All Articles Tagged "robocalls"
Black Voter Suppression Case Gets Underway
(Washington Post) — When campaign aides to former Maryland Republican governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. were indicted last month on charges that they sought to suppress black voter turnout last year, the allegations against Ehrlich’s right-hand man drew the biggest headlines. But as the case moves to court Monday, the lesser-known defendant and his often controversial, behind-the-scenes work for Maryland political campaigns are poised to take center stage. Julius Henson, an African American political consultant, has made a specialty out of getting people to the polls, most often black voters and most often for black Democratic candidates. Nearly an entire generation of local and state lawmakers in Prince George’s County and Baltimore owe at least one of their ballot-box successes — or failures — over the past 15 years to his no-holds-barred approach to campaigning.
Ex-Governor's Effort to Block Black Vote Goes to Court
(Baltimore Sun) — The Ehrlich campaign’s alleged effort to keep blacks from voting last November could have the opposite effect for years to come, according to political observers who said indictments over the automated phone calls would become election-season fodder for Democrats. Tantalizing details suggesting an organized strategy of black voter suppression emerged Thursday when Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich’s campaign manager and political consultant were charged with violating election laws. The details filled out a narrative that the Democratic Party went to great pains in November to promote: Maryland Republicans are dirty tricksters. At a news conference then, top officials, including Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, rehashed a series of election episodes such as busloads of homeless Philadelphians being recruited to hand out misleading campaign fliers in 2006.
Koch Brothers Bombarding and Bamboozling Blacks
(News & Observer) — African-American communities across North Carolina recently reported receiving “robocalls” urging support for the Consumer Finance Act Amendments bill in the state legislature. The recorded message was from Americans for Prosperity and claimed that the bill will create jobs by increasing credit from “hometown lenders” to “small business and families.” Unfortunately, there’s nothing that could be further from the truth. In these times of economic difficulty, working families are at greater risk of abuse by big banks and corporations. That includes abuse in the form of predatory lending and practices like charging excessive fees and jacking up interest rates. Interestingly, North Carolina has some of the strongest laws on the books against predatory lending, leaving us less at the whim of those looking for massive profits at our expense.
D.C. Council Considers Outlawing Political Robocalls
(Washington Examiner) — The D.C. Council is considering a bill that would prohibit political robocalls in the District. Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh introduced the “Unwanted Automated Telephone Call Act of 2011″ on Tuesday. Cheh said the bill is designed to put an end to unwanted robocalls that have become an irritant for residents. ”I have heard repeatedly from residents who are sick and tired of receiving unsolicited robocalls,” Cheh said. “This bill would give those residents the ability to enjoy the peace and quiet of their homes.”
