This afternoon, Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wrote a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, calling on him to promptly investigate allegations that the Republican National Committee and its former research director Tim Griffin may have been involved in voter suppression tactics.
In 2004, BBC News published a report showing that Griffin, the former Rove protege who was placed as a U.S. attorney in Arkansas, led a “caging” scheme to suppress the votes of African-American servicemembers in Florida. In response, Griffin said recently, “I didn’t cage animals, I’m not a zookeeper.” Former RNC researcher Monica Goodling, who dismissively characterized “caging” as a “direct-mail term,” acknowledged discussing concerns about Griffin’s involvement in caging with Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty in preparation for his testimony before Congress.
In their letter today calling for an investigation of the RNC’s voter suppression tactics, Kennedy and Whitehouse underscored the seriousness of “caging” and explained what it entails:
Caging is a voter suppression tactic whereby a political campaign sends mail marked “do not forward” to a targeted group of eligible voters. A more aggressive version involves sending mail to a targeted group of voters with instructions to sign and return an acknowledgment card. The campaign then creates a list of those whose mail was returned undelivered and challenges the right of those citizens to vote — on the ground that the voter does not live at the registered address. […]
It is very disturbing to think that senior officials were aware of this practice and did nothing to refer their information to relevant officials within the Department for investigation and a determination as to whether it was a violation of a consent decree or law within the Department’s jurisdiction to enforce.
We, therefore, ask the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility to conduct an investigation to determine who in DOJ knew about Mr. Griffin’s potentially unlawful activity before he was named interim U.S. Attorney, and whether appropriate action was taken on that knowledge, and to recommend whatever action is appropriate.
At a time when the Department’s political independence and its commitment to enforcement of civil rights statutes have been called into doubt, it is vitally important that the Department thoroughly investigate these allegations of unlawful voter suppression, and the apparent failure of Department employees to forward to the appropriate authorities information they had about this practice.
Read the full letter here.

Excellent.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:07 pmTook long enough!!!
June 18th, 2007 at 5:07 pmBlah, Blah, Blah.
More talk… more letter sending.
I’M TIRED OF THIS BS!
I WANT TO SEE SOME REAL ACTION!!!
June 18th, 2007 at 5:07 pmDear Fox,
Please guard the henhouse.
Love,
June 18th, 2007 at 5:08 pmThe Democrats
No, he’s not a “zookeeper,” he’s the most sleazy of shyster-kind.
Zookeepers are kind and gentle folk.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:09 pmThey’re writing GONZALEZ to ask that HE investigate something HIS OWN DEPT DID? WTF???
Is this a joke?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:10 pmBlah, Blah, Blah.
Exactly. Some form of verification is required. If blacks happen to be the majority in some of the neighborhoods in question, that fact alone does not entail racism.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:10 pmAnd Zooey know her zookeepers! : 0
June 18th, 2007 at 5:10 pmI hope if anything, they investigate why all these voters were cheating Americans by voting illegally. If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail. I fully support the Dems and the Repugs sniffing these folks out and getting them into jail. This was a great thing this man did. Anyone who protects valid voters rights is doing a good thing in my book (dem or repug).
June 18th, 2007 at 5:11 pmOh I’m sure mr Gonzales will get right on that.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:12 pmWhy send letters? Just cut to the damn chase and use this as an article of impeachment!
Now.
DO IT!
DAMN IT!
June 18th, 2007 at 5:13 pmDoes anyone ever get the feeling we’re stuck asking the wolf to guard the hen house?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:13 pm“If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail.”
You mean like Ann Coulter?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:13 pmHere. The letter went something like this.
—
Dear Mr Gonzales.
Please investigate yourself.
Thanks
The Democrats
—
June 18th, 2007 at 5:15 pm“Monica Goodling…acknowledged discussing concerns about Griffin’s involvement in caging with Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty.”
Enough said.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:15 pm#9 Like Ann Coultergeist?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:15 pm“I hope if anything, they investigate why all these voters were cheating Americans by voting illegally. If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail. I fully support the Dems and the Repugs sniffing these folks out and getting them into jail. This was a great thing this man did. Anyone who protects valid voters rights is doing a good thing in my book (dem or repug).
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 18, 2007 @ 5:11 pm”
So because someone might be on VACATION, or pershaps FIGHTING IN A WAR they are illegally voting?????
IDIOT!!!!
This is why this type of process is ILLEGAL!!!!!
This does not PROVE that they do not live at the address indicated….. It is ONLY a way to PREVENT eligible people from voting!!!!
God are you IGNORANT!!!
June 18th, 2007 at 5:16 pmThe Justice Dept. doesn’t do “Justice” anymore, its too expensive.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:16 pmRoger_Roger,
“I hope if anything, they investigate why all these voters were cheating Americans by voting illegally. If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail.”
This is not what Tim Griffin was doing. Im not sure why I’m going to indulge you here, but I feel compelled.
They were sedning enevelopes to voters that had return cards in them. If they did not get returned then they challenged that persons right to vote. Problem is, they were targeting African-Americans that were stationed in Iraq, that could not return that card to show that they did indeed live there.
Roger_Roger, why would you support people who would purposely set out to see to it that legal votes were not counted?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:17 pmRoger_Roger,
If there is something there, let’s get it, same as Diebold, Ohio, FL and the others.
Caging is a crime, has been for a long, long time. KKKarl Rove is a crook.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:18 pmroger roger roger -
So over 6,000 African Americans in Iraq on active duty not getting their votes counted is OK by you? I guess you are one sick man! (Is your last name Hitler, by chance?)
June 18th, 2007 at 5:19 pmEric. I swear I didn’t read your post before I posted my two comments.
I didn’t read your post, but my two posts were a compilation of your post.
Isn’t it odd how we are all tuning into the same wavelength?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:19 pmRoger_Roger,
I think you should watch this. I’m sure you wont, but you should!! It will explain what happened in Florida in ‘04. Have an open mind and let us know what you think. It’s only ten minutes long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkvWkwv7UVo
June 18th, 2007 at 5:20 pmI hope if anything, they investigate why all these voters were cheating Americans by voting illegally. If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail.
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 18, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Ok.
We’ll arrest them as soon as they get back from Iraq.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:20 pmDamn, the trolls are especially stupid today.
Is it because it’s a Monday? Whatever, just be sure you don’t step in the troll droppings.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:23 pmRoger_Roger
June 18th, 2007 at 5:23 pmYou are still buying the distraction propaganda hype the hate America freaks spew? You quoted:
I hope if anything, they investigate why all these voters were cheating Americans by voting illegally. If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail.
The REAL cheaters are not the individual voters, but those where the trail leads to the WH and DOJ.
“If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail.”
Roger Rabbit - misses the point again. Here’s some snapshots of the emails and the attachments - I would assume that Mr Conyers will be able to verify them and vouch for them in his chambers soon.
http://www.flickr.com/ photo_zoom.gne?id=413062748&size=o
Wow, a bunch of people from a Naval Air Station - I wonder where they are and why they didn’t reply to Mr Griffin’s solicitations? Should be in jail? Sounds like they are deployed somewhere, Roger Rabbit.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:24 pmLet’s also investigate and trash the touch screen voting machines…. last I heard they are still out there.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:27 pmNice non-denial denial from Griffin. No one accused him of being a zoo keeper. He is accused of running a campaign to illegally disenfranchise citizens entitled to vote, citizens overwhelmingly likely to vote for the Democratic Party.
Mr. Griffin is a Republican, a former RNC staffer, and former temporary US Attorney in Arkansas (despite his paltry experience in a court room). He remains a close associate of Karl Rove, whose electoral math and post-White House earnings hinge on denying his opponents’ supporters their constitutional right to vote.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:27 pmGonzales: No laws broken, next?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:29 pmAnyone who protects valid voters rights is doing a good thing in my book (dem or repug).
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 18, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Amen t’ dat, m’ brother!
June 18th, 2007 at 5:31 pmAnyone who protects valid voters rights is doing a good thing in my book (dem or repug).
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 18, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Amen t’ dat, m’ brother!
Comment by PRIMVS INTER PARES
You two idiots need to get a room
June 18th, 2007 at 5:34 pmThat transparent non-denial denial wasn’t too cagey re the cage lists. Griffen needs help from the ultimate bullsh!tter, Tony “don’t know” Snow. Tony bullsh!ts in high-colonic style!
June 18th, 2007 at 5:35 pmAmen t’ dat, m’ brother!
Comment by ULTIMAS INTER PARES — June 18, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
Thank you Al Jolson.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:36 pmSo lets see if I got this straight.
Based on the comments of the right wing “patriots” in here, part of your “supporting the troops” includes tossing their votes in the wastebasket.
:|
Just curious.
What happens when you don’t “support” someone?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:38 pm#3
Blah, Blah, Blah.
More talk… more letter sending.
I’M TIRED OF THIS BS!
I WANT TO SEE SOME REAL ACTION!!!
What did you have in mind? Rocket-propelled grenades fired at the White House?
Kids, this is just the way it works. Yes, everyone knows that Gonzo is a lying sack of shit. And, yes, everyone knows that, given the opportunity to cover up for the White House, he will do exactly that. But, while he’s still AG, this is the route that they have to take. It doesn’t mean they have to sit and wait forever for him to reply. In fact, his likely unresponsiveness will be one more reason to call for his impeachment. In the meantime, they just put “caging” into the news. The MSM will have to explain to their audience what it means. It’s one more heaping helping of bad PR for Bush and the GOP. It’s building an even stronger case for voters to stay the hell away from those lying Republican scum in the ‘08 elections.
You need to write to your newspapers and news networks and prod them to report on this stuff. If you think there’s an easy way to bring down the Bush crime family, you’re dangerously naive. There’s a lot of money invested in keeping these creeps in power. It’s still a long fight.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:39 pmRoboTroll 3100 reports:
Mr. Griffin is absolutely correct. He is not a zookeeper.
Anyone who opposes “caging schemes” is supporting voter fraud. Why do you want people voting if they don’t live at their address’? Oops — I mean at their addresses.
Clinton Did It Tooâ„¢ (despite any evidence backing this claim).
This is a Partisan Show Trialâ„¢.
Putting animals in cages is not against the law for a zookeeper.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:39 pmIs it just me or is the intelligence level fo the trolls decreasing with Dubya’s approval rating?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:40 pmDear AG:
We ask that you investigate this caging thing, pretty please. At your own leisure, of course. If you don’t, we’ll write another letter.
Love, Dems
June 18th, 2007 at 5:41 pmkasinca, more froth at the corners of their mouths. Less brain activity being shown. If there was a merciful god, the plug would have been pulled on the trolls by now.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:42 pmI had no idea that service as a Research Director is a prerequisite to serve our nation as a United States Attorney. We’re on the fast track, Faiz! I probably should go snag that Law Degree now.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:43 pmThe only way to a permanent republican majority is illegal. Republicans have to break the law in order to retain the majority. The false idea of wide-spread voter fraud is just another red herring tactic designed to keep the majority permanently.
How’s that working?
June 18th, 2007 at 5:45 pmDamn, oversight’s a bitch!
Just think, none of this would be out if repubs were still in the majority.
Is it just me or is the intelligence level fo the trolls decreasing with Dubya’s approval rating?
Comment by kasinca — June 18, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Their intelligence levels decrease exponentially in direct proportion to the ever more ridiculous level of bullshit they are expected to defend.
Pretty soon there will be no more trolls, just a couple of circus clowns slapping each other with inflatable mallets.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:46 pmNext I expect if I don’t respond to all GOP telemarketers’ calls I will be challenged as an illegitimate voter.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:46 pmLet’s “cage” the animals responsible for these heinous acts - NOW! We’ve got a veritable zoo parade assortment of buffoons, clowns, and sideshow freaks! And this we can call our illustrious “US Government”! Wow! Pretty disgusting to even acknowledge that they are in the highest offices in this country. Dis-gusting!
June 18th, 2007 at 6:05 pm#44 Caging will “PALE” in comparison to the shenanigans of the GOP in Ohio with the DRE’s (electronic voting machines). Just wait until the whistleblowers spew their truth about what went on there!
June 18th, 2007 at 6:06 pmWhat happens when you don’t “support†someone?
Comment by BARTLEBEE — June 18, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
They don’t get to vote AND they get spayed/neutered.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:07 pmPublic service ain’t worth it!
June 18th, 2007 at 6:09 pmI see Roger__Roger is up to his usual senseless ramblings.
1. Roger, I agree that voter fraud should be punished. If someone intentionally registers to vote in a location that they do not live in, they should be prosecuted. If someone uses that registration to vote in the polling precinct, then they should be prosecuted. Anne Coulter comes to mind in this category. However, the voter fraud cases brought by the Republicans do not fit this criteria. Most were simple registration errors. I can think of one instance in which a convicted felon voted, recognized her mistake and informed the authorities that she should not have voted. She went to jail for her honest.
2. Roger, I believe that the Republican Party is the only party that entered into a consent decree promising to stop voter intimidation tactics. Indeed, one of those tactics involved caging. Oh yea, there was that little Northeastern scandal about jamming phone lines.
3. Why is it the Republicans, Roger, that insist upon expensive photo ID programs to prevent fraudulent voting even though any expert who has conducted an inquiry into the matter has not found a problem? Is it because these programs, like caging, would tend to disenfranchise honest voters that the Republicans believe would vote Democratic?
Roger, I agree that those who replace US Attorneys for failing to bring weak or non-existent voter fraud cases for political advantage ought to be jailed. Roger, I agree that those who politicize the voters right section of the DOJ for political advantage ought to be jailed. In fact, looking at the history of the Republican party, one can only come to the conclusion that the whole lot of you ought to be shipped off to GTMO as a threat to our freedom and democracy.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:12 pmIf we’re taking a show of hands I’ll second the GITMO idea.
In fact, lets waterboard them until they admit its torture.
:|
Of course then their confession will be extracted by torture, so it won’t be valid….. but if it’s not valid then that would mean they’re were lying about it being torture so then its not torture but if they confess because it is torture that its torture then…….
:\
my heads starting to hurt.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:32 pmOh well, maybe we should just put womens underwear on their heads and smear feces on them…… oh wait.
:|
I think I just described last years RNC convention.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:35 pmFrom Dan Froomkin:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/ content/ blog/ 2007/ 06/ 15/ BL2007061501193_4.html
“Former U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin said Thursday that allegations that he had participated in voter suppression ‘are completely and absolutely false,’
“‘This is all made up of whole cloth,’ he said. ‘I didn’t cage votes.’”
But how, then, to explain these e-mails mistakenly sent to (and then archived by) the spoof Georgewbush.org site? The e-mails quite clearly show Griffin thanking another operative — “thank you, perfect,” he writes — for sending him spreadsheets called Caging.xls and Caging-1.xls, both of which seem to contain lists of voters in Jacksonville whose mail was returned.
June 18th, 2007 at 7:10 pmPillsbury Doughboy lite…Rove is the real Pillsbury Doughboy.
June 18th, 2007 at 7:18 pmNot many criminals say I did it when they are caught…neither do married me encountered about blow jobs during depositions.
June 18th, 2007 at 7:21 pmAny person or party that promotes anything called “VOTER SUPRESSION” is committing a crime.
The term “Voter” implies a legal right, and the term “Suppression” in the case of a Legal Voter implies a willfully dishonest and immoral act - at least in America.
That they would target those of minimal economic means who have little choice but to fight this phony war on behalf of those directly involved in the artificial creation of it is tantamount to TREASON.
There must be a special place in hell reserved solely for Karl Rove - because in MY AMERICA, this is a crime punishable by DEATH under the law.
Remember the RULE OF LAW?
June 18th, 2007 at 7:23 pmI’m guessing that this doughy-faced little Rove wannabe would be crying like a baby, Duke Cunningham style, if he’s convicted of election fraud, a federal crime punishable by prison time.
June 18th, 2007 at 7:47 pmThere they go with their damn letters again. DEMOCRATS, IT’S TIME TO STOP WRITING LETTERS!!! Why in the world are they asking Gonzales to investigate a crime that he was undoubtedly involved in? When are the Democrats going to set up an independent council to investigate these crimes. The Republicans hired Ken Starr to investigate anything having to do with the Clintons. It’s time that the Democrats hired their own “Ken Starr”. Stop with all the politeness, take off the gloves and get down and dirty. Playing nice with the Republics will gain you nothing other than a kick in the teeth.
June 18th, 2007 at 8:08 pmSure Kate, but we have to prove that Gonzo refuses to do g=his job before he can be removed and replaced.
June 18th, 2007 at 8:25 pmPATIENCE.
his, not g=his
June 18th, 2007 at 8:25 pm# 7,
What are you saying?
June 18th, 2007 at 8:32 pmI’m not sure the Democrats can do much more than they are trying to do now.
Even if they tried to impeach Gonzo, they may not have enough votes to do it.
The more they can EXPOSE the dirty business of Bush & Co, the less damage they hopefully can do in the next couple of years.
June 18th, 2007 at 8:52 pmRoger_Roger said,
“I hope if anything, they investigate why all these voters were cheating Americans by voting illegally. If they are registering from invalid address’, they should be in jail. I fully support the Dems and the Repugs sniffing these folks out and getting them into jail. This was a great thing this man did. Anyone who protects valid voters rights is doing a good thing in my book (dem or repug)”.
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 18, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
What about those ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES? Do not overlook the damage that “strange” electronic voting machines can do to voting in America. Electronic voting machines that don’t leave a paper trail are ideal tools for stealing votes faster and more indepth than all the “dead voters” who ever voted.
And the Bush team was MUM.
Americans have been interested in having the Bush Justice Department investigate voter fraud since the 2000 election. Quite a few Americans suspect that “electronic voting machines enfranchised themselves” and voted! Who for? Don’t know.
The Justice Department NEVER saw a reason to “check into” possible voter problems until Mr. Bush’s Justice Department heard of possible voting problems in a little “no stoplight town” in Mississippi. That made the news but Ohio, Florida and other states did not motivate the Bush team’s Justice Department to action.
And that electronic voting machine company executive who predicted an Ohio win for the Republicans was quoted as having made a $200,000 contribution to the Republican party.
While the vote is the bedrock of democracy, it seems to matter to the Bush team who belongs to the vote before the Bush team takes action on vote fraud.
Caging should not be a tool used by any political party. And especially not by the party in power.
June 18th, 2007 at 9:06 pmGawd…if I was Griffin I would get as far away from Karl Rove as possible. In another year, he will be Rove’s twin. Ewwww!
June 18th, 2007 at 10:35 pm“Sure Kate, but we have to prove that Gonzo refuses to do g=his job before he can be removed and replaced.
PATIENCE.”
Sorry but I am flat out of patience. I just don’t understand why they are not appointing an independent council the way the Republics did with Clinton. If we had an independent council, he could put them in jail until they found their memories or if they refused to testify. That’s what Ken Starr did with Susan McDougall when she refused to lie about the Clintons. Without an independent council they are pretty much powerless. Or, at least they refuse to use their power. How about finding some of these people with a total lack of recall in contempt of congress?
June 18th, 2007 at 10:46 pm# 7,
What are you saying?
Comment by bezelt — June 18, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
He’s never quite sure….
June 18th, 2007 at 11:15 pm“Sorry but I am flat out of patience.”
That’s fine, who isn’t, but unless that means you’re ready to commit illegal acts, it still requires patience.
” I just don’t understand why they are not appointing an independent council the way the Republics did with Clinton.”
Because that law NO LONGER EXISTS. Republicans always remove laws after they are in power.
“Without an independent council they are pretty much powerless.” –Kate Henry
No, it takes patient collection of the EVIDENCE, which we have nearly completed.
June 19th, 2007 at 12:17 am“Sorry but I am flat out of patience.â€
Indeed, and I am pat out flatulence…
June 19th, 2007 at 12:57 amKennedy throwing stones. Now that is a laugh since he is a murderer.
June 19th, 2007 at 8:14 amKennedy throwing stones. Now that is a laugh since he is a murderer.
Comment by Happy Guy — June 19, 2007 @ 8:14 am
With your logic I guess you would agree that Dubya is a drunken AWOL coward.
June 19th, 2007 at 12:03 pmHow can a person be denied their vote by use of ‘caging’ tacktics, since the proof that they have was gained by illegal methods? In other words, they broke the law inorder to accuse someone that they are breaking the law?
up is down, so, down is up?
June 19th, 2007 at 12:08 pmThey’re writing GONZALEZ to ask that HE investigate something HIS OWN DEPT DID? WTF???
Is this a joke?
Comment by Punchy — June 18, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
No, they are not asking Gonzales. Let us know when you learn to read what is written as opposed to that which isn’t written.
June 19th, 2007 at 12:48 pmIsn’t it odd how we are all tuning into the same wavelength?
Comment by BARTLEBEE — June 18, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
Odd? You’re kidding, right? LOL! You’re all interchangeable. If you didn’t have your name after your comment, it would be impossible to tell that there was nore than one libbie loon posting here. Odd, indeed!
June 19th, 2007 at 12:51 pm“In response, Griffin said recently, “I didn’t cage animals, I’m not a zookeeper.†”
These individuals — including Griffin, Schlozman, and von Sakovsky — are, beyond segregationist, white supremacists, the racist ideology being revealed in the above comment.
The result of Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” to pick up those who abandoned the Democratic party when the latter adopted minority civil rights as an issue.
Doubtless at least a few of them go all the way to the Neo-Nazi extreme right-wing, tough there has never been a shortage of WASP Baptists who are anti-Semitic as well.
June 19th, 2007 at 12:54 pmRacism is not appreciated in the modern world.
Lisa
June 19th, 2007 at 2:43 pmfree disposable email addresses
http://www.spaml.com
Let’s hope this move isn’t coming too late because the administration has proven adept at dragging out these “ongoing investigations” ad infinitum while carrying on with the alleged wrong-doing with impunity.
June 19th, 2007 at 3:40 pmLet’s hope this move isn’t coming too late because the administration has proven adept at dragging out these “ongoing investigations†ad infinitum while carrying on with the alleged wrong-doing with impunity.
Comment by SubCWire — June 19, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
Have you any evidence that “the administration” is “dragging out” the internal DOJ investigation? I not seen any. Rather, the Congress has requested that they add investigation of the caging” issue to their current investigation.
June 19th, 2007 at 3:57 pmDuring the last presidential election, a woman came in who has lived in our neighborhood for 16 years and voted in every single election. She was no where to be found on the voter rolls and had vote a provisional ballot.
What was real curious was that her husband came in earlier and voted with no problems. He is a Repug and she is a Democrat.
Enough said.
Aidan’s Grandma
June 19th, 2007 at 8:16 pm