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VA VOTE SUPPRESSION: As Sam pointed out yesterday the Republicans last minute vote suppression and misleading phone calls and other shenanigans could swing some close races where the margins are minuscule. And wouldn't it be appropriate if one of the offenders was neo-confederate George Allen?Well, sure enough, the Richmond Times Dispatch reports:
The FBI is looking into possible voter intimidation in Virginia's hard-fought U.S. Senate contest between Republican incumbent George Allen and Democrat Jim Webb.The FBI is staying mum at the moment as to what this is really all about. But, VA Sec of State Jean R. Jensen said in a written statement "Voters should not be intimidated or deceived by phone messages purporting to be from election officials." Unfortunately at this point the damage to democracy may already have been done and there's no way to ameliorate it after the fact. According to the Times Dispatch:
The In a written statement issued by the Webb campaign, state Democratic Party counsel Jay B. Myerson suggested that Republicans are behind efforts to suppress votes for Webb."We've seen this tactic before, and it is about time the Republicans learned that it will not work," Myerson said.Myerson's faith in the democratic process is endearingly innocent -- but of course the tactics work. Otherwise no one would use them.(For on-going coverage of voter turnout and suppression issues all day go to campusprogress.org's election live blog.)
--Ben Adler