc, this is a way

the BFEE invalidates or minimizes information -- it came up in "9/11 Press for Truth".

[TheBaldyMan]

15. Yep, Republicans think 'voting while black' is the real crime n/t

[robinlynne]

18. Actually they think voting itself isn't worth having anymore.

[KansDem]

32. Reminds me of the Molly Ivins quote: "(Republicans) don't want to govern; they want to rule"

And you don't have to vote in a system where one person/party rules...

Edited to fix code

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Here's a clue: When we are looking for honest brokers to serve

in public office, never select a man who thinks that the end justifies the means.

[donkeyotay]

21. I, GOP gangster, do solemnly swear,

That I will faithfully protect my crime family, and will to the best of my ability consolidate our power, preserve the stonewall against justice, protect our profits, and defend the Republican Party's right to rule.

Machiavelli's Oath of Office.

[krispos42]

19. Impeach. Indict. Incarcerate.

I'm sure that BushCo will feel quite comfortable in the presence of those he disenfranchised.

[mod mom]

20. Pls contact House Judiciary:

http://judiciary.house.gov/

[Blackhatjack]

22. This is what you get when there is no confirmation process before congress...

Arlen Specter's Office was responsible for secretly inserting the provision in a bill that Bush signed giving him this power to avoid confirmation hearings before Congress. Now Specter says he did not know about it --but as far as we can tell no one in his office was fired or publicly condemned for doing it.

Specter needs to be raked over the coals for this, and there should be fast-track action to reverse the effect of that provision immediately.

[donkeyotay]

35. It's worse than Arlen Specter's private legislative session?

We don't know who put it in? It could have been Dick or al-qaeda? Maybe it put itself in. This is outrageous and this privatization of the legislative process should not be tolerated.

Specter should be raked over coals - or water-boarded - to find out who did it. If it was unauthorized it should be investigated.

[IWantAChange]

23. Slowly but surely the Repuke curtain is going to be raised and

they are going to suffer the consequences for decades.

[John Gauger]

24. I remember that.

Palast mentions that incident in his latest book. One of the purge lists used by the GOP (I believe in Cleveland) was composed mainly of names from two addresses: a homeless shelter and an Army base. I was shocked by such contempt for democracy, even to go so far as to disenfranchise active military members. These people are truly despicable: imagine being sent to Iraq and then having your vote taken away. These men are already doing something remarkable, by joining the Army after what America has done to the black man (unless they joined because they had no other options. Either possibility makes the voter purge even more despicable.) These are the same people who complained when 16,000 white soldiers had their votes discarded in California four years earlier (due to the Electoral College, their votes were meaningless anyway, but that's beside the point.) I never cease to be astonished what people will do in the name of partisan politics.

And then we have the homeless people. They have already been thrown away, deemed worthless by society. This is just another travail on the long journey of suffering that they endure. Of course, a significant portion of these homeless men are also veterans.

[merh]

25. Didn't he decline the nomination?

I thought I read he had. :shrug:

*off to find a link*

[Norquist Nemesis]

26. From what I gathered during the Hearing yesterday, no

Also part of this is that it's not a nomination in the way that it is voted and approved by the Senate, thanks to Patriot Act. He is appointed and is replacing 'Bud' Cummins in Arkansas.

[merh]

27. I did a quick look and you are right.

Sadly, I was mistaken :(

I hate this bunch, they just keep perverting the system every way they can.

[mod mom]

33. babylon sister posted this link earlier:

Did White House Pull Nomination To Avoid Questions Over 2004 Minority Voter Suppression?
Tim Griffin — a “37-year-old protege” of Karl Rove and the former research director of the Republican National Committee — has become the poster boy for the Bush administration’s politicization of the office of U.S. attorney.

On Feb. 15, Griffin suddenly announced that he had “made the decision not to let my name go forward to the Senate” for approval. Instead, he will serve indefinitely as an “interim” prosecutor. By avoiding Senate approval, Griffin will also avoid having to answer questions under oath about his role in a plan to supress Florida votes — primarily those of African-American servicemembers — in the 2004 election. From the LA Times, 10/28/04:

The Bush campaign is planning an election day effort to disrupt ballot casting by African Americans by challenging voters whose names are on a “caging list,” according to a British news report.

Citing an internal GOP e-mail with the subject line “caging,” the BBC reported Tuesday that Florida Republicans had a list of 1,886 names and addresses of voters in largely black and traditionally Democratic areas of Jacksonville. …
-snip

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/02/griffin-voter-suppression

[Norquist Nemesis]

40. Interesting...this not only got a heads up because of the firings

but because of the Patriot Act change that got "slipped in" to allow Gonzo to just appoint someone without the Senate's approval. :shrug: At this point anyway, looks like he's in the chair but just with the status of interim. It has the same result in terms of 'giving him experience' toward being a judge or future elected official (as Lindsay Graham claims this post is intended to provide).

[The Count]

31. getting their ducks in a row for the next elections among other things...

[FatDave]

36. Mmmmmm.....duck..... (nt)

[MasonJar]

38. Maybe Keith might want to know this. He has a brand new (I hope)

airtight contract and no fear. Please send it to him. I am too computer illiterate to know how.

[caligirl]

39. And Darrell Issa, he's a criminal to. Auto theft I think.