Administration Sends Troops Info on Foley Replacement, Doesn’t Mention Other Candidates
Administration Sends Troops Info on Foley Replacement, Doesn’t Mention Other Candidates
Last week, U.S. troops received messages from the State Department and the Pentagon explaining how to vote in the congressional race in ex-Rep. Mark Foley’s (R-FL) former district.
The emails provided detailed instructions explaining how to vote for Foley’s replacement, Joe Negron, but failed to even mention the two other candidates in the race:
On September 29th, Mark Foley resigned from the United State House of Representatives. He also withdrew as the Republican Candidate for the House of Representatives in Florida’s 16th District.
Pursuant to Florida Law, the Florida Republican Party nominated Joe Negron as the Republican Candidate in the 16th District replacing Foley. Pursuant to Section 100.111(4) of Florida Statute, Foley’s name will remain on the ballot for both absentee and regular ballots. Any votes cast for Foley will count towards the total of the substitute candidate.
Voters from Florida’s 16th Congressional District should be aware that any votes cast for Mark Foley will be counted toward the total of Joe Negron. Additionally, voters who wish to cast a vote for Joe Negron should cast their vote for Mark Foley.
Read the full text of one of the State Department emails HERE.
There is no mention in this email of the other candidates in the race, Democrat Tim Mahoney and independent Emmie Ross. As a result, Mahoney had to issue a separate message to soldiers yesterday explaining that troops could also vote for him or Ross. Mahoney’s letter also included instructions on how soldiers could vote for Joe Negron.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
I don’t know where you get your info, but if this is true then it doesn’t sound fair.
October 24th, 2006 at 3:53 pmI don’t understand why the State Department is helping out the GOP. The Gop has done nothing but ignore and undermine the State Department in all matters of foreign policy and diplomacy.
October 24th, 2006 at 3:54 pmGosh… it’s amazing how these GOP bastards get to use our tax dollars to keep themselves in power.
Isn’t that illegal?
October 24th, 2006 at 3:57 pmDemocrtats, what morons. The rethugs are hitting them with everything they have and dems respond like wimps. The junta sends out a mailer deliberately trying to cut out dem voters in uniform and the dem responds by telling the soldiers how to vote for his opponents. Christ!
October 24th, 2006 at 3:59 pmWelcome to single party government. When the folks in power break the law, who are you going to complain to? Miss your checks and balances yet?
October 24th, 2006 at 4:01 pmIsn’t that electioneering?
October 24th, 2006 at 4:04 pmklyde,
October 24th, 2006 at 4:05 pmIt’s called knowing your enemy. Not becoming your enemy. What Mahoney did was right and correct. There was no “new news” about how to vote for the Repub that the voters haven’t already received. Sounds like he just gave all the information. I would like to see the letter that he sent though.
IOKIYAR
October 24th, 2006 at 4:06 pmthe government is using it’s power to influence an election in it’s favor
October 24th, 2006 at 4:08 pmthis is just another crime.
get the names. we will need to help our law enforcement agencies with records that our government will certainly try to destroy
I wonder how the State Department instructions went out to all the overseas troops for voting in other Districts. It is likely that this is not an isolated incident, given Ney, DeLay, etc. Isn’t there a word for single party, corporate aligned, theologically imbued governance??? Oh yeah: Fascist.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:09 pmI’m surprised they just didn’t mail them ballots with only Negron on it…
October 24th, 2006 at 4:11 pmProbably is no law against it because its in the military, and out of the country. It is pretty presumtuous (sp?).
I think Foley should start e-mailing young male insurgents, that’ll get rid of them.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:16 pmDLET – take that response to KLYDE one step further.
In this case, the Dems provided information to all voters necessary to support the Democratic process. The GOP machine is obviously not nearly as supportive of the Democratic process as they are obsessed with staying in power at all costs.
They should be voted out and then prosecuted.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:18 pmI dont know about others, but I have long considered our political parties two similar factions operating under the direction of one economic powerhouse. Politics, to me, today are more like the WWF..staged for your viewing pleasure.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:20 pmdont know about others, but I have long considered our political parties two similar factions operating under the direction of one economic powerhouse. Politics, to me, today are more like the WWF..staged for your viewing pleasure.
Comment by Dog_named_Boo
Yes Boo,
Every once in a while this comes up, and its true.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:23 pmBetween Diebold and Republican operatives we will probably never have fair elections again.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:25 pmOur people in Iraq are smarter than this. They’ve already been bullsh*tted once.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:26 pmDO NOT LET FOLEY WORK AT ABU GREIB. I don’t want to see those pics.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:27 pmI wouldn’t worry too much. The link troops are advised to follow for more information eventually leads to a table of 16th district House candidates that does not include a Republican candidate.
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/Elections/ResultsArchive/DetailRpt.Asp?ELECTIONDATE=11/07/2006&RACE=USR&PARTY=&DIST=016&GRP=&DATAMODE=E
In other words, I think we’re all assuming a level of federal and federal-state coordination that there’s little evidence to believe is possible.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:31 pm“Dear Florida Voter:
Your original representative and currently listed republican candidate is a pervert, homosexual, and possibly a felony-grade sexual predator. But if you still want to vote republican in the upcoming election, no problem! Just vote for the pervert, homosexual, and possibly felony-grade sexual predator and we’ll tally your vote for some other guy you’ve never heard of instead — because we’re happy to choose your elected officials for you as long as you’re dumb enough to vote for us.
Love,
Your State Department.”
See, no other candidates need to be listed in that letter. If I were them, I really wouldn’t want to be listed on that letter. Of course, this wasn’t the actual letter that was sent out, but is a contextually accurate re-reading of it…
October 24th, 2006 at 4:31 pmOh Geez even talking about gives one a bad visual! =)
October 24th, 2006 at 4:33 pmHere’s an equally important story about the troops.
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/24/1412238
65 Active Duty Soldiers Call for End of Iraq Occupation
October 24th, 2006 at 4:37 pmThe Bush administration is facing new opposition to the war in Iraq from within the U.S. military. For the first time since the invasion, a group of 65 active duty service members are formally asking Congress to end the U.S. occupation and bring the troops home. The soldiers are filing Appeals for Redress to members of Congress. Under the Military Whistle-Blower Protection Act active-duty troops can file and send a protected communication to a member of Congress regarding any subject without reprisal. One of the soldiers is Marine Sgt. Liam Madden of Rockingham Vermont who served in Iraq for seven months last year. He told a Vermont newspaper, “The war is being paid for by American people and they’re not seeing any benefit from it, and neither are the Iraqi people. It doesn’t make sense to me.” The soldiers plan to publicly announce their campaign on Wednesday. Sgt. Liam Madden said they hope to collect two thousand appeals for redress and send them to Congress on Jan. 15 — Martin Luther King Day.
You Foley me once, shame on you.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:38 pmYou Foley me twice, …
Yah, I agree, so much for picking the lesser of the two evils! Just pick the worst of the two evils and then let corruption be that what brings us change in leadership!
The virtue-less self cleaning congress!!
October 24th, 2006 at 4:39 pmForTruth — October 24, 2006 @ 4:16 pm
October 24th, 2006 at 4:41 pmmaf54 – Hey ali, still there
ali15 – ya
maf54 – Is yours dark brown?
ali15 – wtf?
maf54 – is it as hard as C4?
ali15 – my dad says to watch out for infidel perverts
maf54 – gotta go…
How is it the responsibility of the Pentagon AND the State Department to provide very specific voter information to the potential voters of a specific district in Florida, to the troops, and yet fail to mention the other candidates as well? And shouldn’t the FL. Sec of St. have handled it? This reeks. Did they come up with something for Bob Ney, and Tom DeLay as well?
October 24th, 2006 at 4:42 pmAnybody know why Mahoney isn’t bringing suit in Federal court over this?
Isn’t that the 1) correct and 2) available recourse?
Or is the law somehow not being broken by the state department, in some way that this story does not describe?
October 24th, 2006 at 4:43 pmI know this will come as a HUGE surprise to Dems and Progs – but your candidates names will be on the absentee ballot. The purpose of the memo was to inform voters who may have been inclined to vote Repub – not remove Dems names or force a Dem to whip out their crayon and “write-in” their choice….
October 24th, 2006 at 4:52 pmtwo similar factions operating under the direction of one economic powerhouse.
Comment by Dog_named_Boo — October 24, 2006 @ 4:20 pm
naahhh… now, think about that…
i mean i know that the oil companies and insurance companies and credit card banks and arms manufacturers and such also donate some monies to the Dems (maybe?), but i have a hard time believing that they would invest and spend the same amount on a political idealology that is fundamentally opposed to the things that those businesses represent – environmental damage, poverty, bancruptcy, and war…
just a thought…
and i cannot watch WWF any longer than the second it takes to register and click the remote asap! yuck.
October 24th, 2006 at 4:58 pm…
I read more details about it here at this link:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/state/epaper/2006/10/24/a9a_mahoney_1024.html
And this is my favorite part. Talk about Alice-In-Wonderland world.
October 24th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Add to this latest bs the one in Ohio where they have left off the name of Jim Webb on the final check sheet before the voter confirms the vote.
October 24th, 2006 at 5:08 pmThis is going to get worse, folks, dirty tricks, so called “errors,” and downright theft are going to be everywhere this November.
Volunteer to be a pollwatcher.
WHY IS THE STATE DEPARTMENT ENGAGING IN PARTISAN POLIICS? ISN’T THAT AGAINST THE LAW?
October 24th, 2006 at 5:22 pm#26 Hi, Cyra,
Haven’t noticed you around much lately. Good to see you back here. I hope you’re getting better. I’ve seen others asking about you. You raise some good points there.
It seems that our government was less concerned with making sure our troops overseas voted correctly for the candidate of their choice, and more concerned only that they voted Republican correctly.
And I realize that each state can make it up their own minds about how to run elections, but what makes them think this is fair and proper? I do not know what the primary results were when Foley sought his party’s nomination, maybe he ran unopposed. But if he didn’t, and the candidate the party puts up was one of Foley’s opponents, then wouldn’t the Florida Republican Party just be substituting their choice in place of the voters’ choice?
And another thing, I thought the big theme of this year’s Republican races was going to be that these are local elections, not national elections (even though the winners govern the entire nation). So why are they allowed to substitute another person for who the voters pick? What if Foley had died and the voters wanted to send the message that they would rather have a dead man represent them than the choices they were given? (It’s how John Ashcroft became available to be AG.) Under this way of doing things, voters who voted for Foley as a protest would end up voting for somebody not picked to be on the ballot by the voters (of any party).
Doesn’t this all amount to nothing more than voting for a party and not a person? Which is it, Republicans? Do we elect people or do we elect parties?
(Yes, I understand that this is the way Florida law is. I am questioning why they would want it that way.)
October 24th, 2006 at 5:24 pm#34 – “….It seems that our government was less concerned with making sure our troops overseas voted correctly for the candidate of their choice, and more concerned only that they voted Republican correctly.” Wayne A. Schneider
*******Dear Wayne – I think our troops can tell the difference between R and D. Give them a little more credit.
Florida Dems were counting on adding the Foley seat to the win-column, knowing the revulsion Repub voters have for pedophiles – whether they are gay OR straight. Perhaps not realizing the vote wasn’t between “Feely” Foley and the opposition, MOST Repubs would vote Dem. We are simply presenting them with a choice this November – surely you can’t oppose an informed electorate.
October 24th, 2006 at 5:39 pm.
October 24th, 2006 at 5:44 pmhttp://pollworkersfordemocracy.org/
.
Given Iraq, Katrina, the failed economy for the working poor and middle class, the corruption and cronyism of the Party and president in power…
…the fact that Republicans (and Republican-lites) remain competitive in ANY political races in this country…
…especially in Virginia and Tennessee…
…speaks to how SICK the al Cracker anti-American inbred TRAITORS on the right are…
…and that America is FULL of ‘em….
October 24th, 2006 at 5:45 pmThey might want to take care with this strategy. The troopers I know are so mad at the Repubs that they are most eager to vote against them all.
October 24th, 2006 at 6:32 pm#34 Hi Wayne ! Nice to see you too! Yes, I am feeling better, finally. Congestive Heart Failure, I’ve had it for 8 years now. I am able to function on meds so far, :) but had a lengthy ‘failure-failure’, for lack of a better description. Basically, walk 3 steps, stop to catch breath, repeat. For EVERYTHING! Wears a gal out! And I love TP, but I have a very short “GWB” fuse. And with every day bringing a new parade of his antics, I thought it best to stay away for a bit. You are sweet to ask! How is Jane? I have been checking in every once in awhile, usually middle of the night, and saw that you have your very own Blog! That is wonderful! Can you post a link for me? If you don’t mind, that is. This election cannot come soon enough for me. The perpetual ‘hopeful pessimism’ I am living with is making me rather ‘froggy’, every time I hear GWB on the radio, I compulsively holler ‘ F. U.!!’ at it. Gotta get a grip. ;) Sorry for rambling! I missed you all! Have a good evening, Wayne!
October 24th, 2006 at 7:11 pmklyde,
It’s called knowing your enemy. Not becoming your enemy. What Mahoney did was right and correct. There was no “new news†about how to vote for the Repub that the voters haven’t already received. Sounds like he just gave all the information. I would like to see the letter that he sent though.
Comment by dlet
blah blah blah
October 24th, 2006 at 7:52 pmWe go down to defeat knowing we did the “right thing.”
Hard to believe.
October 24th, 2006 at 7:54 pmBut that is the way the republicans like their world, never challenged.
And the dems obligue most of the time,
Americans need another choice.
Or maybe a huge democratic victory- real soon.
This should be ILLEGAL, therefore criminal and a punishable offence. After all, it IS against the principles of the US Constitution, is a form of malicious and unjustifiable attempt to manipulate soldiers or simply citizens, etc.; and that makes it all an offence of anti-Democratic order. In terms of true Democracy, we could justly enough say that this is also an act of terrorist order; far more than all the phony uses the Bush administration has been making of ‘terrorism’ so far anyway.
It is criminal, flagrantly enough too. Whether or not it’s been also made illegal, this is another matter. The distinction is that to justly, truthfully, intelligently establish or determine if an act consists of actual criminality, this is a moral order consideration. Conversely, there are laws that are immoral and therefore criminal; because laws can be and rather regularly are whatever the powers say these are to be.
Given that the US Constitution specifically states that the government is to be [for, of, and by] The People, this act by the State Dpt and the Pentagon is therefore and inherently criminal. That justices and other legal experts have not seen to establishing this law in explicit terms, assuming they have not done so, it does not matter in terms of whether or not this is an inherently criminal act according to US laws. After all, it is also crucial to not only apply laws according to the letter, but, and more importantly, according to the spirit of the law.
Mike Corbeil
October 24th, 2006 at 9:02 pmBe aware that in the 2000 election, mysteriously a load of un-postmarked absentee ballots arrived from overseas supposedly from soldiers on ships who were from Florida > they arrived late with nothing to authenticate them as valid ballots, but none the less they were counted for George Bush and gave him the presidency! GOP are pros at fraud!
October 24th, 2006 at 10:31 pmCorrect me if I’m wrong, but this e-mail sent to troops overseas was meant to explain the process of voting for Foley’s replacement, instead of Foley himself. The absentee ballots already have the names of the other two candidates on it. If the soldier decides that he doesn’t want to vote for the Republican candidate, then all he has to do is fill in the circle next to the name of another candidate, or leave it blank. Why is this article even on this website? The Republican party did not do anything wrong. IT IS COMMON SENSE THAT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VOTE FOR A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE, THEN YOU DO NOT FILL IN THE CIRCLE NEXT TO THEIR NAME. Why should it have to be explained to anyone? These soldiers are not morons. I am not personally a Republican, but I also do not believe in placing blame where there is no blame due.
October 25th, 2006 at 2:01 amIf that quote was the worst part of the email, it doesn’t strike me as all that bad. It comes down to telling people that there’s an official replacement candidate, and a vote for Foley will go to that candidate.
Yes, it would have been better if they’d said this didn’t affect votes made for any other candidate, but I’d bet there’s a similar notice in every polling place in Florida.
I’m not going to claim its all OK, but the comments do look like an over-reaction.
Of course, the remarkable thing is that, in this case, the Republicans have followed Florida state law on elections.
October 25th, 2006 at 3:32 amOf course this violates the law. Fat chance, however, that Alberto Gonzales will consider criminal prosecution. Nor will there be any civil accountability for this law breaking. The Republicans still haven’t caught on to the on-going damage the culture of corrupution is inflicting. Some of this will sink in with the 2006 election but a greater portion will be inflicted with the 2008 election where more Republican Senate races are at risk.
October 25th, 2006 at 9:43 amThat email was apparently send to US Consul, Baghdad. It’s an internal State Department message explaining a specific point about a particular, unusual, election.
Yes, be suspicious, but a lot of the reactions here look more like rabid paranoia. Do you guys know what the consular department of an embassy is there for?
October 25th, 2006 at 5:39 pm